Filed under: Reviews | Tags: 1932, albert de courville, there goes the bride
Director: Albert de Courville
In Jessie Matthews’ second sound film, she plays a woman who runs off from an unwanted marriage (to Basil Redford of The Lady Vanishes), and, improbably, has to stay away from her family for a day in order to stay unwed. Naturally, she runs into a wealthy man on a train (Owen Nares) who mistakes her for a thief, and the relationship between them begins with roleplaying and ultimately becomes something more authentically romantic. Although the film goes through the motions of its genre, the romance isn’t particularly convincing–partly because Nares is a stuffed shirt, partly because Matthews is still emoting in a way more appropriate to silent films. She’s a compelling actress physically–those eyes alone makes her somewhat resemble a cartoon (her features are listed in one scene of the film, drawing further attention to her unique beauty)–but doesn’t quite know how to use her face at this point. She’s all of Clara Bow’s razzle dazzle without the sense of vulnerability. There’s an amusing little sequence early on where Matthews has to hide in Nares’ flat, but other than that it’s all very forgettable.
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