journeygal Review of It's Love I'm After

It's Love I'm After (1937)

If You Do Not Laugh Out Loud, You Need To Find A Sense Of Humor

[9/10 · 5 August 2019]

Basil Underwood (Leslie Howard) and Joyce Arden (Bette) play stage actors that are on again, off again lovers. Mostly off because he is a cad with a wandering eye. She forgives him time and again until he gets caught up in some crazy scheme to get a young lady to fall out of love with him so that she will return to her fiance. One of my favorite Bette lines ever is when she is talking to the lovelorn young lady, Marcia. Marcia: I don't think there are words to describe him, do you? Joyce Arden: Well, there probably are, but one would have to have a very extensive vocabulary... Fast paced, well written and very funny. The sidekick Digges, Basil's valet (Eric Blore) completely steals the show. Great ongoing jokes about Digges' ability to make bird calls and he is constantly packing and unpacking as Basil keeps changing his mind on whether he is staying or going. Best of all is the points game the two men play, where Digges rates Basil's behavior and reputation in each town he's acted in. Basil is firmly in the red, point wise and really wants to turn over a new leaf but he keeps getting distracted...