Considering that this film was made by MGM and starred some of the finest stars under contract with them at the time, it's hardly a surprise that this film was extremely watchable and fun. Just think--the film starred Myrna Loy, William Powell, Spencer Tracy AND Jean Harlow!! It's like you are getting twice the usual film rolled into one! And they all did a wonderful job in the film--particularly Powell and Harlow.
Spencer Tracy plays a relatively heartless guy who has been stringing along the same girlfriend for years (Harlow). When a crisis erupts on his wedding day, Tracy is thrilled to have an excuse not to tie the knot and jumps into the thick of things. It seems that a false story accidentally was run in his newspaper and now the rich débutante (Loy) and her father (Walter Connelly) are suing for $5 million dollars! So, the scheming Tracy hires William Powell to discredit Loy by using his sophisticated manly charms. Then, according to this plan, Powell's wife will respond by suing Loy--a clever and very mercenary ploy to avoid the first lawsuit. But, since Powell ISN'T married, Tracy (the big cad) asks his fiancée (Harlow) to marry Powell!! Of course, the wedding is all a shame, but any man who would ask his own fiancée to marry another is just a colossal jerk--and that's exactly what Tracy is in the film.
While this is just a broad overview of the first 20 minutes or so of the film, it sets the stage for the rest of the film. At first, Loy and Powell do NOT hit it off at all, but after a while nature takes its course and the film continues at a fast and funny pace until its wonderful conclusion.
The film deserves kudos for having an excellent script and direction--MGM did NOT just rely on its stars to bring in the money, but actually pulled out all the stops to make an excellent film. While the movie is not exactly a "screwball comedy" (it's a little more sophisticated than that), it is nearly one and does provide some excellent laughs--mostly when watching novice Powell try to fish like an expert. This and many other wonderful moments make this a must-see film for old movie buffs.
Spencer Tracy plays a relatively heartless guy who has been stringing along the same girlfriend for years (Harlow). When a crisis erupts on his wedding day, Tracy is thrilled to have an excuse not to tie the knot and jumps into the thick of things. It seems that a false story accidentally was run in his newspaper and now the rich débutante (Loy) and her father (Walter Connelly) are suing for $5 million dollars! So, the scheming Tracy hires William Powell to discredit Loy by using his sophisticated manly charms. Then, according to this plan, Powell's wife will respond by suing Loy--a clever and very mercenary ploy to avoid the first lawsuit. But, since Powell ISN'T married, Tracy (the big cad) asks his fiancée (Harlow) to marry Powell!! Of course, the wedding is all a shame, but any man who would ask his own fiancée to marry another is just a colossal jerk--and that's exactly what Tracy is in the film.
While this is just a broad overview of the first 20 minutes or so of the film, it sets the stage for the rest of the film. At first, Loy and Powell do NOT hit it off at all, but after a while nature takes its course and the film continues at a fast and funny pace until its wonderful conclusion.
The film deserves kudos for having an excellent script and direction--MGM did NOT just rely on its stars to bring in the money, but actually pulled out all the stops to make an excellent film. While the movie is not exactly a "screwball comedy" (it's a little more sophisticated than that), it is nearly one and does provide some excellent laughs--mostly when watching novice Powell try to fish like an expert. This and many other wonderful moments make this a must-see film for old movie buffs.