The Lady Is Willing ** (1934, Leslie Howard, Cedric Hardwicke, Binnie Barnes) – Classic Movie Review 10,973

‘SHE WAS KIDNAPPED RIGHT UNDER THE EYES OF HER HUSBAND AND THEN THE FUN STARTED.’

Director Gilbert Miller’s 1933 black and white British film The Lady Is Willing is based on a play by Louis Verneuil, and stars Leslie Howard, Cedric Hardwicke and Binnie Barnes.

A devious private eye, Albert Latour (Howard), is employed to hunt down the stock swindler money-man, Gustav Dupont (Hardwicke), who destroyed three men’s business careers, and to get the three investors’ money back, in this efficient drama, livened up with broad swathes of farcical humour.

He abducts Hardwicke’s wife Helene (Barnes) by way of revenge, the ransom for her return set to be the losses of the investors, but then he soon falls for her.

This believably written, if far-fetched, comedy drama is more intriguing than usual for a British film of the period, thanks to Guy Bolton’s literate script and the nimble, willing Brit performers.

But the theatrical, stilted handling of the antique is a real problem for full enjoyment.

Also in the cast are Nigel Playfair, Nigel Bruce, Claud Allister, Arthur Howard, Virginia Field, W Graham Brown, Kendall Lee, John Turnbull and George Zucco.

The star Leslie Howard’s brother Arthur Howard plays Dr Germont. Arthur Howard (1910–1995) is the father of actor Alan Howard and the uncle of actor Ronald Howard.

It was Columbia British Productions’ first film in England, filmed at British and Dominions Studios, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,973

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