Strong and Moving!

From my favorite movies..

Fantastic!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Rom-com, 1931 style. Robert Williams plays a newspaper reporter who falls for a rich socialite (Jean Harlow) and the two get married, against her mother's objections. The relationship is ill-matched, him resenting being treated as a 'bird in a gilded cage', as he and others put it, and she disliking his crude ways and partying friends. Meanwhile, the gal pal played by Loretta Young carries a torch for him all along. You know how it's going to end, but it's charming nevertheless, has a script full of funny touches, and is well cast all around. Williams is smooth and wonderful, and reminds one of Spencer Tracey. Characteristic to the time, he settles a few disagreements with his fists, but it's as good-natured a way as Capra can make it. He also a couple of very nice romantic scenes with Harlow – the first, talking and then kissing behind the window of a beautiful garden waterfall, and the second, playfully making up and singing a song debating whether he should wear garters or not. It's absolutely tragic that Williams would die at the age of 37 three days after the film's premier, and that Harlow would die six years later at the age of 26.

The entire time I watched this movie I kept wondering why I've never seen Robert Williams in any other picture before and only learned about his unfortunate death by seeing the information posted here on the IMDb. One wonders if he would have broken out as a major star, in this film for example he was already doing Bing Crosby with the hat and pipe, and there was even somewhat of a resemblance to the Bingster. Even better though was his terrific comic timing and extraordinary chemistry with the other principal players. Several reviewers here obviously feel the same judging by the comments.The story itself has that magical Frank Capra touch and for an early film from 1931 it's really quite entertaining. For Stew Smith (Williams) it could have been the rags to riches story most folks dream about but the way he held onto his ideals is what gives the picture it's heartwarming quality. Even when he's berating Attorney Grayson (Reginald Owen) or high hatting mother Schuyler (Louise Closser Hale), Smith does it with a finesse and grace that keeps them off their stride.There are two scenes that are particularly charming, the first one where Smith and new bride Ann (Jean Harlow) sing to each other in sort of an impromptu serenade that's just magical. The other is the hilarious 'putter' conversation butler Smythe (Halliwell Hobbes) engages in with Smith with the bonus echoes thrown in. Very well done.There were also a couple of throwaway scenes that got my attention that probably won't mean much to most folks but I got a kick out of them. As an old timer, my ears perked up when a couple of Ann's friends commented on her 'new' boyfriend at the Schuyler party. One of them described him as one of the 'no beard' Smiths, an obvious reference to the guys who appear on the boxes of Smith Brothers Cough Drops. Until I just looked it up, I didn't think they were even real people.The other sit up and take notice moment only applies for anyone who uses film captioning like I do. Remember when Daily Tribune reporter Bingy (Walter Catlett) went into his drunken Indian war whoop? The picture had that labeled as a 'racist war cry', indicating to me that political correctness has even extended it's reach into the field of movie captioning. So next time it won't be a surprise.

1931's "Platinum Blonde" was an early Frank Capra "talkie" and one where he was still in the development stage of his eventual brilliant career as an iconic Hollywood director. Sadly, the film is now more noted for the outstanding work of lead actor Robert Williams who died only days after the premier of the movie from appendicitis. His natural and free-flowing performance in this film was decades ahead of any actor on the scene back then and he was sure to have become a great star if he had lived. The plot revolves are Williams' character, a fast-talking and brilliant reporter, who ends up marrying rich heiress Jean Harlow (the "Platinum Blonde" of the title) even though he's quite in denial of his true love, one of his junior colleagues, the absolutely gorgeous Loretta Young. Director Capra keeps the pace moving at breakneck speed and the dialog is well-suited for Williams' talents. Ms. Harlow's wooden personality and stilted delivery actually fits her character's shallow traits. She loosens up in several bedroom scenes with Williams and the movie served her well in what was considered her "breakout" performance. But there's no one else on the planet like the 18-year-old Loretta Young. She is a goddess in this movie and she doesn't need to dye her hair "Platinum Blonde." The great Reginald Owen has a nice role as the head butler in Harlow's huge mansion. He provides Williams with an excellent foil and their scenes together are priceless. It's all handled in the soon-to-be-famous Capra style. "Platinum Blonde" isn't a classic film, but Williams' performance makes up for any deficiencies.

Let me just say, flat out, this film was simply...The Robert Williams show. It's an absolute tragedy we never got to see anymore films with him in it. I'd bet he would have been a star.It's easy to see why he was chosen for the lead in this one. This guy had serious screen charisma. For a film made in 1931 it sure feels like one from today. You get the impression he was almost like William Powell in his delivery. He's dead on in every scene. It doesn't hurt that Capra Directed this one so you know it wouldn't be a stinker.You would think with Jean Harlow in this it would be another one of her wise crackin' ways films...but it's not. I mean it's obvious the film played on her with the title but this was before she became the Jean Harlow we all know from The Red-Headed Woman to Red Dust and all the way to her early death. She's sorta second string in this one. For what it's worth, she couldn't hold a candle to her counterpart in this film in Loretta Young, in terms of beauty. Jean Harlow may have been probably the earliest screen vamp but she wasn't near as beautiful as a lot of her contemporaries.Don't see this film because it's got Jean Harlow and don't see it because it's an early Capra work. See it for Robert Williams...the would have been major star. For what it's worth, Robert Williams should be proud wherever he is, he made a winner.