Party Husband (1931) User Reviews

Flaming youth still blazing

[Fred_Rap · 5/10 · 29 May 2010]

The zaftig ex-Ziegfeld girl Dorothy Mackaill radiates a sensual worldliness in this saucy little morality play about an open marriage. As directed by Clarence Badger, the unsung stylist who helped guide Clara Bow to flaming youth stardom, Mackaill delivers a winning, naturalistic performance as a newlywed whose sophisticated arrangement with husband James Rennie is quickly put to the test. Rennie is aggressively pursued by man-eating author Mary Doran, while Mackaill gets similar attention from her lecherous boss Donald Cook.

Surprisingly, this generates a sizable degree of sexual tension; which of these would-be libertines will be first to succumb? Once answered, the film turns by-the-numbers as Mackaill's wise and wily mom shows up to restore marital bliss and moral propriety. The finale, intended as upbeat, now comes off as the sad final dousing of the flaming youth spirit. With Dorothy Petersen, Paul Procasi.

Separate lives mean more ex-wives.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 6 April 2015]

A joyous wedding doesn't mean a happy marriage, especially when the bride and groom announce their intentions to have a "modern marriage". Dorothy MacKaill and James Rennie move from their hometown to New York City where they get involved with a party crowd, leading to lots of lovers and plenty of hangovers. Pre-code dramas were not just about sexual innuendo and the raunchy side of life that the churches and Hays code were desperate to suppress. They also showed the reality and repercussions of a "sinful" life, and all the Hays code did was present most lives as perfect beyond every day problems that in real life are not always so quickly resolved if they are resolved at all.

The one problem with this movie is that there isn't really a lot to sustain interest here, although an occasional wisecrack, witty line or sexual innuendo does pop in here and there. A shot of smeared lipstick on Rennie's face looks more like blood and provides an interesting metaphor. Several lavish party scenes help to spruce things up, and MacKaill is appealing. Sadly, she's pretty much forgotten, but with her films having been shown on TCM and slowly being released on DVD, she can be placed on the list with other forgotten early talkie "sweethearts" like Nancy Carroll and Helen Twelvetrees who played very similar roles at RKO and Paramount.

The Lure Of Modernity

[boblipton · 6/10 · 25 March 2021]

The best man tries to give a humorous speech at the wedding of James Rennie and Dorothy MacKaill, but they razz him off the speech. They're going to have a modern, companionate marriage, even though Helen Ware, Miss MacKaill's mother, wonders about grandchildren, when her daughter gets a job for publisher Donald Cook. Soon he's making advances, while Dorothy Peterson goes on the make for Rennie. Can their ideals sustain a marriage in the face of weak gin and temptation? It's an open and fairly honest pre-code, even though the film-makers definitely come down on the side of the old-fashioned ways of doing things. It was a frequent result of these movies, a way to have one's cake and eat it, just like Demille's model of opulent license for six reels, and Christian redemption in the seventh. Everyone is young and attractive, and the leads become grouchier as their high talk proves no barrier to temptation. Miss Ware gets the best lines.

Dorothy Mackaill Stars

[drednm · 21 January 2012]

PARTY HUSBAND is a saucy pre-coder starring Dorothy Mackaill and James Rennie as a modern young couple who believe marriage should allow each to maintain his/her individuality and friends. At first everything goes well; they are happy together and each pursues a career. They continue to ignore warnings from her mother (Helen Ware) and close friend (Dorothy Peterson).

Then along comes a flirtatious writer (Mary Doran) who sets her sights on Rennie. Mackaill is warned again by her boss (Donald Cook) who once had an affair with Doran. As Doran moves in on Rennie, the marriage starts to falter. Can the young moderns salvage their marriage and love? Mackaill is excellent, looks great, and can zing the snappy comebacks with the best of them. Rennie is OK but seems (at 41) way too old for the part. Cook, Doran, and Peterson are all solid. Helen Ware gets a great scene toward the end of the film.

Others in the cast include Louise Beavers as the maid, Paul Porcasi as the artist, Joe Donahue as the best man, and Gilbert Emery as Holliday.

And there's a terrific scene on the night boat to Albany where Mackaill and Rennie have an argument and he walks out. She runs after him into the rainy night, but the boat has left the dock in Newburgh. She watches Rennie just standing there in the rain, lit my lamplight. We only see him from Mackaill's position on the boat. Beautifully done.

Make it 7.5!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 7 August 2015]

Clarence Badger is nearing the end of his Hollywood career here. Just one more movie to go before he moved to Australia where he directed just two films, the reasonably successful Rangle River (1936) starring Victor Jory and the totally forgotten That Certain Something in 1941. Party Husband, on the other hand, is saddled with a rather dull and totally predictable wind-up. Fortunately, it's short! The rest of the movie is not only briskly directed, but it's reasonably amusing and is well acted. It's also built on a solid, grab-your-attention script that only falls down, as said, in its short but dull and predictable Third Act. Acts One and Two, on the other hand, are either interesting or amusing and occasionally both! Good acting by all the players helps. Watch out for Paul Porcasi who has a great scene as a host with the most… Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD.

Along Modern Lines

[kidboots · 8/10 · 27 November 2017]

After being a top star for Warners First National all through the 1920s, once the talkies came along the studio thought they could fob Dorothy Mackaill off with any old role. She knew she had a hit with "The Office Wife" but Warners immediately gave her a very so so role in "The Great Divide" so she rebelled and was in the middle of breaking her contract when "The Office Wife" was released to rapturous reviews. After that Dorothy was back in favour and "Bright Lights" and "Party Husband" were the results of her determination.

Similar in plot to "Illict" (another James Rennie movie of the same year) "Party Husband" asked that burning question - Is it possible to marry but retain your freedom!! The answer was No!! This is a very snappy movie with some interesting pre-code situations. Sensual Dorothy Mackaill and a pretty plodding James Rennie (husband of Dorothy Gish) play newlyweds, Laura and Jay, who believe that they can live their life along modern lines. She is later lectured by pal Kate (Dorothy Peterson) to hold onto her man. Peterson, a really under-rated actress I feel, gets a rare chance at a prominent role. Her Kate is the most complex character - she adores Laura as a best friend but is secretly in love with Jay and when she sees the marriage start to come unstuck she goes in for the kill!!

For starters Jay finds Laura a job when she finds home life boring. It is with a publisher and her boss is the office wolf (Don Cook - yes I know that's hard to believe!!) - and before you know it, working back till midnight is the norm but it is all very innocent!! Jay is having his own adventures with Mrs. Canfield, an author who has a weekly radio program extolling the virtues of home and fireside but whose own home is littered with "ashtrays and tiger skin rugs"!! And as played by Mary Doran who steals the movie in my opinion, she just sparkles and no man could resist her!! Things start to get out of hand with misunderstandings on both sides - as played by Cook, Horace Purcell may have had an office reputation but he quickly becomes sincere. In the midst of a pretty paint-by-numbers storyline there is a nice dramatic touch as Jay follows Laura onto a night boat but then feels she is just not worth it. There is a camera pan of him standing on the dimly lit docks in the rain, a nice cinematic touch. And just to remind you that it is definitely a pre-code - when Laura confesses that nothing happened with Purcell, Jay admits that things weren't so innocent with him and he did spend the night with Kate. Kate is revealed as the nicest person in the movie - she only pursues Jay when she sees him left high and dry and her main aim is to get his life back in order, getting him sober etc.

So I agree with the other reviews, the ending is a bit of a wash out with the wise and knowing mother (Helen Ware) giving a finger wagging lecture to the shame faced pair. If only they could have worked out a compromise on their own it would have kept alive the "we moderns" idea!! Also of interest is Joe Donahue, the year before, partnering Marilyn Miller in some intricate dances in "Sunny", now relegated to a couple of scenes as the lively best man at the wedding reception!!

Recommended.