When big city folk invade the New England town of Carvel for a big game, STG Janet Gaynor ends up on a sudden date with BTB Robert Taylor and after a night of champagne, ends up in front of a JIP. It's a definite case of WTH the next morning when they wake up in his car with a marriage license sitting between them. This Carvel is no relation to the home of Andy Hardy in the series which began the following year at MGM, but like some omen (bad or good), Lewis Stone is cast here as Taylor's very serious father. He's a doctor who works at a Boston clinic, and is involved with the snooty and selfish Binnie Barnes who agrees to go away for six months to avoid the scandal while Taylor and Gaynor pretend to be on their honeymoon and attempting to make their marriage work.
Comedy erupts on Taylor's yacht as Gaynor deals with sea sickness, even though she's ordered the most magnificent of foods she feels are typical high society cuisine. But once they settle into their marriage, Gaynor's feelings become clear even though Barnes' sudden return from her trip means nights alone as he neglects her and the clinic (especially a young patient who adores him) and Barnes simply hangs up the phone when Gaynor desperately tries to get ahold of him. "Uncle Henry" Charley Grapewin is dapper here as the well dressed head of the clinic who has no faith in Taylor's future as a top doctor, thinking him a fool and warning Stone that he may not have a long future if his frivolous behavior continues.
This is at its most entertaining during the first half, although at over 100 minutes, it does tend to drag a bit. At times, Gaynor's small own girl is totally like Esther Blodgett during the early scenes, even though she adds some glamour along the way covering provincial innocence that Barnes considers non-threatening. But classic Hollywood always gave the underdog the man, and while Taylor may seem at home in fancy nightclubs (the one in Carvel seems way out of place) and on yachts, he's certainly not going to find happiness with the selfish Binnie no matter how much she tries to manipulate him. It's no surprise to discover that "A Star is Born's" William Wellman directed this, and it would be Gaynor's next role which brought her screen immortality.
Joining Taylor, Gaynor, Barnes and Stone are James Stewart as Gaynor's small town admirer (really given nothing to do), Nella Walker as Taylor's kindly society matron mother (who sees through Barnes and obviously would prefer Gaynor), as well as Frank Craven and Elizabeth Patterson as Gaynor's parents and Andy Devine as their son-in-law whose seemingly giant baby pelts everybody with rice pudding and potatoes. It's typical MGM light romantic fare where the praises of home and family explodes off the screen, city people are presented as pretentious and short-sighted to the rest of the world, and the sweet country folk are praised as only as Louis B. Mayer could demand them to be.
Comedy erupts on Taylor's yacht as Gaynor deals with sea sickness, even though she's ordered the most magnificent of foods she feels are typical high society cuisine. But once they settle into their marriage, Gaynor's feelings become clear even though Barnes' sudden return from her trip means nights alone as he neglects her and the clinic (especially a young patient who adores him) and Barnes simply hangs up the phone when Gaynor desperately tries to get ahold of him. "Uncle Henry" Charley Grapewin is dapper here as the well dressed head of the clinic who has no faith in Taylor's future as a top doctor, thinking him a fool and warning Stone that he may not have a long future if his frivolous behavior continues.
This is at its most entertaining during the first half, although at over 100 minutes, it does tend to drag a bit. At times, Gaynor's small own girl is totally like Esther Blodgett during the early scenes, even though she adds some glamour along the way covering provincial innocence that Barnes considers non-threatening. But classic Hollywood always gave the underdog the man, and while Taylor may seem at home in fancy nightclubs (the one in Carvel seems way out of place) and on yachts, he's certainly not going to find happiness with the selfish Binnie no matter how much she tries to manipulate him. It's no surprise to discover that "A Star is Born's" William Wellman directed this, and it would be Gaynor's next role which brought her screen immortality.
Joining Taylor, Gaynor, Barnes and Stone are James Stewart as Gaynor's small town admirer (really given nothing to do), Nella Walker as Taylor's kindly society matron mother (who sees through Barnes and obviously would prefer Gaynor), as well as Frank Craven and Elizabeth Patterson as Gaynor's parents and Andy Devine as their son-in-law whose seemingly giant baby pelts everybody with rice pudding and potatoes. It's typical MGM light romantic fare where the praises of home and family explodes off the screen, city people are presented as pretentious and short-sighted to the rest of the world, and the sweet country folk are praised as only as Louis B. Mayer could demand them to be.