Forsaking All Others *** (1934, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery) – Classic Movie Review 5,782

Director W S Van Dyke II’s 1934 MGM film success Forsaking All Others pairs the irresistible screen star couple of Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in another fast-moving, enjoyable screwball romantic comedy drama, in which three friends are involved in a love triangle.

Mary Clay (Crawford) is abandoned at the altar by Dill Todd (Montgomery) to marry his old flame Connie Barnes (Frances Drake), but, though Mary still has feelings for Dill, she finds compensation in the arms of dullard Jeff Williams (Gable), in this bubbly three-sided romantic comedy  of errors, with the stars at their peak.

Should Mary forsake old Jeff when Dill turns up again? With this casting, the outcome seems a foregone conclusion.

Crawford is at her most sparkly in this well produced, pacy, quickly made MGM product from the golden years. The Crawford role was created on Broadway by Tallulah Bankhead in the 1933 stage play Forsaking All Others by Edward Barry Roberts and Frank Morgan Cavett.

Also in the cast are Charles Butterworth as Shep, Billie Burke as Aunt Paula, Rosalind Russell as Eleanor, Arthur Treacher, Tom Ricketts and Greta Meyer.

Forsaking All Others is directed by W S Van Dyke II, runs 84 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Joseph L Mankiewicz, based on the play by Edward Barry Roberts and Frank Morgan Cavett, is shot in black and white by Gregg Toland and George J Folsey, is produced by Bernard H Hyman, is scored by William Axt, and is designed by Cedric Gibbons and Edward B Willis.

It was released as a Christmas treat on 23 December 1934.

It was a big hit, reflecting Crawford’s great popularity. It cost $392,000 and took $2,199,000 globally at the box office, making a profit of $1,132,000 for MGM.

It is available on Region 1 DVD and Amazon Video.

The incredibly popular star team Gable and Crawford re-teamed with the same director the year after next for Love on the Run (1936). Forsaking All Others is the sixth of eight films Crawford and Gable made together.

It is Crawford’s first collaboration with Mankiewicz, and they eventually worked on nine films together.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,782

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