Ladies of Leisure
Directed by Frank Capra
Written by Jo Swerling from a play by Milton Herbert Gropper
1930/US
Columbia Pictures
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Crackle
Dot Lamar: You can’t weigh sex appeal.
I love a good melodrama when it makes me cry.
This Pre-Code romcom/melodrama begins at the studio of artist Jerry Strong (Ralph Graves) where a wild drunken party is in progress. When Jerry flees the highjinks, he meets cute with Kay Arnold (Barbara Stanwyck) a self-proclaimed “party girl” who is fleeing a party she attended on a ship. Jerry is sees something in her which represents “hope” to him and asks her to pose for a portrait. The two leads have quirky counterparts in the form of Kay’s roommate fellow party girl Dot (Marie Provost) and Jerry’s playboy friend Bill (Lowell Sherman).
Jerry keeps things strictly platonic and it is not too long before Kay is madly in love with him. Can these two opposites attract? Not to give away too much but the course of true love never did run smooth.
I liked this far more on the rewatch than the first time around. It is really quite a touching love story. Barbara Stanwyck is wonderful throughout. Last time I thought she cried too much in the second half. This time I was crying right along with her. Even this early in her career she could deliver heartbreaking performances like this one. Recommended.
Clip (spoiler from near end of movie)
