The Easiest Way ** (1931, Constance Bennett, Robert Montgomery, Adolphe Menjou, Marjorie Rambeau, Anita Page, Clark Gable) – Classic Movie Review 12,284

Director Jack Conway’s 1931 MGM drama film The Easiest Way stars Constance Bennett, Robert Montgomery and Adolphe Menjou.

Poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks Laura ‘Lolly’ Murdock (Bennett) loves young newsman Jack Madison (Montgomery), but accepts the favours of wealthy older William Brockton (Menjou), in this well acted, fairly rousing, though bowdlerised version of an old stage workhorse, a 1909 play by Eugene Walter.

The heroine’s sinning gave the censor a field day with his scissors, even in this pre-Code era, and this early sound film is cumbersome and creaky. Never mind, thanks to play and players it is still an enjoyable entertainment.

Gable plays the small role of Bennett’s brother-in-law, the affable, hard-working laundryman Nick Feliki, in his second credited acting performance in a talkie, but MGM were impressed and it led to his MGM contract.

But their hit together After Office Hours (1935) is only screen pairing of MGM stars Bennett and Gable.

Eugene Walter’s play was filmed before in 1917. Screenplay: Edith Ellis.

Also in the cast are Anita Page, Marjorie Rambeau, J Farrell MacDonald, Clark Gable, Clara Blandick, Charles Judels, Francis Palmer, and Hedda Hopper.

To bowdlerise = to remove material considered improper or offensive from a text, especially so it becomes weaker.

When MGM bought the rights, the Hays Office complained that ‘the trouble with the adaptation is that it builds up audience sympathy for Laura Murdock and supplies her with the means of securing sympathetic excuses for, if not actual approval of, her weakness of character.’ They said it was ‘much more dangerous than the original play, which for a long time has itself been considered dangerous motion picture material” and commented that the story did not go ‘far enough in building up the idea that Laura is being punished.’

MGM ending up making several alternate endings.

It cost $310,000, earned $903,000, and made a profit of $193,000.

There is also a French-language version titled Quand On Est Belle and starring Lili Damita.

The cast are Constance Bennett as Laura ‘Lolly’ Murdock, Adolphe Menjou as William Brockton, Robert Montgomery as Jack Madison, Anita Page as Peg Murdock Feliki, Marjorie Rambeau as Elfie St Clair, J Farrell MacDonald as Ben Murdock, Clara Blandick as Agnes Murdock, Clark Gable as Nick Feliki, Lynton Brent as Brockton associate, John Harron as Laura’s suitor Chris Swoboda, Dell Henderson as Bud Williams, Hedda Hopper as Mrs. Clara Williams, and Charles Judels as Mr Gensler.

Gable’s acting debut in the sound era is the Pathé Western The Painted Desert, released 20 days before

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,284

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