The Age of Commercialism

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

It's Rolls Royce MGM hitting on all eight cylinders— lavish interiors, pretty people, well- upholstered crowds, and sprightly dialog. So who can ask for more. Not me. Gable's a hard- driving top executive with a super efficient secretary (Harlow) and a loving wife at home (Loy). Trouble is, he spends all his time making deals and neglecting his patient wife. At the office he depends a lot on the fetching Harlow, slowly making wife Loy suspicious. But getting his attention is difficult since he's so wrapped up in the latest big deal. Thus, straightening things out in expected Hollywood manner makes up the narrative.Gable's at his charming energetic best, while Harlow gets an unusual non-vampish role, and Loy is winning in the sympathetic wifely part. Together, their characters are uniformly likable, unusual for what may be a romantic triangle. It's not hard seeing why Gable made six films with the star-crossed Harlow. There's real chemistry at work between them. Also, a boyish Jimmy Stewart turns up in an early supporting role as Harlow's sometimes swain. Not surprising for the 30's, the business world is portrayed as tricky, at best.Anyway, director Brown keeps things moving in smooth fashion, so all the talk seldom palls. Overall, it's a slickly entertaining 90-minutes featuring three legends of their time and our own.

I know this is 1936, but this really illustrates how far women have come in the workplace. Jean Harlow's character, Whitey, really is a first-rate secretary. In a later era, she would've been Van's (Clark Gable) assistance, instead of a secretary. Her affection for her boss is one of respect initially not lust.Myrna Loy's character is the typical, educated high society wife. She knows nothing about his business, and it never occurs to Van to let her in on the secret plan he has to buy another magazine. So, when he goes to a convention to sell the magazine owner on the proposed sale, his wife knows nothing about this scheme. She assumes the worse when Whitey is called down assist in the purchase procedures.This is all innocent, but, of course, due to the times, the wife becomes convinced that there's a rendezvous in process.This is an excellent made film, and it's one of Gable's best performances. Harlow and Loy are perfect and supporting cast including May Robison and a young James Stewart are picture perfect.

A lot of this is typical 1930s melodrama. The story continues because various of the characters fail to have the obvious conversations, which would have cleared things up in a jiffy.The scene I found particularly interesting and innovative was the penultimate one. In the third from the end scene, Harlow shows up in Loy's stateroom aboard the French Liner ship she is planning to take to Europe to forget about her husband (Gable), whom she imagines, incorrectly, to have had a fling with his secretary Harlow during a business trip to Havana. Harlow tells Loy that if she leaves Gable now, he will turn to Harlow out of loneliness and Loy will never get him back. (Yes, that sounds like the mother's speech to Norma Shearer in The Women.) Loy believes, incorrectly, that she has already lost Gable, so she says she won't go back to him. Harlow tells her that that would make her (Harlow) happy.The next scene takes place in Gable's office. He is talking with Harlow. We hear footsteps coming down the hall outside. Footsteps that take a long time. It turns out that they belong to the cleaning lady. Then, when she leaves, we hear footsteps again, very assertive footsteps, for a long time. Harlow gets up - she suspects it is Loy, come to return to her husband. And this time it is. Harlow then walks through the next, large office - more long footsteps - and leaves. The use of the footsteps is really very impressive.

Van (Clark Gable) is the boss of a magazine and wants to expand his circulation by buying out a rival. He travels abroad to seal the deal and spends most of his time with his secretary Whitey (Jean Harlow). There are several misunderstandings that leave his wife Linda (Myrna Loy) feeling neglected and betrayed and she files for divorce....There is not much of a plot to this film and the story takes it's time to develop. Apart from the stupid names in this film - Van and Whitey....?? - the cast are good with special mention going to the women. There are interesting sets to look at and memorable scenes include the bedroom scene between Gable and Harlow in Cuba, the confrontation between Harlow and Loy, and the ending. As Harlow seems to be in most of the memorable scenes, I think she comes off best in the film, despite not being the "blonde bombshell" that she is famous for being. She's not that blonde! The film drags and then, all of a sudden, it gets good towards the end with Harlow in all the good scenes.As regards the story, it's waifer-thin but I have to mention May Robson's role as Van's mother, "Mimi". What a bitch! She pulls her son's wife aside and poisons her mind with ideas of a fictional affair between him and his secretary. Bloody cow! Despite the film taking ages to get to the confrontational scenes that we are waiting for, it gets there in the end and you are left feeling that the film has been worth it.