“LIBELLED LADY”

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 113, 6 February 1937, Page 26

“LIBELLED LADY”

A Giddy Whirl and Glitter

(By

JOHN STORM.)

Sydney, January 20. In “Libelled Lady,” the newspaper world of the U.S.A, again holds the floor. The picture to be enjoyed must be followed closely as it goes. For it is no philosopher satire to be considered later, but a mono-rail comedy running on a razor-blade track through the realm of the farcical. “Libelled Lady” must be heard as well as seen. Its sound record is a welter of wit and scintillation of the kind Americans have made their own. This gay show is for everybody. It is uo glossary of gangster slang, but it is a whole repertoire of that form of American “idiom” specially created to deal with the lighter side of life in pictured cities of the U.S.A. And though it may be no more the customary speech of certain New Yorkers, than the scintillations of Bernard Shaw are the actual forms of address of contemporary Londoners, it is equally diverting. Then, it is a comedy of contrasts. Myrna Loy is happily cast as the astute, but not sufficiently astute, young lady if the world of manners, an heiress reared in the lap of American luxury. With her is contrasted Jean Harlow, as the young woman from the “East Side.” The supposedly recalcitrant Jean “buhstin’ with indignation from start to finish,” gives one of those “Piff-Poff” performances she does to perfection. Then for the rest “meet” Spencer Tracy, as he would say himself, in the part of Haggerty, news sleuth of a New York daily. His loyal _ heart will even make a temporary sacrifice of his “girl and Jean as the girl will “tell the world” about that. “Meet” also Walter Connolly as the millionaire to be tracked down at the behest of the indefatigable Haggerty. „ , Then "meet” William Powell, the suave young man—hero of a thousand such fights—who is to do the tracking. Incidentally he is to enmesh the heart ot Myrna Loy, the millionaire’s daughter, who is about to sue the paper for libel in some trifling society affair, while Jean is to remain in New York as his pseudo wife to appear if need be at a suitable time later. William must rush about the globe in earnest endeavour to carry out his contract and draw fire from the merciless Myrna. Walter is discovered to be a fishing enthusiast. Then William, who has never held a rod in his hand, has no rest. In every spare moment he studies works on fishing. William lies in his bunk and repeats'the formulas for all good and true fishermen. He stands at his glass shaving and reads “Advice to Anglers’ propped over the mirror. He studies deeply aud surreptitiously, and, he wins the heart of Walter, the millionaire. That wary gentleman having given the priceless jewel is prodigal of the friendship and confidence that goes with it. William when they are back on land must be their guest and come fishing. William does, to the delight of the first, and foremost critic in Sydney, who hails the sequence as one to put up a record for funniness against all future comedies of the year 1

Jean takes a furious turn against her “noospaper man” with much poisy argument, and falls in love with the fine manners of her temporary husband, and decides "to keep him. While William on his part falls deeper in love with his dynamite, Myrna. And meanwhile the fuse of her lighting burns shorter, and the libel suit draws nearer and nearer. Here are four of the screen’s neatest “light” performers evenly matched and cleverly offset, with Walter Connolly, equally at home in parts grave or gay, radiating sprightliness of his own subtle kind over all.