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Lady by Choice
To improve her image, a fan dancer "adopts" an old woman to be her mother.
Release : | 1934 |
Rating : | 6.5 |
Studio : | Columbia Pictures, |
Crew : | Director of Photography, Director, |
Cast : | Carole Lombard May Robson Roger Pryor Walter Connolly Arthur Hohl |
Genre : | Drama Comedy Romance |
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You won't be disappointed!
Best movie ever!
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Carole Lombard has a good role as a fan dancer in Lady by Choice. She plays a gal that adopts an old woman (May Robson) to improve both their images. Though the premise seems improbable, the two actresses work so charmingly together that any doubt about the story working is quickly dismissed. The relationship depicted between the two characters seems real, and it is played for laughs as well as tears. They are affectionate and they bicker, acting just like family. The film moves at a quick pace, and none of it seems belabored. The point being made about how women of different generations look out for one another is done in an interesting and entertaining way.
May Robson and Carole Lombard are both excellent as something like mother and daughter in this fast moving and enjoyable comedy.Robson is the likable but down-and-out hard drinker who winds up before judge Walter Connolly for starting a riot in a bar; it's her seventh or eighth time up on charges, and he finally sends her off to a home for old ladies. Meanwhile, fan dancer Lombard is brought into the same courtroom for a morals code violation—actually a failed publicity stunt arranged by her agent. Setting out to find some good publicity, Lombard hits on the idea of "adopting" a mother. Discovering Robson in the old ladies' home, Lombard takes her home, dresses her up, calls up some reporters, and has some pictures taken. The plan is to quickly pay off the old lady and get her to scram; however, the two women begin to get acquainted .The rest of the plot is hardly surprising; Lombard sums it up nicely at one point: "I did it for a publicity gag. But she got under my skin." Roger Pryor is fine as the lawyer who has an old family connection with Robson, and takes an interest in Lombard. Walter Connolly is excellent as usual as the judge—though he puts on many faces (stern, concerned, exasperated) he is of course at heart an old softie.No huge surprises but quite satisfying overall; the plot and script are no great shakes but it's all made more than worthwhile by top efforts from Lombard and Robson.
Carole Lombard plays a fan dancer (working under the moniker "Alabam, the Human Heat Wave") who hooks up with a haggardly, dice rolling, beer guzzler named Patsy when she adopts her out of the "old ladies home" as her new mother, a publicity stunt for Mother's Day. Moving in with Alabam into her swanky apartment, the two women soon bond over shots of straight whiskey, Alabam buys the old lady a new wardrobe, then both try to reform the other of their bad ways. And yes indeed, there is a male love interest for Lombard, a character who fits somewhat loosely into this whole plot.Interesting film, the first half better than the second, I thought, but I do like the interaction between Carole Lombard and May Robson who plays Patsy - they come across as pretty chummy, which works well for this story. Lombard appears in a number of gorgeous outfits here, everything from glamorous, fur-sleeved dress to satin rompers (how 'bout that ragged old hat with the dead bird hanging off it that Patsy wears in the beginning?!). Worth seeing.
This movie was a sequel of sorts to Capra's "Lady for a Day" and in it May Robson reprises her Apple Annie character. Indeed May Robson steals the show and gives by far the best performance. This film would be Carole Lombard's last with Columbia pictures. As with her film, "Brief Moment" her director at Columbia was David Burton and the character actor Arthur Hohl is on board again as costar, here playing her crooked manager.Carole Lombard's performance is fair. She is trying hard and keeps herself animated, but seems to come up just short. She seems to suffer from a bad case of "over-acting". However, since she is playing a "bad" actress from the wrong side of town, I can't say this is too troubling. The story is complex and on the whole the acting is fine, so overall the viewing experience is pleasing and worth repeating. The ending does tug at your heart-strings and the resolution is well thought out. The characters examine their own faults and are able to take advantage of opportunities to grow...with a little help along the way.