Platinum Blonde (1931)

Platinum Blonde
Directed by Frank Capra
Written by Robert Riskin from a story by Harry Chandlee and Douglas W. Churchill
1931/US
Columbia Pictures
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental

Conroy, The Editor: Anne Schuyler’s in the blue book; you’re not even in the phone book. Think that one over… sucker!

Capra delivers a solid newspaper/romcom picture with plenty of snappy dialogue.

Stew Smith (Robert Williams) is the wise-cracking star reporter on a big city newspaper. Michael Schuyler is trying to avoid a scandal about his chorus girl girlfriend who has settled a breach of promise lawsuit but has refused to return his love letters.  Rumors of this are floating around and Stew’s editor sends him to the swanky Schuyler family manse to verify the story.  The Schuyler’s lawyer tries to bribe him to not print the story.  Stew now has his confirmation.  At the same time, he is introduced to Michael’s sister Anne (Jean Harlow).  It is lust at first sight.

Lust turns to love and Stew and Anne marry.  Anne’s family is dismayed but Anne reassures them.  It is then he finds that Anne expects him to give up his old life and friends, live in the mansion, and accompany Anne to her many social engagements.

Now Robert has a long-time colleague at the paper who is called Gallagher (Loretta Young).  They are confidants and trade snappy banter.  What Robert doesn’t know is that she is in love with him.  He hasn’t really seen her as a woman.  With Claud Allister as a valet.

I liked this one a lot due to the snappy dialogue, expertly delivered by the very appealing Williams and company. IMO one of the best newspaper pictures and contains my favorite performance ever by Loretta Young.  Harlow was still developing her acting chops so she is somewhat stiff and at any rate feels miscast as a socialite.

I found myself wondering what happened to Williams. Turns out this was his first major role and he died of peritonitis 4 days after the picture’s release.