Libeled Lady

Rating:
Summary: MGM's All-Star Cast Provides All-Star Performances...
Review: "Libeled Lady" is one of Jack Conway's best films! This film shows you just what "slap-stick" comedies are. Myrna Loy & William Powell are especially delightful, but none-the-less, Spencer Tracy & Jean Harlow make their presence known. Tracy plays an editor who allows a story about Loy's character, claiming she is a homewrecker, to be published in his paper. After realizing a mistake has been made, he quickly tries to fix his error but things don't go as planned-instead he ends up with a five million dollar libel suit, that Loy's character is determined to see destroy Tracy's career & paper! Tracy then sets out to find Powell, an ex-employee, to help him straighten up the mess he's made. To make matters worse for Tracy, we find out his fiancee, played by Harlow, has decided she is tired of waiting around for him and gives him an ultimatum-marry her or they're finished. The story takes a lot of turns, all proving to be very amusing. This films shows us just how funny Tracy can be, proving what a terrific actor was. Jean Harlow is entertaining as Tracy's fiancee, full of sarcasm. This film must be added to your collection!

Rating:
Summary: Harlow, Powell, Loy and Tracy in a clever comedy classic
Review: "Libeled Layd" is a first rate sardonic comedy with moments of slapstick and farce well served by a stellar cast. Newspaper editor William Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is about to marry Gladys (Jean Harlow), but has to leave the bride at the altar because his newspaper has just published a juicy scandal about millionairess Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) being a husband-stealer. The "Libeled Lady" slaps Mr. Bane (Charlie Grapewin) with a $5,000,000 libel suit because of the story. Haggerty searches the world for famous lawyer Bill Chandler (William Powell), and once he finds him marries the guy off to Gladys (this part always confuses me too, but it made sense at the time). Chandler tries to find Connie in a compromising situation so he can get her to withdraw the suit, but, of course, he ends up falling in love with her. So, naturally, the couple elopes. But do not worry; everything works out fine in the end once the couples worked out who is going to marry who so they can live happily ever after; it becomes obvious to us long before it does to the characters. This 1936 comedy directed by Jack Conway is an adult comedy with some actual brains behind it all. The four stars work off each other exceptionally well, thanks to the script, with Harlow the big surprise as she manages to keep up with Powell, Loy and Tracy.

Rating:
Summary: Harlow, Powell, Loy and Tracy in a clever comedy classic
Review: "Libeled Layd" is a first rate sardonic comedy with moments of slapstick and farce well served by a stellar cast. Newspaper editor William Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is about to marry Gladys (Jean Harlow), but has to leave the bride at the altar because his newspaper has just published a juicy scandal about millionairess Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) being a husband-stealer. The "Libeled Lady" slaps Mr. Bane (Charlie Grapewin) with a $5,000,000 libel suit because of the story. Haggerty searches the world for famous lawyer Bill Chandler (William Powell), and once he finds him marries the guy off to Gladys (this part always confuses me too, but it made sense at the time). Chandler tries to find Connie in a compromising situation so he can get her to withdraw the suit, but, of course, he ends up falling in love with her. So, naturally, the couple elopes. But do not worry; everything works out fine in the end once the couples worked out who is going to marry who so they can live happily ever after; it becomes obvious to us long before it does to the characters. This 1936 comedy directed by Jack Conway is an adult comedy with some actual brains behind it all. The four stars work off each other exceptionally well, thanks to the script, with Harlow the big surprise as she manages to keep up with Powell, Loy and Tracy.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most underrated screwball comedies!
Review: A libel suit, filed against a newspaper that knows it won't have a leg to stand on in court, triggers a chain of events that plays havoc with a number of relationships in "Libeled Lady," a classic romantic comedy directed by Jack Conway. On his wedding day, newspaper editor Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is summoned back to work before he ever reaches the church; there's a crisis at hand, and he's responsible, albeit indirectly. In his absence, another editor allowed a libelous story to make the front page; a story alleging a dalliance between a certain Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy), one of the richest women in the country, and a married man. When, at the last minute, the paper discovers the story is false, the edition is recalled, but it's too late; fifty copies make it into circulation, and Connie Allenbury sues the paper to the tune of five million dollars. If they can't convince her to drop the suit, the paper is ruined. That's a tall order, however, for the Allenbury's have a long-running feud with the paper (twenty years), and Haggerty knows there's only one way to deal with it: They have to catch Connie Allenbury in a compromising position. It just so happens that a former employee of the paper, Bill Chandler (William Powell), is an expert at handling such matters. According to Haggerty's plan, Chandler will court Miss Allenbury, and when the time is right, his wife (along with a photographer) will catch them in the act. But first, the single Chandler needs a wife, and it has to be a legal marriage that will hold up in court. And Haggerty has just the woman for the part: Gladys (Jean Harlow), his own bride-to-be, still smarting from being left alone at the altar. He convinces her it will be in name only for one month, after which time she will enjoy a six week vacation in Reno (allowing for the divorce proceedings), and after that, everything's jake. When she agrees, knowing how much the paper means to Haggerty, it begins a comedic interlude with a new twist arriving at every turn. The legendary Harlow is an absolute delight here, as the spunky Gladys, the girl taken for granted for too long, and who enters the fray determined to get what she really wants: A loving husband. Tracy is right at home as the fast-talking newspaperman, married to the job and too thick-headed to realize what a treasure he has in Gladys. Loy is charming as the sophisticated Connie, the guarded aristocrat with the down-to-earth sense of who she really is, and Powell is marvelous, bringing a subtle, self-deprecating sense of humor to the ever-gentlemanly Bill Chandler. This is a funny movie, with some truly memorable scenes, especially one in which Chandler first learns how to fish, then must put his newly acquired "skills" to the test during a fishing trip with Connie and her father, Mr. Allenbury (Walter Connolly), who is an expert fisherman. Watching Chandler being put through the paces is a riot. The supporting cast includes Charley Grapewin (Mr. Bane), Cora Witherspoon (Mrs. Burns-Norvell), E.E. Clive (The fishing instructor), and Billy Benedict (Johnny). With outstanding performances all around, "Libeled Lady" is a joy to watch, from beginning to end. The story is clever, the dialogue witty, and it's all charmingly put together and delivered by Conway. And there's a kind of graceful ambience to this film that keeps the humor fresh no matter how many times you see it. This is timeless entertainment, a classic depiction of human nature that rings as true today as it did all those many years ago when it was created; a priceless connection to another era, of another time.

Rating:
Summary: A great film!
Review: I just love William Powell and Myrna Loy films. I really ejoyed this one. I highly recommend it, and would give it ten stars if I could. It's funny, witty, and charming!

Rating:
Summary: Comedy at it's Finest!
Review: Just looking at the names of the cast members will tell you this is a FANTASTIC movie--Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, and William Powell. This is really comedy at it's finest, and all four stars are in great form. Myrna's brunette beauty is perfect up against Jean's brassy blonde, and William Powell nearly steals the show. You've got to see this one!

Rating:
Summary: TERRIFIC THIRTIES FARCE
Review: Newspaper editor Tracy leaves his prospective bride, Harlow, at the church to determine why his paper printed a juicy scandal about millionairess Loy.........This is a smashing comedy with four great stars, given a crackling script, and smooth direction. The laughs come rolling off the screen in just about every sequence and this ranks as one of the best screwball comedies of the thirties. Tracy is the managing editor of a newspaper and he erroneously prints a story which states the wealthy Loy is busy nabbing another woman's husband, a British peer............You almost need a scorecard to keep track of the twists in the story, so don't try to make any sense of of it, just enjoy the merry meanderings of a sterling cast doing their comedic best! The four leads are letter perfect in their playing while Walter Connolly can register parental distraction with the best of them! The highly zestful script has a generous spicing of witty lines and a good healthy dose of comic situations. Jack Conway's direction is agile and spontaneous. A sardonic comedy, with slapstick smudges and a liberal bedaubing of farce, it takes several freedoms with the press, liberties with the statutes, and jousts at justice - all in the merriest of moods; there are a dozen reasons why the viewer should find this a thoroughly engaging and agreeable comedy classic. If one takes a good look at Harlow in this, you can see that her complexion looks anything but fresh & she looks rather bloated. Apparently she was already suffering from the kidney disease that would take her life in June of 1937: Harlow was only 25 here.

Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: one of the funniest movies i ever saw. Has an absolutely hysterical scene of william powell pretending to know how to fish. Dialogue great, plot great. Myrna Loy great.

Rating:
Summary: Star Power
Review: This film has a plot that is quite complicated to describe, although as the film progresses, it all makes sense. Essentially, Myrna Loy is an heiress suing a newspaper for libel (five million dollar lawsuit), and Spencer Tracy defends his newspaper by using fiancee Jean Harlow and writer William Powell to prove that the story his paper originally printed about Loy was actually true. Relationships then get very tangled as this comedy proceeds. The plot is fun, and some of the dialogue humourous, but the real strength is its star package. Jean Harlow gets some scenes where she cuts loose and shows the comedic range she possessed (might surprise you). Spencer Tracy plays the driven newspaperman with a lot of energy and edge. But it's really William Powell and Myrna Loy who own this film. What chemistry the two had on camera! Of course, they proved that in film after film, and this is a prime example. Witty, sophisticated, sexy are just some of the words for the two on screen. Powell in particular is in top form here, and as everyone notes about this film, his fishing scene is the highlight of the film. Star power is what this film is all about, with a complicated story and some good laughs thrown in for good measure.

Rating:
Summary: Star Power
Review: This film has a plot that is quite complicated to describe, although as the film progresses, it all makes sense. Essentially, Myrna Loy is an heiress suing a newspaper for libel (five million dollar lawsuit), and Spencer Tracy defends his newspaper by using fiancee Jean Harlow and writer William Powell to prove that the story his paper originally printed about Loy was actually true. Relationships then get very tangled as this comedy proceeds. The plot is fun, and some of the dialogue humourous, but the real strength is its star package. Jean Harlow gets some scenes where she cuts loose and shows the comedic range she possessed (might surprise you). Spencer Tracy plays the driven newspaperman with a lot of energy and edge. But it's really William Powell and Myrna Loy who own this film. What chemistry the two had on camera! Of course, they proved that in film after film, and this is a prime example. Witty, sophisticated, sexy are just some of the words for the two on screen. Powell in particular is in top form here, and as everyone notes about this film, his fishing scene is the highlight of the film. Star power is what this film is all about, with a complicated story and some good laughs thrown in for good measure.