Sinners in the Sun ** (1932, Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Walter Byron, Adrienne Ames, Cary Grant) – Classic Movie Review 11,280

Director Alexander Hall’s 1932 American pre-Code Paramount Pictures black and white film Sinners in the Sun is a slight, largely unamusing Thirties romantic comedy drama with a working-class pair, New York City dress shop model Doris Blake (Carole Lombard) and mechanic Jimmie Martin (Chester Morris), who fall out and consequently take up with wealthy socialites Eric Nelson and Claire Kinkaid (Walter Byron, Adrienne Ames) before eventually falling back in love.

A rather dreary, leaden script holds back the usually irrepressible Lombard, lumbering her with line after line of humourless dialogue, and Morris’s mannered performance hasn’t dated well. Watch out for Cary Grant making only his second screen appearance in a minor co-starring role as Eric’s friend Ridgeway, who has grown tired of his girl Lil (Rita LaRoy) and turns his attentions to Doris. Adrienne Ames scores strongly in an extravagant role as the rich, eccentric Claire Kinkaid, who marries Jimmie.

It is written by Waldemar Young and Samuel Hoffenstein, based on the short story The Beachcomber by Mildred Cram.

Also in the cast are Alison Skipworth as Mrs Blake, Walter Byron as Eric Nelson, Rita LaRoy as Lil, Reginald Barlow as Mr Blake, Zita Moulton as Florence Nelson, Luke Cosgrave as Grandfather Blake, Ida Lewis as Grandmother Blake, Russ Clark as Fred Blake, Frances Moffett as Mrs Fred Blake, Pierre de Ramey as Louis, and Veda Buckland as Emma.

Runtime: 70 minutes.

It is shot at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,280

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com