Sin Takes a Holiday
Directed by Paul L. Stein
Written by Horace Jackson; story by Robert Milton and Dorothy Cairns
1930/US
Pathe Exchange
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube
Reggie Durant: It’s curious how attractive a girl can be on a honeymoon – without a husband.
Entertaining if slight pre-Code love triangle.
Gaylord Stanton (Kenneth MacKenna) is a divorce attorney who mingles with the “in-crowd” in New York City. He and his friends all have active love lives. Gaylord avoids commitment by sticking to married ladies. When his latest fling’s husband files for divorce and names him correspondent, he knows he is in grave danger of getting caught. So he decides to marry his secretary in name only and send her off to Europe. Sylvia Brenner (Constance Bennett) is a plain Jane (read she is gorgeous but wears business attire and little make-up). She is also secretly in love with Gaylord. She agrees to the arrangement in exchange for a new wardrobe and money.
Gaylord’s friend Reggie Durant (Basil Rathbone) takes an annual trip to Paris where he can indulge in affairs with a definite expiration date. He and Sylvia meet on the voyage over. She has now morphed into a sophisticated glamor girl and Reggie is smitten. Eventually, he proposes. At about this time, Sylvia is called home to prove her existence. And that she does indeed.
It’s a real pre-Code kind of a plot with plenty of glamor, spectacular gowns, and art deco sets. My favorite part was seeing Rathbone as a love interest for a change of pace. It’s the kind of movie you surely don’t need to seek out but if the period and plot appeals, I doubt you will be disappointed.
