The Worst Film Ever

A Brilliant Conflict

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There's really nothing too special about LIVING ON VELVET to distinguish it from many other Warner melodramas of the '30s. The trio of stars--GEORGE BRENT, KAY FRANCIS and WARREN WILLIAM--are suitably cast in the leads and the script moves along at a brisk pace to tell the story of an adventurer (Brent) and a society woman (Francis) who fall in love but can't seem to save their failing marriage until he nearly loses his life in an accident. The plot is really as simple as that.It's performed capably by the three stars with Warren Williams given little to do except to stand on the sidelines while Brent and Francis fall in love. Director Frank Borzage keeps the story moving swiftly after the first meeting of Kay Francis and George Brent at a party wherein they fall instantly in love. Nothing much happens except that their romance loses its luster when she decides to walk out on him, but soon returns for the happy ending.It passes the time pleasantly, but don't expect too much. It's typical Warner Bros. romantic fare for Miss Francis and that's about it.

A young wife tries to bring her improvident husband's head out of the clouds before his dreaming spoils their relationship.What might have been a mere soap opera in other circumstances, here, thanks to high production values & a literate script, comes across as a fine, thoughtful drama. Most especially, however, the film owes a great deal to the trio of excellent performances which raise it above the ordinary.Kay Francis, crisply articulate, coolly sensual, plays the wife who wants to make a success of her marriage, but is afraid her husband will never come down to reality. George Brent, playfully sophisticated, is the pilot fleeing a terrible personal tragedy, feeling he has cheated death and life from henceforth is mere LIVING ON VELVET. Warren William takes what is essentially a supporting role and turns it into something special. As the wealthy friend of Brent's who loves Miss Francis terribly, he assumes the role of benefactor for the couple, swallowing his own disappointments in an attempt to see them successfully established in marriage. Together, the three stars enact a story well worth watching.Elderly Helen Lowell portrays Miss Francis' stern aunt. Samuel S. Hinds has the tiny role of Brent's doomed father. Slow-burning Edgar Kennedy helps to liven up a scene as an exasperated diner counterman.Movie mavens will recognize chubby Harry Holman, uncredited, as a nervous bartender.The brief & dangerous military air show flying sequence, early in the film, is especially well presented.

"Living on Velvet" is a passionate, though slightly incoherent Borzage melodrama starring Kay Francis and George Brent. I'm a fan of director Borzage and the always wavishing Kay Fwancis (she had trouble pronouncing the Rs), so I was very eager to see this one. I happened to watch "Living on Velvet" the other night together with another Borzage love story with Francis & Brent called "Stranded", also made in 1935 for Warner Brothers. Of the two films, "Living on Velvet" is the best and most uncompromising illustration of Borzage's lifelong preoccupation with spirituality and humanity. Francis is wonderful in the role of Amy Prentiss, the passionate, devoted wife of Terry Parker (Brent), a rather reckless pilot who miraculously survived a plane crash with his family. The most romantic & unforgettable moment is of course the scene in which Terry meets Amy, seriously looking each other for the first time, their charging eyes never even blinking. The scene is one of Borzage's greatest achievements. It illustrates his genuine commitment to his material; the couple is looking at love itself, something concrete and tangible. Our involvement and identification are heightened through the emotional intensity of the couple's passion. The capable supporting players include Warren William as Gibraltar, Terry's best friend, and Helen Lowell as Aunt Martha.

There's not much of a plot. George Brent piloted a plane which crashed killing his parents and sister, while he walked away with hardly a scratch. So he believes he's living on borrowed time - "living on velvet" as he puts it. But he meets Kay Francis, the fiancee of his best friend, Warren William, and they fall in love. William wants her to be happy and not only approves of their marriage, but helps them out by setting them up in a Long Island estate he rents at $4.50 a month. Still the marriage has its problems because of Brent's irresponsible attitudes about working.Although the movie is somewhat enjoyable at the melodramatic level, there is one sequence that had me in stitches. To appreciate it, you must know in advance that Kay Francis always had trouble with the letter "r", which often sounded like "w". I notice it in all her movies. Here, George Brent gently ribs her about it. The night they meet, he tells her he likes the sound of her voice, and asks her to say something nice and long. She begins "30 days has September, Apwil June..." "Apwil? Apwil?" he interrupts. "Repeat after me please 'Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran'." Miss Francis repeats it, purposely exaggerating the "w" sound and starts her poem again this time saying "Aprrril", but letting the "w" sound creep in for some of the other months. It is a very funny sequence. As star of the movie, she easily could have suppressed that dialogue, but all the more power to her for letting it stay. It raised my opinion of her considerably.