Private Lives *** (1931, Robert Montgomery, Norma Shearer, Reginald Denny, Una Merkel) – Classic Movie Review 3593

Director Sidney Franklin’s 1931 movie is a flat, stage bound and Americanised but still fairly amusing version of an all-time great classic stage comedy of manners by Noël Coward.

One of the problems is that Coward’s masterly play is filmed by MGM not with original theatre stars Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, alas, since producer Irving Thalberg used second best – his wife Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery. Though they aren’t bad, this isn’t the same thing at all.

They play the still-obsessed former married couple Amanda and Elyot, who meet again on neighbouring hotel balconies and abandon their obviously ill-matched fresh partners (Reginald Denny, Una Merkel) to take another chance on their old love.

The humorous Shearer and Montgomery turn out to be only okay when they should sparkle and scintillate, with Denny and Merkel doing their best in the boring parts of the divorced couple’s new spouses, Victor and Sibyl. And the early sound film is creaky and clumsy, just the opposite of the light, sophisticated touch it needs. Nevertheless, some of Coward’s wit and wisdom shine through in a semi-entertaining movie. And at least Franklin keeps the film moving swiftly in a short running time.

MGM even filmed a performance of the play then running on Broadway to show the stars how it should be done.

The play is a simple four-hander but the film is opened up to accommodate Jean Hersholt, George Davis, Greta Meyer, Herman Bing, Ferike Boros, Alphonse Martell and Wilfrid North.

After being a long-term rarity it resurfaced on VHS in the Eighties and it’s available now on DVD.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3593

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