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Excellent but underrated film

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.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Female Dinner Guest: "What is your line, Mr. Dabney?" Mr. Dabney: "I'm in lady's underwear." Dabney's Father: "...We're both in ladies' underwear." and further discussions about (ahem) BVDs (boys' ventilated drawers).But a few excerpts (no spoilers) of the kind of witticism threading throughout this very delightful film starring Jean Harlow, Robert Taylor, and a fantastic supporting British cast.Harlow plays an American girl who marries an alleged wealthy Englishman and gets stuck with the bill so to speak. Robert Taylor is a prodigal son type that is denounced by his well-to-do family. Taylor and Harlow meet and sparks of wit pour over the silver screen from opening to closing credit.Truly a delightful, fun, completely whimsical, happy encounter with a wide range of comedic actors and star performances by Taylor and Harlow, particularly, in my opinion, Robert Taylor.Enjoy!

On the film, "Personal Property," I take exception to the comments of a couple of regular IMDb reviewers whom I especially appreciate and respect. I think Robert Taylor is perfectly cast as Raymond Dabney in this film. And, that "Personal Property" is a wonderful comedy and excellent film for Jean Harlow as Cyrstal Wetherby. The film even gains a notch by a fine supporting cast in some warm and funny roles. Jean Harlow, of course, gets top billing in this film, and she is very good. Just three months after this film's release, Harlow died of blood poisoning caused by kidney failure. But it is Taylor and others in the supporting cast who are the source of most of the great comedy in this film. Notable among the supporters are Reginald Owen as Raymond's brother, Claude Dabney, and Forrester Harvey as Bailiff Herbert Jenkins. Owen was a very talented English actor and well-known character actor of Hollywood. He played a variety of roles. In this comedic venture, he puffs himself up so absurdly that he's a riot. And his character adds much to the fun of the film. Taylor and Harlow have excellent chemistry, and Taylor shows a natural flair for and ease with comedy. It surprised me a great deal, because until seeing this film I wasn't aware that he had made comedies. I was used to the more serious roles of his later career. In some roles, I thought he was serious to the point of being droll (i.e., "Waterloo Bridge" in 1940 and D-Day the Sixth of June" in 1956). Taylor's first comedy/romance was a year earlier before this in "Small Town Girl" with Janet Gaynor. But he had made a name for himself already in some smashing dramatic films, including "Magnificent Obsession" of 1935 and "Camille" of 1936. So, I'm not surprised, as some reviewers are, that Taylor would get the comedy lead in "Personal Property," where it otherwise would seem to be a role made for Franchot Tone. No doubt, Louis B. Mayer was trying his rising leading male actor in different venues to see how high his star might rise. And, it continued to rise with this film. Still, Taylor made only a few comedy films after this. "Lucky Night" in 1939 with Myrna Loy was a drama-comedy. Neither it, nor "Remember?" of that same year scored as well. So MGM may have decided to keep their handsome male lead in dramas, romances, war, mystery and Western films – all of which he did quite well. The only other comedy Taylor would make that would have some success was "Many Rivers to Cross" in 1955 with Eleanor Powell. This film has some hilarious scenes. In a couple, Taylor serves as a sheriff's assistant for a bailiff with a big bill for Mrs. Wetherby. In another couple, he is the Wetherby butler to the dismay of his family who are dumbfounded. He brings out the best (in acting) of his brother, Claude, in this role. Barnett Parker plays a pompous highbrow by the name of Arthur 'Trevy' Trevelyan. His nose is so high in the air, that he just mumbles his name to Raymond who is playing the butler, Ferguson. Ferguson announces him as closely as possible, and everyone knows who he is right away. It's hilarious to see Taylor announce him: "Fooh fu Fo Fon Fu." Crystal and Raymond are romantically on and off toward each other, with some very funny lines. As he's going upstairs to find the butler's uniform, Crystal says, "And while we're on the subject, just what did they send you to jail for?" Raymond, "Murder!" Crystal, "Well, I wish it had been suicide."This is a fine comedy romance that I think the whole family will enjoy. There are just enough antics to amuse young children and keep them interested as well. Of course, we older children can enjoy it for all the comedy, romance, family jousting and many good performances. This is a nice addition to my comedy film library.

Back during the golden age of Hollywood, things were not always so golden when it came to casting folks in films. Since almost all the actors were contract players essentially belonging to one studio, the studios often tried to fit the actors into films instead of finding the best actor or actress for the part. So, when MGM wanted to do a film about China, they cast Walter Huston and Katharine Hepburn in it! And, the same sort of wacky casting happened somewhat regularly. While not nearly as goofy, some knucklehead at MGM thought 'Robert Taylor isn't busy with a film and he IS very popular...so let's have him star in "Personal Property"'...even though the role calls for him to be English!! He sounds about as English as Greta Garbo...and this is the same guy who starred as a brash American in "A Yank at Oxford"! Now I am not saying this is a bad film....just a badly cast film. Jean Harlow (in her last completed movie) is just fine because she plays an American fortune- hunter. And, Reginald Owen is just fine as her upper-class English fiancé...though you are expected to believe he and Taylor are brothers!When the film begins, Raymond Dabney (Taylor) has just gotten out of jail for something...though they don't say what. His brother, Claude (Owen) is upset because the sudden appearance of Raymond might scare away the fiancée, Crystal (Harlow). By a complete act of chance, Raymond sees Crystal at the opera and INSTANTLY falls head over heels for her. In 1930s films, this is kind of cute as he constantly follows her. When seen today, he seems much more like a creepy stalker! It turns out that Crystal AND Claude are both interested in marrying each other because they think the other one is rich! Claude is far from rich...and Crystal is so broke that practically everything she owns is being repossessed! So how's all this going to work out and how is Raymond going to figure into all this? See the film...find out for yourself.Overall, it's a decent film....enjoyable but also slight and easy to forget. The only outstanding portion was the dinner party sequence, as I thought it was rather funny seeing the British actors exaggerating their stuffy upper-class patter. They were so incredibly dull and awful...but funny.

PERSONAL PROPERTY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937), directed by W.S.Van Dyke, stars Jean Harlow in one of her final screen performances before her untimely death later in the year. In her only comedy, in fact, only movie role opposite then rising leading man, Robert Taylor. It was also a remake of MGM's earlier carnation titled THE MAN OF POSSESSION (1931) starring Robert Montgomery and Irene Purcell in the Taylor and Harlow roles. While each have aired on Turner Classic Movies for comparison, both are forgotten comedies with the latter noteworthy only for the screen presence of Jean Harlow alone. Taylor plays Raymond Dabney, son of an accomplished British family. Having served a jail sentence for selling a car without having paid for it, and now released early for good behavior, Raymond, greeted by his loving mother (Henrietta Crosman), doesn't get the same reception from his serious minded brother, Claude (Reginald Owen), partners with his father (E.E. Clive) in women's underwear. With both men disowning him as part of the family, Raymond is offered 300 pounds to go far away as possible and start life anew, possibly in Canada or Australia, but he would rather remain in London instead. Later, while at a cocktail lounge, Raymond meets Crystal Wetherby (Jean Harlow), an American widow of a big game hunter. Impressed by her beauty, Raymond, after making a bad impression, follows her to the opera and seats himself beside her during a performance of "Aida." If that's not enough, Raymond follows her home after the performance. Through arrangements by Herbert Jenkins (Forrester Harvey), a bailiff working for the sheriff whose wife is in the hospital expecting a baby, Raymond gets his opportunity by taking his place and legally entering as well as staying in Crystal's mansion as a "man in possession," a custodian of her possessions until the debts of her personal property have been paid. Due to her upcoming dinner plans to entertain her fiancé and future in-laws, Raymond agrees to assist her by acting the role of Ferguson, her butler. All goes well until Raymond meets Crystal's guests, who turn out to be more than familiar faces from his questionable past.With the plot being centered more on Robert Taylor's character than Harlow's, both become equally balanced by the midway point. PERSONAL PROPERTY does has some funny scenes. While, Hugh Mills and Ernest Vadja, who scripted this story from the play by H.M. Harwood, make every effort by turning this into an honest effort of hilarious drawing room comedy, the final results are simply average, no more, no less. One truly funny moment occurs with the arrival of mumbling British bore (Barnett Parker) and his confused exchange with Taylor. This great scene was later clipped into a 1964 documentary, MGM'S BIG PARADE OF COMEDY, which indicates others have felt this a highlight as well. Very brief, but good. A pity there weren't enough great scenes like it to make up for some rather weak material. Another problem with PERSONAL PROPERTY is that Taylor acts and looks too American to play the part of a British family. Taylor's butler and Harlow's rich girl gimmick is an obvious attempt to bring forth another MY MAN GODFREY (1936) that served William Powell and Carole Lombard so well, though not on the same level. Cora Witherspoon, who previously enacted opposite Harlow in the hilarious LIBELED LADY (1936) as Mrs. Burns-Norvell, the gabby mother, assumes similar chores here, this time simply as Mrs. Burns, with Marla Shelton as her flirtatious daughter who has her eyes on the young "butler" (Taylor). Interesting to note the supporting players, consisting those of Una O'Connor (in the role as Harlow's maid); Forrester Harvey and E.E. Clive to be those in memorable support in the James Whale science fiction classic, THE INVISIBLE MAN (Universal, 1933). Even more interesting is both Reginald Owen and Forrester Harvey reprise their roles from the 1931 film. Other British character types as Billy Bevan and Lionel Brahm serve their brief parts well. Placed on home video in the 1990s, PERSONAL PROPERTY should make an impression on those curious about the careers of both Harlow and Taylor, or lesser known "screwball comedies" from this era. With better roles ahead for Taylor, especially his reported personal favorite being WATERLOO BRIDGE (1940), Harlow next project would be another comedy, SARATOGA, noteworthy mostly as the one she never lived to complete, though her remaining scenes were performed by a stand-in double. For PERSONAL PROPERTY, it's all Harlow. (**1/2)