I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A Masterpiece!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

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

Ordinary comedy would have been a cinematic footnote and a stop gap for Gable and Harlow before their next scheduled pairing on loan to Fox for the much more worthwhile In Old Chicago if not for Jean's sudden death. Instead it ended up becoming the second most profitable film of 1937 and a notorious cash grab for Metro. Not really a bad film but hardly the best film on any of the actors resumes. Other than the ghoulish, rather easy, game of spotting the scenes filmed after Jean's passing with a stand-in the film is packed with great character actors and actresses doing good work. Of particular note is Una Merkel, sassy and smart as an old crony of Gable's. Jean's part is one that's far away from her more famous early persona as a brassy good time girl but in line with the more refined lady-like roles Mayer was moving her towards after Irving Thalberg's death and which she had been transitioning to nicely. Considering the fact that it's an incomplete performance she is fine in her role, she looks weary and a bit bloated throughout not surprisingly since unbeknownst to all her kidneys were failing. Her death actually caused great upheaval in many films that were in development at the time changing the course of many careers. She and Gable were to head over to Fox for In Old Chicago which proved a boon to Alice Faye and Tyrone Power. For their services Shirley Temple was to be loaned to MGM for the Wizard of Oz, when that fell through of course Judy Garland was cast pulling her out and Ann Rutherford in to the small part of Carreen in GWTW. Also among many other planned projects Maisie, originally planned as an A production but moved to the B unit after the loss of Jean, was allocated to Ann Sothern so successfully that it started her on a series that ran, between other films, almost ten years.

For me, this is a very interesting film for several reasons.First, it is Clark Gable not long before GWTW. And clearly, Gable is at the peak of his career.I love seeing Lionel Barrymore without a wheelchair. Although it was during the shooting of this film that he fell and re-broke his hip, resulting him being in a wheelchair for most of a decade.And, of course, Jean Harlow died before the film was completed, with a double portraying her in some scenes. Personally, I've never been impressed by Harlow, and I'm not here, either. It's very obvious which scenes toward the end of the film were shot after Harlow's death.So, historically, it's an interesting piece of film history.In terms of plot, the Harlow character is the daughter of a horse breeder at Saratoga. She becomes engaged to Walter Pidgeon, a rich pigeon in the eyes of Gable. Harlow's father, who dies early on in the film, owed Gable gambling money and gives him his breeding farm. Gable falls for Harlow, of course.There are a number of character actors here that are well worth watching -- Hattie McDaniels, Frank Morgan, and Una Merkel among them.However, this is one film that won't grace my DVD shelf. Worth a watch at least once or twice, however, if only for the film history.

This movie is a real treat for classic movie lovers! The star-studded cast includes Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Hattie McDaniel and Lionel Barrymore. It is especially interesting for all Gone With The Wind lovers to see Hattie McDaniel (Mammy) and Clark Gable (Rhett) work together two years prior to GWTW. Jean Harlow is absolutely beautiful and really shows her acting talent in this movie. It is bittersweet to watch though, considering this was Harlow's last film. The actress worked as long as she could until the physical pain of her illness became too much and she passed away at a very young age before filming completed. The stand-in scenes are very obvious, but fortunately doesn't take away from the magic that Ms. Harlow contributed and therefore set a tone for the movie.I love this movie, and highly recommend to anyone who wants a good storyline w/ wonderful star quality!!!

Jean Harlow and Clark Gable teamed up for the last time in this light film, "Saratoga," about a young woman, her wealthy fiancée (Walter Pidgeon), and the horse breeding farm deeded to a bookie (Gable) to pay off a gambling debt. Harlow wants to handicap horses and lay bets to pay off the marker, and Gable wants to take her boyfriend on a long ride to poverty by taking his bets.I can't imagine how disheartening it was for the actors, director, and crew to have to finish the film after Jean Harlow's untimely death. Unfortunately, the film for viewers soon becomes how they camouflaged the fact that her stand-in and a vocal imitator completed the picture. Most disconcerting is a large party scene, where the internal sections feature the stand-in, and the external ones on the terrace are with Harlow. All of the race track scenes were obviously done last, with the stand-in hiding her face with binoculars. And there is one scene where she is completely covered with a picture hat. The character's only appearances at the end of the film are at the race track and, back turned, in the race track office. The ending shot is actually from an earlier scene, or it was done at the same time the earlier scene was filmed.Despite being ill during the production, Harlow is wonderful in her final role and she and Gable have excellent chemistry. She truly was one of the great screen presences, just delightful in every way. Walter Pidgeon is young and handsome, and despite having to say "I love ya" dozens of times, Gable is likable, relaxed, and handsome. It just all seems very disjointed. And very sad.