The Divorce of Lady X (1938)

The Divorce of Lady X
Directed by Tim Whelan
Written by Lajos Biró, Ian Dalrymple and Arthur Wimperis from a story by Gilbert Wakefield
1938/UK
London Film Productions
First viewing/Streaming on Hulu Plus

[box] Logan: Modern woman has no loyalty, decency, or justice; no endurance, reticence, or self-control; no affection, fine feelings, or mercy. In short, she is unprincipled, relentless, and exacting; idle, unproductive, and tedious; unimaginative, humorless, and vain; vindictive, undignified, and weak. And the sooner man takes out his whip again, the better for sanity and progress.[/box]

Although it has one of those “idiot” plots, this is enjoyable for its acting.  It is also the first British Technicolor movie I have seen.

It is a foggy day in London town when divorce lawyer Everard Logan (Laurence Olivier) checks into the Park Plaza hotel.  Attendees of a costume ball at the hotel have been advised that they should not attempt to drive home in the thick fog.  The management asks Logan if he will allow some of the stranded guests to overnight in his suite’s sitting room. Logan refuses but, through sheer unmitigated gall, Leslie Steele (Merle Oberon) manages to overnight in Logan’s bed while Logan is stuck in the sitting room.  Despite her bad behavior, the couple naturally fall madly in love over breakfast.  Leslie comes home and tells her father, who of course is the judge in Logan’s upcoming trial, that he is the man she will marry.

The next day Lord Mere (Ralph Richardson) consults with Logan because he has decided to divorce his wife, the notorious Lady Mere (Binnie Barnes) who was spotted leaving a room in the Park Plaza shortly before a man also exited.  Logan comes to the instantaneous conclusion that he was that man.  When he later confronts Leslie about this she plays along.  Well, the course of true love never did run smooth.

There is nothing wrong with this film but there is nothing outstanding about it either.  I found Oberon’s character quite irritating.  But she does look lovely and it is good to see Olivier as comic leading man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI6NpbQEwpk

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