Frederick March and Florence Eldridge make an engaging lead duo in this adaptation of SN Behrman’s play. One of those Broadway comedies about successful playwrights married to glamorous stars who live in New York apartments with maids and are unfaithful in between the one liners. (Frank Rich once wrote a funny line about this play saying it's the sort of show that even if you haven't seen it before you feel as though it had.)
The playwright is called “Gaylord” and the conceit is a married woman tries to persuade him to write serious stuff. That’s not a bad concept for a witty comedy – Sullivan’s Travels did a similar thing – and the playing is spirited. There were some things which didn’t sit right with me – like why shouldn’t he write something a bit more serious, and I couldn’t help feeling the wife was influenced by the fact she likes her husband to churn out decent parts.
Still it’s done brightly and I liked it more than I thought I would.
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