Smart Woman

Dir. Gregory La Cave

68 Minutes

USA

1931

Starring: Mary Astor, Robert Ames, John Halliday, Edward Everett Horton, Noel Francis, Ruth Weston

***1/2/*****

Engaging theatrical comedy about a woman (Mary Astor) who returns from a trip to find that her husband (Robert Ames) intends on marrying another woman (Noel Francis). Under the guise of wanting to avoid a public scandal, she invites her husband's paramour and her mother for a weekend, but turns tables by declaring her own intentions of separation to marry a man she briefly met on the trip home (John Halliday). All observed by Edward Everett Horton and Ruth Weston who somewhat operate as audience proxies. La Cava directs a fairly simple narrative, not getting too showy but getting plenty of mileage out of the very game performers (Astor an obvious highlight, but Everett Horton just in pure supporting glory). And the story caters to his comedic interests of what happens when an outsider comes in and shakes up a lifestyle built on routine. Consistently breezy and enjoyable even when it starts to move into more familiar "happy" territory.

April 24th, 2020