Ladies Should Listen ** (1934, Cary Grant, Frances Drake, Edward Everett Horton, Nydia Westman, George Barbier) – Classic Movie Review 7339

Director Frank Tuttle’s 1934 archetypal Thirties romantic comedy Ladies Should Listen stars Cary Grant as a wide-eyed French business executive called Julian de Lussac under assault from his romantically inclined switchboard operator telephonist Anna Mirelle (Frances Drake), who tries to save him from his plotting business rivals Marguerite Cintos and Ramon Cintos (Rosita Moreno and Rafael Corlo, aka Rafael Storm), out to swindle him of his mineral rights.

Ladies Should Listen is lightweight and patchy, with little credibility, and it is more than a touch predictable. None the less, it is still quite fun as a showcase for Grant’s developing screwball skills and for the smooth character turns from Edward Everett Horton (as Paul Vernet), Nydia Westman (Susie Flamberg) and George Barbier (Joseph Flamberg).

The outstanding performance, though, comes from Grant’s little remembered co-star Frances Drake, who is charming. She had a ten-year, 25-film career from 1933 to 1942, retiring on the urging of her husband, Lt Cecil John Arthur Howard, and lived till 2000, aged 87.

Also in the cast are Charles Ray, Charles Arnt, Henrietta Burnside, Joseph [Joe] North and Ann Sheridan (billed as Clara Lou Sheridan).

The screenplay by Claude Binyon, Frank Butler and Guy Bolton is based on a play by Alfred Savoir. It is only 62 minutes long.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7339

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