Customer Reviews

It's Love I'm After

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

 

 

I'd never even heard of this one until it came out on DVD-R courtesy the Warner Archives. I gave it a try and I was delighted. I've seen every pair of the three main stars here together in different films before (Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Olivia De Haviland), but never all three at the same time. The pairings I am speaking of were all in serious films, and it is great to see these three try out their comic chops and try them out together. Leslie Howard and Bette Davis hardly ever got a chance at this type of role, and Olivia De Haviland did so on several occasions, but so few people remember those performances.

The film concerns a pair of Shakespearean actors. Basil Underwood (Leslie Howard) and Joyce Arden (Bette Davis). They are involved on and offstage, and are constantly fighting and making up. One night Marcia West (Olivia De Haviland) sees a performance of Romeo and Juliet and falls instantly in love with Basil, she even goes backstage and tells him so. This has Marcia's boyfriend in a panic and he asks Basil to come to the West estate and behave so badly as to end Marcia's feelings for him. Basil, just recently making a resolution to not be so selfish, decides to do this as a good deed. However, Joyce follows Basil to the estate, and Marcia does not react as planned to Basil's actions. For that matter, Basil doesn't act as Basil planned. Also a delight is Eric Blore as Basil's valet. He steals every scene.

The audio and video were very good on this one. I didn't see any of the skips or freezing that DVD-R's are notorious for having, but then it could just be that I had a good copy. Highly recommended.

I happened to turn the tv on one day and this movie came on. As I am a huge Bette Davis fanatic, I started watching this movie I had never even heard of before. I laughed so hard throughout the entire movie! I cannot believe this has not gotten more publicity than it has. I waited a long time for it to come out on DVD. When it finally came out, I immediately bought it. I would recommend it to everyone who loves old movies and wants an entertaining one to boot. Great, great movie!!!!!

Though not the greatest romantic comedy ever produced, this movie is good for a few laughs. Howard and Davis play a pair of actors who are romantically entangled on stage and off. His eye for women and her jealous temper keep them constantly bickering. They have almost tied the knot nearly a dozen times, but they always end up at odds and call it off. One night a beautiful young, star-struck woman named Marcia (de Havilland) visits Basil Underwood (Howard) in his dressing room after a tear-jerking performance of Romeo and Juliet (where the actors are muttering under their breath at each other while playing the tender scene). Something about her makes Underwood want to be a better man and he vows to improve his life and think of others.

After a typical war of words, Underwood and Joyce Arden (Davis), make up and decide to really go through with marriage this time--until Basil decides to help a young man named Henry, whose fiancee is so taken with Basil that she won't proceed with their marriage. He agrees to go to her home and behave in an arrogant manner to make her dislike him and return her affections to Henry. In order to do this he will be standing up his own fiancee, but he convinces himself that he is doing this for her as well, because it will make him a better man to do something for someone else. Of course, nothing goes as planned. He discovers that Henry's smitten fiancee is Marcia, his backstage visitor, and she isn't put off by his behavior. Joyce shows up at the most inopportune moment and Henry is starting to doubt Basil's motives. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave ..."

The acting is well done, but this isn't their best material. For my money, Davis has a better romantic comedy with James Cagney in "The Bride Came C.O.D." and de Havilland comes off funnier in "Hard to Get" with Dick Powell. I honestly can't think of another comedy I have seen with Leslie Howard. This would be a 3 1/2 star movie for me, if such a rating was available. It is fun (especially if you are a big fan of one or more of the stars), but not necessarily on my "must have" list.

As always, remember that the Warner Brothers Archive releases are DVD-R, which means they are burned on demand and must be played in "Play Only" devices, not in player/recorders. It is presented in full screen, 4x3 1.33:1 format with only a pitch for the Archive Collection--no closed captions and no other extras (this one doesn't even have the usual movie trailer). That is the WBA way. I will note that the print on this movie is cleaner than the last few I have purchased, and the sound is clear.

I totally agree with the reasons that other reviewers gave this product a 5 star rating: it's simply hilarious, and Bette is a little fireball. Based on that, I too would give it a 5. However, Leslie Howard got on my nerves at times, as did Olivia de Havilland; although, I may be biased because I am such a great Bette Davis fan. Also, the movie does not have the best of plot lines if you are looking for a true screen gem. On the other hand, it is a treat to see this for the first time and witness the great comedic genius of the three main characters who are mostly known for their dramatic leads. So, word to the wise, buy it for a hysterical laughing fit but don't spend a lot expecting a majestic film.

This is the third movie for the team of Leslie Howard and Bette Davis; (Howard playing 'Basil Underwood' and Bette Davis playing 'Joyce Arden'). This is their only comedy together.

"It's Love I'm After" is a 'screwball comedy'. Howard and Davis are the two main 'nuts'... I mean characters of course and they are egotistical, nutty, divas, and they make everyone around them just as nutty. The story is about a skirt chasing Shakespearean actor 'Basil Underwood' who on the eve of his wedding to 'Joyce Arden' is asked by a friend (Patrick Knowles) to try and disway his fiancee (Olivia DeHavilland) who has a serious love/crush on Basil. Basil is asked to try to prove to her that he (Basil) is really a cad and therefore unworthy of her love. Sworn to secrecy Basil cannot reveal this 'good deed' to his long time girl friend (Joyce) whom he has jilted at the alter so many times before and is about to do it again. Basil wants to use this 'good deed' to redeem himself from his 'past wicked ways' and those 'wicked ways' are funny in the scene in which they are revealed.

I love this movie. It plays fast, the dialog is clever and is delivered with the 'screwball' style of the time. You must not look at this movie with a contemporary eye because it isn't played by todays' standard. If you like old movies of the thirties and especially the 'screwball comedies', it is right up there with "My Man Godfrey", "You Can't Take It With You" and "The Bride Came COD".

Director Archie Mayo's (PETRIFIED FOREST) amusing and often witty screwball comedy with a cast not normally associated with the genre: Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Olivia DeHavilland. Two egotistical stage actors (Davis, Howard) are lovers off stage as well as on but their constant raging battle of egos prevents them from getting married. When a society girl (DeHavilland) develops an intense crush on Howard, her fiance (Patric Knowles) asks Howard's help in disillusioning her. Of course, everything goes wildly amiss. Howard's and Davis's rapid fire deliveries anticipate the rat-a-tat-tat dialogue of Hawks' HIS GIRL FRIDAY three years later. Eric Blore, Spring Byington and Bonita Granville co-star.

The Warners Archive MOD DVD is an above average transfer in it's appropriate 1.33 aspect ratio.