If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

hyped garbage

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A lot of this is typical 1930s melodrama. The story continues because various of the characters fail to have the obvious conversations, which would have cleared things up in a jiffy.The scene I found particularly interesting and innovative was the penultimate one. In the third from the end scene, Harlow shows up in Loy's stateroom aboard the French Liner ship she is planning to take to Europe to forget about her husband (Gable), whom she imagines, incorrectly, to have had a fling with his secretary Harlow during a business trip to Havana. Harlow tells Loy that if she leaves Gable now, he will turn to Harlow out of loneliness and Loy will never get him back. (Yes, that sounds like the mother's speech to Norma Shearer in The Women.) Loy believes, incorrectly, that she has already lost Gable, so she says she won't go back to him. Harlow tells her that that would make her (Harlow) happy.The next scene takes place in Gable's office. He is talking with Harlow. We hear footsteps coming down the hall outside. Footsteps that take a long time. It turns out that they belong to the cleaning lady. Then, when she leaves, we hear footsteps again, very assertive footsteps, for a long time. Harlow gets up - she suspects it is Loy, come to return to her husband. And this time it is. Harlow then walks through the next, large office - more long footsteps - and leaves. The use of the footsteps is really very impressive.

Originally a story by naughty Anita Loos, published in Cosmopolitan magazine, where she scandalized the 'old guard' by revealing the cutting-edge, cool, hip practice of wives palling around and spending recreational time with their husbands! Previously, men hung out chewing cigars and slurping brandy with other men for recreation, and didn't make a habit many times of sharing a bed, or even a room with the wife. Watching the opening of the film carefully, you will notice Van and Linda don't share a bedroom; their rooms adjoin, and he has his own bathroom. As they come out of their respective rooms in the morning and embrace, they share an intimate aside about "last night", revealing how he didn't want to leave her bedroom, and she replying that she hadn't asked him to leave. At breakfast they compete with tales of their intimate fly fishing vacation they have just returned from, another novelty in that the wife is fly fishing, and knows her way around a lure. Their conversation is intimate and witty. He pranks her with the novel presentation of an anniversary gift, followed by engulfing kisses and more intimate patter. Even the help gets in on the fun, noting that Mr. Stanhope had not yet touched his trout. The modern woman in her modern marriage, an enviable marriage to a loving, devoted, demonstrative hunk of a rich husband who only has eyes for her! Kind of a fairy tale for the modern woman of the times, still attractive today. Many intimate, sexy moments between Gable and Loy; a smooth, enjoyable story.

Ah how jealousy can ruin any relationship rather easily. All that's needed to prevent it is communication but alas...it rarely ever happens.Clark Gable is a well liked owner of a magazine/publishing firm. He has that kinda personality that everyone takes to. Not a bad bone in his body. His new wife, Myrna Loy, doesn't have any doubt's about him around other women....until later of course. His super smart and efficient secretary, Jean Harlow, dotes on him. She looks after him without letting him know she loves him. Problem is, she isn't the kind of girl who will outright ruin a relationship to get what she wants. She's just always there. All his wife's friends plant the seed in her mind that the secretary is just too pretty for him not to be cheating. Heck, even his own mother tells her the same. She decides to tell him to not to keep his secretary and give her the promotion to work on another floor but he'll have none of it. He needs her cause she's too good at her job. Uh oh....there's a problem now.From all that you'll get circumstance upon circumstance where things never get solved because of one reason...lack of communication. Sound familiar? If they would only sit down and talk about how they feel in depth, and not in passing, things could easily work themselves out. Gable plays one of those guys that people from all around would like but he has no clue how he makes others feel...in this case...women. They love him but he has no feeling for them like he does for his wife. He's too friendly and that's where the issue is. Anyone would be jealous under those circumstances so you can't really blame his wife for her reaction. If he cared for her, he'd acquiesce, but he takes a stand instead. A younger crowd probably won't enjoy this but those who have been in relationships, this is a really good film about trust and boundaries between a married couple. Trust can only go so far until a seed is planted and you just don't know anymore. The one-eyed monster "Mr. Jealousy" comes out and it usually can ruin everything.

Van (Clark Gable) is the boss of a magazine and wants to expand his circulation by buying out a rival. He travels abroad to seal the deal and spends most of his time with his secretary Whitey (Jean Harlow). There are several misunderstandings that leave his wife Linda (Myrna Loy) feeling neglected and betrayed and she files for divorce....There is not much of a plot to this film and the story takes it's time to develop. Apart from the stupid names in this film - Van and Whitey....?? - the cast are good with special mention going to the women. There are interesting sets to look at and memorable scenes include the bedroom scene between Gable and Harlow in Cuba, the confrontation between Harlow and Loy, and the ending. As Harlow seems to be in most of the memorable scenes, I think she comes off best in the film, despite not being the "blonde bombshell" that she is famous for being. She's not that blonde! The film drags and then, all of a sudden, it gets good towards the end with Harlow in all the good scenes.As regards the story, it's waifer-thin but I have to mention May Robson's role as Van's mother, "Mimi". What a bitch! She pulls her son's wife aside and poisons her mind with ideas of a fictional affair between him and his secretary. Bloody cow! Despite the film taking ages to get to the confrontational scenes that we are waiting for, it gets there in the end and you are left feeling that the film has been worth it.