The Last of Mrs Cheyney *** (1937, Joan Crawford, William Powell, Robert Montgomery, Frank Morgan, Nigel Bruce, Jessie Ralph) – Classic Movie Review 5786

Director Richard Boleslawski’s entertaining and well-crafted 1937 drama stars movie queen Joan Crawford, who scores another popular success as Mrs Fay Cheyney, a posh, rich American widow involved in intrigue and romance in England.

She is pursued by two English aristocrats – middle-aged Lord Kelton (Frank Morgan) and young playboy Lord Arthur Dilling (Robert Montgomery). But it turns out that Mrs Cheyney is a gem robber after the hostess’s pearls at the large weekend house party they are all attending.

Her ‘butler’ Charles is her accomplice (William Powell) who carries out the robberies. But Lord Dilling recognizes Charles as a previously arrested jewel thief, apprehended in Monte Carlo.

This polished, enjoyable MGM movie is a remake of the Norma Shearer- Basil Rathbone 1929 The Last of Mrs Cheyney film of Frederick Lonsdale’s play.

It may not quite be top drawer, but nearly, and it is still a real pleasure for admirers of Crawford, Robert Montgomery, William Powell, Frank Morgan, Jessie Ralph and Nigel Bruce – all on fine form – and the support players.

The cast includes Benita Hume, Melville Cooper, Sara Haden, Colleen Clare, Ralph Forbes, Aileen Pringle, Leonard Carey, Lumsden Hare, Willie Clare, Barnett Parker and Wallis Clark.

It runs 98 minutes, is written by Leon Gordon, Samson Raphaelson, Monckton Hoffe, is shot in black and white by George J Folsey, is produced by Lawrence Weingarten, is scored by William Axt, and designed by Cedric Gibbons.

It was remade again as The Law and the Lady in 1951.

Joan Collins appeared as Mrs Cheyney in a London production of the play in the Seventies. English pop manager and impresario Larry Parnes (3 September 1929 – 4 August 1989) bought a lease of the Cambridge Theatre in 1972, where he persuaded Joan Collins to perform her first West End play, The Last of Mrs Cheyney, in 1976.

The play opened first in London on 22 September 1925 and then on Broadway on 9 November 1925 with Helen Hayes and Roland Young, running 385 performances.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5786

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

Movie Queens: Joan Crawford by Graeme Jukes.