No More Ladies *** (1935, Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Franchot Tone, Charles Ruggles) – Classic Movie Review 5955

Joan Crawford looks a million dollars in Adrian gowns as socialite Marcia Townsend who weds wandering star feller Sherry Warren (Robert Montgomery). But then she flirtatiously flutters around Jim Salston (Franchot Tone, Crawford’s real-life husband), to try to reform her movie playboy husband Sherry by making him jealous and keeping him up to the mark.

Crawford effortlessly ensures that she is the most glamorous thing in directors Edward H Griffith and an uncredited George Cukor’s glamorous 1935 fantasy sex comedy, based on a play by A E Thomas.

Predictable and stagey it may be, but the star playing is just right, the MGM support players are cast-iron entertainers, and Donald Ogden Stewart and Horace Jackson’s screenplay shows just a few traces of the wit and sophistication it aspires to.

Edna May Oliver is great fun as Sherry’s alcoholic grandmother Fanny Townsend. It also stars Charles [Charlie] Ruggles, Gail Patrick and Reginald Denny.

It is the film début of Joan Fontaine (1917-2013), then billed as Joan Burfield (though she is really Joan de Havilland), playing Caroline.

Also in the cast are Vivienne Osborne, Arthur Treacher, David Horsley, Jess Chatburn, William Wagner, Charles Coleman, Isabel La Mal, Frank Dawson, Veda Buckland, Sherry Hall, Eddie Hart, Lew Harvey, Charles O’Malley, David Thursby, Tommy Tomlinson, Jean Acker, Brooke Benedict, Frank Mayo, Walter Walker, Clem Beauchamp, Mabel Cokord, Jean Chatburn and E J Baibel.

It is shot in black and white by Oliver T Marsh, produced by Irving Thalberg, scored by Edward Ward and designed by Cedric Gibbons.

Rachel Crothers did the adaptation of the play for the screen, but she is uncredited at her own request after complaining about her work being butchered by the producers and directors. Edith Fitzgerald and George Oppenheimer also contributed uncredited to the dialogue.

You could not sell a film like this these days – ‘They haven’t had enough, but they’ve had all they can stand! What they need is a rest, and they never get it!’ Actually, come to think of it, you could not sell a film like this these days, full point.

Cukor took over as director when Griffith’s illness prevented him from finishing the film.

The stars also worked together on Untamed (1929), Our Blushing Brides, Forsaking All Others and The Last of Mrs Cheyney.

 © Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5955

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