Customer Reviews

Double Wedding [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Double Wedding", while certainly another in the long line of successes that Willian Powell and Myrna Loy enjoyed in their collaborations together,is a very different type of vechicle for the two and goes a long way to explained why critics at the time were divided about this films general worth.

Those that love the sleek champagne delivery of their "Thin Man" films are in for a bit of a shock here as the duo go in for more slapstick than is usual. The last scenes of the film in particular are very much in the Marx Bros type of humour and can require a bit of an adjustment to those used to the beautiful and subtle interplay normally associated with Powell and Loy.

The story is an original and funny one for the times in which Loy plays Margit Agnew a businesswoman extraodinare and a very domineering head of a wealthy family whos lives she plots out for them as though they were pieces on a chess board. The main object of her attention is her younger sister Irene played by beautiful actress Florence Rice. Margit is intent upon marrying off her younger sister...

While the film is certainly not up to the usual standard of Powell & Loy vechicles it is still a very funny hour and a half with many quirky situations and characters. The wonderful Jessie Ralph who appeared in a couple of other Powell/Loy films is hilarious as Mrs. Kensington-Bly the shadow owner of the Boutique Margit runs. All she wants is for the business to run at a loss so that she can write it off on her tax however Margit, with her no nonsense business sense turns it into a big success! Ralph's character also has a quirky relationship with Powell's character and the interplay between th etwo is a joy to behold, in particular when they are sending up Margit and her proper airs and graces.

As in all Powell/Loy vechicles its William Powell who really steals the show lock, stock and barrell... while a long way from his beloved Nick Charles persona, is a character perfectly suited to his talents and he makes the most of the crazy proceedings. Myrna Loy while noticeably not so comfortable in this slap stick role still gives the role of the stuffy Margit all her worth...

"Double Wedding" may not be most peoples favourite Powell & Loy film outing but it still is good well polished entertainment done with great expertise both in front of and behind the cameras. As always the legendary MGM attention to detail in all their productions shines through and helps make this film a sparkling piece of comedy while not a great one. All lovers of Powell and Loy enjoy.

Powell plays a wacky artist who falls for Loy, who is a repressed control freak at first. Situations happen that end up putting the two together, as they should be. Jessie Ralph as the "angel" of Loy's dress shop is a killer. Definitely not for the "politically correct" group, as there are certain "off color" phrases. All in all, a really wonderful movie

Powell and Loy are amazing in this movie, which really departs from their usual formula... He is [an] artist who has a gong set up in his mobile home for receiving b-b-gun messages from the bar across the lot (when Loy touches the gong, he yelps "You musn't!"), and she is an uptight entrepreneur. The two opposites are forced to work together (forced? well, they decide to, but the logic which impels them to do so is cloudy to say the least!) in order to make sure that Loy's younger sister marries a nice young dolt played by John Beal. The predictable result is attained in unbelievably unpredictable ways...

DOUBLE WEDDING is one of the most overlooked comedies of the 30's! In her autobiography, Myrna Loy wrote it was an unhappy shoot mainly because Jean Harlow (Powell's fiancee) had just died yet these stars are so professional there is nothing in their performances to suggest their depression. WEDDING is in fact the least typical Powell/Loy comedy, a wacky often knockabout farce in which practically every member of the cast gets slugged unconscious in a scene or two. Myrna is cast as a domineering older sister who is determined to see her sister's engagement is not wrecked by the girl's romantic crush on bohemian artist Powell. It's fun to see Myrna completely oblivious and downright hostile to the charms of Powell after so often being cast as his adoring spouse. Lots of good laughs in this one, hopefully it will receive a DVD release in the not too distant future.

"He thinks everyone ought to live in a trailer. He calls it the covered wagon of the future."


Double Wedding was one of the most unusual outings for William Powell and Myrna Loy, and proved to be one of their best. While Loy is cute, as always, it is Powell whose charm and wit is on full display here, in a brilliant performance. Based on a Molnar play, this Jo Swerling script is full of sophisticated fun, making for the perfect romantic comedy. It starts out with charm and builds to a near frantic screwball comedy of romance; a wild scene in and outside a camping trailer near the end a sheer joy to behold.

Powell is spectacular as Charlie Lodge. He lives in a trailer and paints and has ideas. His latest one involves Irene (Florence Rice) starring in a movie he's writing! But Irene has a stuffy sister none too pleased at Irene's pursuits, because they are a distraction from the wedding she has planned for Irene and her spineless beau, Waldo (John Beal). Myrna Loy is the successful sister Margit, Charlie is immediately taken with when she comes ringing his gong. She finds his happy-go-lucky lifestyle and plans for Irene ruffling her feathers, but when Irene attempts to make the timid Waldo jealous by telling Margit she is really in love with Charlie, he plays along to spend more time wearing down the staid walls of one Margit!

Powell was a deft genius at this type of comedy and is magnificent here. Loy is cute and finally has some wonderful moments in a madcap conclusion reminiscent of a famous scene from a Marx Brothers' comedy. Wonderful also is Charlie Chan himself, Sidney Toler. He is Margot's butler, Keough, but also a former detective. His spoof of Chan, sans mustache, following Charlie around, is a sheer delight, filled with veiled references to Charlie Chan. The film itself is beautifully presented, Cedric Gibbons' sets a glossy standout as was often the case in the MGM productions from this period.

Though this film is billed as sheer fun, and certainly is, it has to be noted that it contains what I believe is one of the sweetest and most charmingly romantic moments between the couple ever shot. It occurs as they are having dinner on a table outside Charlie's trailer, deep in the woods. It is the moment in the film you know she's in love with him but won't admit it to herself. And it's obvious Charlie loves her too. This is a delightful film for Powell and Loy fans, and classic film buffs in general. This one is time well spent, and can be purchased by itself on vhs, or on dvd as part of the wonderful William Powell and Myrna Loy set released most recently. Fabulous fun!

William Powell wasn't making too many films at this time due to the recent death of his fiancee Jean Harlow. What he did make was made with Loy.
Here he plays a bohemian/hippie type artist to Loy's hard working character. He lives in a trailer and gets engaged to Loy's sister but we all know what happens next. Despite knowing the ending, they do a great job with the story helped along with a strong supporting cast. 4.5 Stars