Stubs - Smart Woman

 

Smart Woman (1931) Starring; Mary Astor, Robert Ames, John Halliday, Edward Everett Horton, Noel Francis. Directed by Gregory La Cava. Screenplay by Salisbury Field. Based on the play Nancy's Private Affair by Myron C. Fagan (New York, 13 Jan 1930). Produced by William LeBaron. Run time 68 minutes. USA Black and White. Pre-Code, Drama.

Mary Astor may be best known for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon (1941) but before that film, and for many years after, she was a movie star with a career that dated back to silent films. Her first film role at the age of 14 in Sentimental Tommy (1921) may have ended up on the cutting room floor but that didn’t deter her. She would appear in other films before moving to Hollywood in 1923, with her parents, and signed with Paramount Pictures.

Sir Guy Harrington (John Halliday) is interested in Nancy Gibson (Mary Astor) at the beginning of Smart Woman.

The film opens onboard an ocean-liner sailing back to New York. Returning from an extended visit to her sick mother in Paris is Nancy Gibson (Mary Astor). Sir Guy Harrington (John Halliday), who has been declared the richest bachelor in Europe expresses his interest in her but Nancy tells him she’s looking forward to seeing her home and her husband Donald (Robert Ames), whom she loves.

Edward Everett Horton plays Bill Ross in Smart Woman.

She is surprised when she arrives in port that Donald is not there to greet her. Instead, it’s Bill Ross (Edward Everett Horton), Donald's business partner, and her sister-in-law and Bill’s wife Sally (Ruth Weston). At first Bill lies to Nancy and tells her that Donald is away on business. But at Sally’s insistence, he finally tells Nancy the truth, that Donald has fallen in love with a gold digger named Peggy Preston (Noel Francis).

Ruth Weston plays Sally Ross.

Nancy is naturally shocked by the news and is determined not to grant him a divorce. But Sally knows she’s still in love with Donald and tells her to be a "smart woman" and play "hard-to-get" if she wants him back. Nancy takes the advice and when Donald returns home, she acts very nonchalant about the news and even confesses that she, too, has been unfaithful with a man in Europe.

Nancy acts nonchalantly at the news her husband Donald (Robert Ames) is having an affair.

When a nosy neighbor, Mrs. Windleweaver (Lillian Harmer) shows up to tell her about Donald’s infidelity, Nancy insists that there is nothing to it, that Peggy and her mother (Gladys Gale) are close family friends and were looking after him for her. She even announces that Peggy and her mother will be coming for a visit over the weekend.

Nancy has to invite her husband's mistress for the weekend. Her expression shows how she really feels.

Donald is disturbed by the idea of having Peggy at the house but comes around the idea, though he insists that Nancy will have to personally ask her to come.

While Donald watches, Nancy plays hostess to his mistress Peggy (Noel Francis).

Peggy, who mistakenly thinks the house will someday be hers, and her mother arrive and Nancy plays host. On cue, roses arrive from Guy, and Donald's jealousy is piqued.

Not too long afterward, Guy arrives and is greeted with passion by Nancy. He has come at her invitation even though he doesn’t know the extent of her plan. He does agree to play along with the ruse, even though he would rather have Donald out of the way.

During the weekend, Guy shows interest in Peggy, and being the gold-digger that she is, she reciprocates. After several outings with her, Guy sways her from Donald, whose financial status Bill has deliberately tarnished.

Just before he is scheduled to leave with Peggy, Donald, who has been reminiscing warmly with Nancy, discovers Peggy and Guy emerging from the boathouse. Clearly, they appear to be a couple.

Concerned now for Nancy's feelings, Donald confronts Guy, who reveals that he has no interest in Nancy or in Peggy, whom he sends away.

Nancy eavesdrops, as Donald confesses to the self-sacrificing Guy that he is in love with his wife. Guy slips away, and Nancy shows Donald the affectionate letters she had written to him from Europe as proof of her undying love.

The film’s topic, adultery, was not a topic that some thought appropriate for the movies and one that the Production Code would frown upon. Director Gregory La Cava, who started his career in animation, was a good fit for this film as he had worked on other pre-Code pictures like The Half Naked Truth (1932) and The Age of Consent (1932). He would go on to direct such films as My Man Godfrey (1936) and Stage Door (1937), both of which would earn him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director.

Mary Astor, who would have her own challenges with fidelity, is quite obviously the star of the film. She’s pretty and talented. I was very impressed, in particular, in the scene where she has to invite her husband’s mistress for the weekend. Her voice sounds nonchalant but there is real hurt in her eyes. It brings a little depth to her character.

If Robert Ames’ name doesn’t ring a bell, it may be that he died not too long after making this film. A stage actor, he had come to Hollywood in the mid-1920s. He appeared in several silent films before transitioning to sound. He would appear in such talkies as The Trespasser (1929) with Gloria Swanson; A Lady to Love (1930) with Vilma Bánky and Edward G. Robinson; and the 1930 version of Holiday, opposite Ann Harding.

John Halliday was an actor best known for playing suave aristocrats and foreigners, even though he was born in New York City. He seems very much at ease in the role of Sir Guy. As an actor, he is probably best known for his role as Seth Lord in The Philadelphia Story (1940).

Noel Francis is an actress who only worked in Hollywood during the 1930s. She would appear in such films as the John Ford comedy Up the River (1930), Smart Money (1931) and Blonde Crazy (1931) before appearing here. She is probably best remembered for her role as Linda in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932). After that, her roles would get smaller in smaller films before she retired in 1937. Here she is the other woman and plays the part well.

I’ve never seen Edward Everett Horton give a bad performance. He is usually always the wise-cracking friend, as he is here. He seems to have most of the film’s best lines and he knows how to deliver them. He is probably best known to a generation of Baby Boomers as the narrator of Fractured Fairy Tales on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959–61). He is also one of those actors who has played the same role in remakes of films. He twice played Nick Potter in Holiday (1930) and its remake Holiday (1938).

Smart Woman is not a great movie, but it is fun. The situation is novel and the dialogue is actually very well written. It helps that it was based on a play but the film stands on its own. If you have a little over an hour to spare, you could spend it in a lot worse ways than watching this Pre-Code comedy.