In Scotland, plain-looking 26-year-old Maggie Wylie (Helen Hayes) has just been jilted by the minister of Galashiels, and the men of her family—father Alick and brothers David and James—are highly protective of her, though the befuddled James keeps accidentally bringing up the minister by accident. But we see that Maggie is tougher and more clear-eyed than her family thinks. When the Wylies set a trap to catch a late-night burglar, they discover that it's the insolent but handsome student John Shand (Brian Aherne), who has been breaking in to read books in their library to further his education. The men concoct a plan: they will give John money to finish his education and if in five years' time Maggie is still single, he will marry her. Maggie is under no delusion that the serious John—who claims to have never laughed in his entire life—will actually be in love with her, but she goes along with the plan. Five years later, John, a political firebrand who wants to abandon the gold standard, has just won a seat in Parliament and it's time for him to marry. Maggie tears up their contract but he still agrees to the coupling, though we see trouble ahead in the person of Lady Sybil (Madge Evans), a lady of "quality," who flirts with him a bit on election night. Over time, Maggie is a help to him in his career, but eventually John and Sybil begin a secret affair. When Maggie finds out, she seems to accept it, but when Sybil asks her what she's going to do about it, she replies, "That would be telling." Sure enough, Maggie does have a plan which involves encouraging their relationship by sending him off to stay in the country to stay with Sybil's aunt, the Contessa, then getting Sybil out there as well, perhaps hoping that their fling will burn itself out. The Contessa is on Maggie's side, and Maggie busies herself with furthering John's career, even as the potential of divorce would be a scandal that might end it. What will win out: the frippery of a romantic dalliance or the practical concerns of reputation?
Based on a J.M. Barrie play, this romantic comedy is predictable but charming and, due mostly to Helen Hayes, remains interesting throughout. Part of the charm is the character of Maggie, who accepts her lot in life at the beginning of the story (and is made of stronger stuff than her brothers think) but manages to steer her relationship with John where she wants it to go. I'm not sure how "feminist" she would be seen today, as most of her actions are quite calculating and concerned with keeping a man who doesn't really love her. They have a close and respectful daily life, but I found it a bit daring that, by the end (Spoiler!), she wins out over Sybil even as it's still not clear if he loves her (in the final moment, she does finally make him laugh). The ending, which certainly plays out as happy, implies that they will continue their marriage largely for the sake of his career, but we are in the dark as to how deep their feelings for each other run. Hayes is very good at suggesting Maggie's hidden depths while seeming to be a relatively passive figure. Aherne is also fine with a character that could easily have lost our sympathies along the way. The rest of the cast is just as good, in particular Lucile Watson as the Contessa, Donald Crisp as the stern David, and Dudley Digges as the comic relief brother James—it seems strange to refer to "comic relief" in a movie that is a comedy, but the low-key antics of Digges always bring a chuckle. On second thought, maybe this isn't so much a romantic comedy as a "practical" comedy. [TCM]
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