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Libeled Lady (1936)
In director Jack Conway's funny screwball comedy -
a Best Picture nominee:
- after the MGM lion and before the opening credits
- the medium shot of the four stars (Harlow, Powell, Loy, and Tracy)
walking arm in arm toward the camera and into a wind
- in the film's plot, the New York Evening Star and
its managing editor Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) had printed a
libelous, false story about sophisticated, wealthy heiress Connie
Allenbury (Myrna Loy), who was accused of breaking up a marriage;
the publication resulted in Connie threatening to sue the paper for
libel with a $5 million lawsuit
- the scenes of newspaper editor Warren Haggerty's cooked-up
scheme to re-hire ex-employee and ladies man Bill Chandler (William
Powell) to convince him to temporarily marry (in name only without
consummation) Warren's own wisecracking, long-suffering, impatient
bride-to-be divorcee/girlfriend Gladys Benton (Jean Harlow) - promising
her a quickie Reno divorce afterwards; so in the meantime, Chandler
could seduce and then frame or trap Connie in a compromising situation
with him (witnessed by his 'wife' Gladys) to force Connie to drop
the expensive lawsuit
- in the clever and fast-paced script, memorable scenes
included the very long "bride kisses the best man" congratulatory
kiss sequence at the city magistrate wedding of Bill Chandler and
Gladys, with 'Best Man' - Gladys' own fiancee Warren: (Justice of
the Peace: "Well, I hope you'll be very happy and don't forget
to invite me to your silver anniversary." Gladys: "It'll
have to be within the next six weeks!")
- the fishing scenes: first, inept Chandler receiving
fly-fishing lessons in his hotel room, and then the outdoor scene
of inept, nearly-drowned Chandler impressing Connie's angler father
Mr. James B. Allenbury (Walter Connolly) by catching an elusive walleye
trout
- the plot twist of ensuing complications when Chandler
became truly smitten by Connie and then changed his strategy of fooling
her to sweet-talking her to drop the suit - and she asked to marry
him - he was flabbergasted: ("Will I? Is there a preacher in
the house?")
- the multiple confusions in the rushed concluding scene
in a hotel room: Bill was now married to Connie (and they were on
their honeymoon), but then Gladys affirmed that she really wanted
to remain married to Bill; Bill announced that he had found out that
'wife' Gladys' previous Yucatan divorce to her first husband was
illegal (and therefore their marriage was a fake), countered by Gladys'
claim that she had a second confirming divorce in Reno and was actually
still married to Bill; but then, real romantic allegiances were revealed
after Bill and Warren had a brief fisticuffs encounter
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'Married' Chandler with Connie - Falling in Love
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Chandler After Being Married to Connie
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Bill Chandler and Warren's Fisticuffs
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- the ending line of Connie's father Mr. Allenbury
demanding an explanation - and then after he was filled in on the
marital complications, he screamed exasperatingly: "Quiet,
will you please be quiet!"
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Opening Credits
Gladys Complaining to Newspaperman Fiancee Warren: "Today,
I get married!"
Warren's Scheme: Gladys Was Forced to Instead Temporarily
Marry Bill Chandler
The "Bride Kisses the Best Man" Wedding
Kiss Sequence
Fishing Sequence
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