EASY TO LOVE (1934)

Married couple Adolphe Menjou and Genevieve Tobin enjoy evenings out with friends Edward Everett Horton and Mary Astor, who seem to have a casual flirting arrangement that never gets too serious. In fact, Horton admits that he only sees Astor so he can be near Tobin. Menjou, however, is carrying on a secret affair with Astor; they meet every day for an hour at 2:30 for what Menjou says are polo practice sessions. Tobin, though still in love with her husband, is unhappy that the two have separate bedrooms, saying, "We’re married, we're just not married." When Tobin discovers that Menjou is not showing up for his polo practice, she gets suspicious and hires a detective who reports that Menjou spends his time at Astor's apartment, so Tobin gets Horton to accompany her to Astor's place on a seemingly innocent visit. Menjou hides in a closet while Tobin, knowing he's there, goes on to Astor about looking for a love nest for her and Horton. Menjou, of course, is pissed, saying that though he loves Astor "as a woman," he still loves Tobin as a wife, and when a divorce seems inevitable, their daughter (Patricia Ellis) hatches a plan: she announces that, since her parents' marriage didn't work, she might as well go off and live with her boyfriend (Paul Kaye) without the benefit of clergy. In a final scene, Menjou and Tobin confront Ellis and Kaye, snuggled up together in bed in a hotel room, and a happy ending is in store for all—though I'm not 100% convinced that Menjou has really learned his lesson.

This pre-Code film feels like a forerunner of the screwball comedy genre with its fast pace, witty dialogue, and overtones of adultery and reconciliation. At just an hour, it certainly doesn't overstay its welcome. Menjou and Horton hit all their predictable marks with professionalism, and Astor, though good, feels a bit underused. I have seen Tobin in several movies and, while I generally think she gives good performances, I never find her particularly memorable, lacking in star charisma. Here, she sounds a bit like Billie Burke at times, and though she's fine, I once again find my memories of her in this film fading already after just a few days. Hugh Herbert, Guy Kibbee and Robert Greig give their usual strong supporting performances. In fact, Greig gets a standout moment: early on, when Menjou blames his recent fatigue on polo, Grieg says, knowingly, "Polo can be a little strenuous, particularly if you do it every afternoon." Another good line: Menjou, on finding Ellis and Kaye in the hotel room, "They're in bed together and they’re not married!"; Astor: "How enterprising of them." That's a line that they probably could not have gotten away with after the implementation of the Production Code. Same with the entire Menjou/Astor affair plotline. Fun movie with a meaningless and generic title. Pictured are Horton and Astor. [TCM]