Leslie Howard and Bette Davies In “It’s Love I’m After”

Northern Advocate, 22 July 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

Leslie Howard and Bette Davies In “It’s Love I’m After”

Movie fans have seen Leslie Howard and Betts Davis together in a tragedy (“Of Human Bondage”), a melodrama (“The Petrified Forest”), and now they are about, to present themselves on the screen in a comedy. This picture is Warner Bros.’ production called “It’s Love I’m After.” It is said to offer conclusive proof that Leslie and Bette are ideal teammates, no matter what angle their movie may take. It has had splendid reviews from those privileged to -witness the pre-showings at Hollywood and elsewhere. Howard is offered to the fans—in tjiis movie story—as a stage actor of the type that used to be called “matinee idol,” and to look at whom all the sentimental young women of Broadway used to cluster about stage doors. Miss Davis is shown as his leading woman. They really love each other, but that doesn’t prevent them from stealing every possible scone they can,<

and wrangling with each other in undertones while they’re hypnotising their audiences with their art. The beautiful and youthful Olivia de Haviliand has the part of a smart and wealthy heiress (though she’s as sentimental as the rest of the stage-door fans), who has fallen in love with Howard. The problem that had to be worked out by novelist Maurice Hanline, scenarist Casey Robinson and director Archie Mayo, was how to get Olivia out of her love-madness and restore her to the arms of her real fiance, played by Patric Knowles. These geniuses solve the problem nicely—but only after there’s been innumerable difficult and highly humorous complications. Among the other notables with lesser parts are Eric Blore, Bonita Granville, George Barbier, Spring Byington, Georgia Caine. E. E. Clive and Valerie Bergere.