In Name Only (1939)

Considering the three main stars a curiously obscure drama from the legendary year of 1939. Superior soap opera contains some of the best work Cary Grant, Carole Lombard and Kay Francis ever put on film. Carole shows that she wasn't just a superb comedienne but a skilled dramatic actress. Cary is just right in blending the facile with the seriousness of the untenable situation he finds himself in. As good as both of them are, and they are great, even better is Kay Francis, a portrait in silky malevolence. This was inexplicably almost the end of her film career, she ended up in Poverty Row junk only a few years later and after watching this it's hard to understand how this didn't open up a whole new chapter for her as the wicked woman of cinema. Perhaps she was just too early for noir, she would have been perfect as a poison pit viper in many of those pictures.

"In Name Only" begins with Carole Lombard trying and failing to fish in a lake. Her fishing line keeps getting tangled in the trees, providing Carole with a few moments of comic frustration. Along comes Cary Grant, dashingly sophisticated, and he begins to flirt with her and picnic lunch. So far, everything is exactly as you would expect.And suddenly the whole movie does a 180. For the rest of this film, Carole Lombard plays her role, as the desperate and frustrated lover of a man who cannot get a divorce from his current wife, completely straight. And although Cary Grant's character is the center of the plot, Lombard shines through as the real star of the movie. In fact, I would suggest that Lombard is absolutely remarkable; this is one of her best. Lombard struggles heroically with her emotions, sometimes asserting her independence from Grant as a sop to her pride, at other times giving in to her desperate love of Grant. But Grant can't give her the commitment she wants, and Lombard can never quite finally decide what to do (until the end). More than any film I have seen, "In Name Only" demonstrates what a fine fine actress Ms. Lombard was.Of course Kay Francis has a very high-profile role here as well, playing one of the most evil and manipulative female roles in black-and-white history. This is the kind of character Joan Crawford specialized in. But whereas Joan's characters usually gave us some reason to be a little sympathetic towards her, Kay is the absolute epitome of selfish despicability. You will absolutely hate her. It is all quite delicious.One great moment to look for is the first time Grant kisses Carole Lombard, up against a rock one night. The camera movement is absolutely gorgeous, and the passion of the moment is exquisite. A great few seconds.The supporting cast is fine, and Kay Francis' mastery and control of those around her is infuriating - and we really wonder how she will finally be defeated. This is a truly satisfying classic from the RKO studios, and I highly recommend it.

In Name Only stars Cary Grant, Carole Lombard & Kay Francis. It's directed by John Cromwell and adapted by Richard Sherman from the novel "Memory of Love" written by Bessie Breuer. Plot finds Grant as Alec Walker who is stuck in a loveless marriage to Maida (Francis). She only married him for money and social standing. One day Alec meets Julie Eden (Lombard) fishing on the lake and they fall in love, but Maida refuses to grant Alec a divorce and the lovers seem fated to never be together.View as a romantic melodrama with the odd light touch and you shouldn't be disappointed in this very professional production. The film was originally planned as the fourth pairing between Grant & Katharine Hepburn. But Hepburn had severed her ties with RKO after the fall out from "Bringing Up Baby" (a flop on release that helped create the ridiculous notion of her being box office poison). In came Lombard who wasn't actually that keen to do the picture. Massively popular at the time, she had just married Clark Cable and was looking to spend more time at home. However, money and contracts talk, and Lombard got a tremendous deal that included profit percentages and top billing. This annoyed Grant who then threatened to quit the picture, but after some renegotiation's and haggling the film thankfully got made with Grant & Lombard in place.Director John Cromwell was coming off his hit movie "Made for Each Other" with Lombard & James Stewart in the lead roles. In Name Only is not a million miles away from that picture in tone and story telling. It's a fine movie, a three-star romantic triangle piece that thematically is a time capsule from a time when attitudes to fidelity and divorce were vastly different than today. But thanks to the emotional depth from Lombard and a delicious bitch turn from Francis, the film is able to hold its own in any decade. Of course having Grant handsomely nestling between these two polar opposite pillars of sexuality is also a selling point. Audience reaction was mixed, understandably so. Lombard & Grant between them had done some fast and popular comedy movies in the 30s, so for many the tone of this film was unexpected. However, the film was a commercial hit for RKO and it stands up as a good reference point to the merits of Lombard & Francis' dramatic worth. Grant would appease the screwball lovers the following year with the quite brilliant "His Girl Friday" for Howard Hawks.A film to warm the cockles of your heart on a blustery winters day, In Name Only is recommended to romantic drama fans. 7/10

75/100. When in the cast you have Cary Grant, Carole Lombard and Kay Francis, you know you are in for a treat, and indeed, In Name Only is just that. Surprisingly, Kay Francis outshines the top billed performers. She gives a very fine performance. Helen Vinson is memorable as one of Francis' catty friends. Good art direction, the costumes are quite well done. This is one of Peggy Ann Garner's earliest roles as Lombard's daughter. She is such a natural actress. Well written and a bit of a tearjerker, but it showcases Lombard's versatility in her ability to play dramatic roles as well as the comic roles she is best known for. John Cromwell's careful direction pulls it all together.