Pluskylang Great Film overall

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

evening1 With all the talk of temptation before his strangely named -- but ultimately forgiving -- wife, Clemency, goes on vacation, it is obvious that dapper lawyer Jim is going to stray.For such a smart and accomplished barrister, he falls for every temptation his eager would-be paramour drops in his path. Still, it is entertaining to watch this story unfurl.Ronald Coleman gives a sensitive performance as the elegant yet uninsightful husband. (Why on earth would he accept a job judging a silly beauty pageant?) The casting of his wife and lover is intriguing -- the women could have been dead ringers for each other.Yet Henry Stephenson, playing the wily friend John Tring, is the most interesting character in this drama. In the end he seems like some kind of puppet master, having orchestrated the ultimate test of the Warlocks' marriage and ultimately overseeing their somewhat unlikely reconciliation."Call no woman respectable until she's dead," this cynic intones.It's highly ironic that the seductive character Doris, played ably by Phyllis Barry, commits suicide near the story's end. The Wikipedia listing for this actress notes that she died of a barbiturates overdose some 20 years after the film's production.PS: Does anyone else wonder where this film got its title? PSS: OK, I read the other reviews, and now I get it...

vincentlynch-moonoi The foundation of this film is really understood in the segment where Ronald Colman judges a beauty/swimming competition. As the organizer keeps saying to him -- there will be no class distinctions here today! And that's what this film is about -- an affair between a well known barrister and a common girl, and the disgrace it brings to the barrister. Without understanding that, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.In Naples, the disgraced London barrister (Ronald Colman) is about to divorce his beloved wife Clemency (Kay Francis) and start anew in South Africa. But before parting she asks him to explain how the affair happened, which is done through a long flashback: When Francis goes to Venice with her sister, Colman meets a "shop girl" and has an affair. It appears that it is not platonic, and after all, this is 1932 England. Unfortunately, the woman he falls for is rather emotionally needy, and when the affair ends, she commits suicide. While Colman cannot be held legally responsible, at the inquest he is held morally responsible. After Colman and Francis separate, his friend who knew of the affair (and actually encouraged it), convinces Francis to think about what it would mean to her to never see him again...hinting at suicide. Francis surprises Colman by showing up on the boat to South Africa.This is a very "old" film...what I mean by that is that this is definitely 1932. Today's audience would find this a bit stodgy. However, it is one of Ronald Colman's great successes, and he is wonderful here. I often enjoy Kay Francis, but she seemed a bit stiff here...although maybe she's supposed to be; nevertheless, I would not find this one of her great film roles. Henry Stephenson plays the elder barrister who encourages the affair, and it is through him that we see the attitude toward class; although not a very sympathetic role, I always delight in his screen appearances.For buffs of old films, or fans of Ronald Colman (like me), I recommend this film.The flashback ends. After Jim leaves to board his ocean liner, Tring comes to talk to Clemency. While he accepts a share of the blame for what happened, he reminds Clemency that she may never see her husband again. She rushes to the ship to accompany Jim.

sunlily Recently I was finally able to see this early sound classic with Ronald Colman and Kay Francis. I haven't seen many movies with the latter, and her understated beauty suits Colman perfectly.Colman looking elegant in his perfectly tailored suits, plays a conservative and happily married (to Kay, as Clemency) barrister whose life is turned upside down by a chance affair with a shop girl played sensitively by an unknown at the time, Phyllis Barry. King Vidor, the director, took a chance in casting her, but his faith in her ability paid off. She brings just the right touch of pathos and desperation to the role of Doris. (And just happens to resemble Kay more than just a little.) In David Shepard's book on King Vidor several effects within the movie are discussed, such as the movie within a movie scene with Charlie playing the little tramp when they all go to the flickers the night he and Tring (character actor Henry Stephenson in a salty role.) meet the girls, and the fade out scenes of Colman tearing up the paper with the girls address to a scene of Clemency in Venice with her sister and the scraps of paper have dissolved into pigeons in flight.I would say that this was a different type of role for Colman. Yet even though he plays an adulterous husband, his kindness and tenderness toward Doris is always there, and all parties suffer because of the infidelity. Even in a precode, no one gets away from the consequences of their actions! I highly recommend this movie for Colman and Francis fans and as a fine example of an early Vidor sound movie. I enjoyed it more than Street Scene as the sound quality was better by this time, and the story flowed more smoothly.

Spondonman And I've always been faithful to this film in my fashion. Rather ignored and almost completely forgotten, with such a simple but eternal storyline it remains an excellent watch. The acting and production is slightly stilted as with early talkies, but it's the other-world moralities displayed by both departments most people would find difficult to assimilate.The Fatal Attraction type plot has already been well outlined, this is one where the main characters definitely don't end smelling of roses. Henry Stephenson must have played kindly old gentlemen in dozens of films, here he's a kindly old cynical sleazebag - quite jarring it is! Also Colman for hoping to be impervious to female wiles, and Francis as his wife for childishly encouraging temptation - but she does get to say Divine! Halliwell Hobbes also froths too nastily as an outraged coroner.If you've got the patience it's an absorbing melodrama, one I've seen maybe a dozen times over the years now with no loss of enjoyment, and with a salutary lesson for both sexes that's well worth learning but won't be.