Ladies' man
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Ladies' man |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1931 |
| length | 76 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lothar Mendes |
| script |
HP Garrett , Charles Furthman |
| production | David O. Selznick for Paramount Pictures |
| camera | Victor Millner |
| occupation | |
| |
Ladies' Man is an American feature film with the on-screen couple William Powell and Kay Francis , directed by Lothar Mendes .
action
The attractive and charming James Darricott lives as a gigolo from the donations of rich, lonely ladies of the best company. One day he meets Rachel Fendley, the daughter of a current customer. Rachel, an emotionally unstable girl, falls in love with James and rushes to her mother to ask her to release James so she can marry him. In the meantime, James falls in love with the attractive Norma Page. Norma accepts James' past and they both want to start a future together. Shortly before the two can marry, James is drawn into a fight with Rachel's father, in which he falls to his death out the window.
background
Kay Francis and William Powell had become a popular screen couple after appearances on Street of Chance and For the Defense . The two also had an affair privately until early 1931, but it ended when Powell became engaged to Carole Lombard and eventually married the actress. At the same time, the two stars, together with Ruth Chatterton , through their mutual agent Myron Selznick, the brother of film producer David O. Selznick , signed lucrative contracts with the rival studio Warner Brothers . Francis had chosen it because Paramount Pictures did not care enough about her career and too often only brought her to the screen in supporting roles. The massive problems in management, the high losses that ultimately drove the studio into bankruptcy and an oversupply of other stars were responsible for the sluggish development of Francis. The studio eventually used Francis, Powell and Lombard together in Ladies' Man . Powell initially refused to play the part of a gigolo, but in the end he was won over by the quality of the script. Carole Lombard and Kay Francis became friends while filming, and several years later, with the help of Lombard, who got her a prominent role in Her Name Only, Francis made a comeback after a series of legal disputes with her studio Warners.
Ladies' Man is a film with a very pessimistic attitude that focuses on people without emotional hold who are looking for a meaning for their life. They try to fill the emptiness of their existence with an extravagant lifestyle. Feelings like love and trust are nothing more than a commodity that is openly offered by men like James in exchange for payment. A similar gloomy worldview was shown in the film 24 Hours , which was also distributed in 1931. The film was not a success at the box office and Francis - Powell was only to appear together again the following year under a contract with Warner Brothers in Jewel Robbery and One Way Passage .
criticism
The reviews were divided. While some reviewers criticized the story as immoral and unsympathetic, others praised the intense play of the actors.
Web links
- Ladies's Man in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Background information - English
- Background information - English
swell
- Lynn Kear & John Rossman - Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career - McFarland & Company, 2006; ISBN 0-7864-2366-8 .
- Scott O'Brien - Kay Francis: I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten. Her Life on Stage and Film - BearManor Media, 2006; ISBN 1-59393-036-4 .