It's striking just how bleak this is… it starts with a dithering society matron trying to organise a dinner, unaware her ship owning husband is going broke, being raided by a tycoon unaware his trashy wife is cheating on her with a doctor, the husband is unaware his daughter although engaged to a nice man is having an affair with an actor although unaware how deep his self-loathing goes. Suicide, bankruptcy, adultery – it’s all the stuff of comedy of manners, and it’s done with accomplishment by Welles. Hedda Hopper is surprisingly good; Lucille Ball is also good, though less surprisingly, in the Jean Harlow part. Welles plays two roles – Wallace Beery and John Barrymore in the movie. The ending here is downbeat - it has the play's finish rather than the film's.
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