Too much of everything

People are voting emotionally.

A Masterpiece!

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Dorothy Arzner is the director of this film, and though she does not make a lot of films, she usually makes rather substantial ones. This is certainly a substantial one.The most appealing aspect of this production is the chemistry and loveliness of the couple played on screen by Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone (married in real life). This is not the only film that MGM has costarred them in together, but in this picture, it is easy to see the magic they create.For his part, Robert Young is a worthy costar. And so is Joan's dazzling dress, referenced in the title. One must not forget to mention the always splendid Billie Burke, directed in several other pictures by Arzner. This time she portrays a real shrew, not her trademark scatterbrained character.

I had high hopes for this one. The plot sounded good. Eccentric Count Armalia (George Zucco) believes that luck of birth is all that separates the rich from the poor. To prove his point, he sets up dive singer Anni (Joan Crawford) as a fake socialite to fool his rich friends. This works but snobbish Robert Young falls for her and wants to marry her. Anni sees the chance to get out of poverty by marrying a rich guy but, at the same time, she has started to fall for poor Franchot Tone. So it becomes a question of whether Anni will choose love or money. Glossy MGM soaper with a nice cast but somehow just misses the mark. It was nice seeing George Zucco in a different kind of role. Also Billie Burke is sort of evil, which is interesting. See it for the cast or out of curiosity. You might enjoy it more than me.

In about 1980 I saw this film at the UCLA Film Archives in a series presenting Dorothy Arzner directed films. There was a guest speaker at the event who was a personal friend of Arzner's. I don't remember her name, but she was introduced as, among other things, the writer for the script of "Craig's Wife" (1936; starring Rosalind Russell). She said she was on the set for some of the shooting of "Bride Wore Red," and described how Joan Crawford was completely uncooperative with the director. Originally it was written for Luise Rainer but for some reason she was unavailable. "So they got Joan Crawford who wasn't anything like her," and was not suited for the film in this woman's opinion. While she was on the set she witnessed how Dorothy Arzner would gently make suggestions as to how to play a scene, "...and Joan would scream, 'You'll destroy me! You'll destroy me!' and she would run up to L.B. Mayer and he would say, 'There, there Joan, play it your way." So she did, "...and frankly, the film bombed. But when you have a star that is entirely uncooperative, you can't blame the director." I hope I have quoted this woman accurately. That is what has stuck in my memory. I am a big Crawford fan, but her flaws were apparently spectacular. I just thought it would be interesting to record this bit of info.

actually this is the movie that made me fall in love with Joan Crawford and Franchot tone.this movie is kinda like a Cinderella story except it has a twist in the end. Or actually like another pretty woman only to me better.Franchot tone plays as the handsome postman and Joan Crawford plays as the beautiful hooker/prostitute.I'm not saying anything else to spoil it. i watch it every night before i go to bed.and think about it everyday.I'm hoping that it will soon be on DVD.nobody can ever say they are a true Joan Crawford fan and say they hate this movie.Joan Crawford shows her true ability as Anni.this movie is a true love story!