Double Wedding (1937)

You could have William Powell and Myrna Loy read the Sunday comics on camera and it would be a hit. They are just too likeable for the viewer not to be engaged by their screen chemistry. However, I've seen most of the their screen pairings and this is my least favorite...but its still fun.Powell is Charles, a bohemian director who lives in a small trailer. Loy is the pampered and controlling Margit, who tries to run her sister's life as well as everyone else's around her. Her sister, Irene (Florence Rice) is engaged to the milquetoast, Waldo (John Beal), who was handpicked for Irene by her mother and Margit is enforcing the marriage. Trouble comes when Margit believes Irene is falling in love with Charles against her, Margit's, wishes. This leads to the typical rom-com misunderstandings as Charles plays along to make his real love interest, Margit, jealous. Margit, for her part, despite trying to run him off, finds herself falling in love with him.The supporting cast is superb. I'm not going to list them all here, but they do a fine job of adding to the proceedings and the confusion.While most of the movie is pretty tame, the witty dialogue between Charles and Margit is reminiscent of Powell's and Loy's snarky digs at each other in the Thin Man movies. The end sequence of a wedding going on in Charles' trailer is a hoot. So many people are crammed inside the trailer, that no one can really move. A crowd forms outside and all h*ll breaks loose. Powell is hilarious as he keeps getting hit on the head.

This is meant as a screwball comedy, with clever banter and crazy scenes. There are a few, especially when Powell and Loy are together. It's Nick and Nora except that Nora is liberated here. In fact, so liberated she's domineering, and it's up to Nick to take her down.The storyline, told by other reviewers, is fine, and there's one classic exchange:Powell: What were you going to say? Loy: Nothing. Powell: Don't you want to talk about something? Loy: Yes. Do you take dope?But the rest is talky and flat. The pratfalls are derivative and contrived, even the chaotic ending, which actually lifts a drunk "He's a Jolly Good Fellow" routine from the previous year's After the Thin Man. And John Beal playing Ralph Bellamy is just annoying. I love Jessie Ralph, but here she's a bit over-the-top, not as funny as she was playing the old battle-ax in After the Thin Man. All this I lay on Richard Thorpe, a routine director, who was prized more for coming in under budget than doing anything outstanding.If you're a Powell-Loy fan, they have their usual enjoyable encounters, but its a slog getting from one to the other.

Every time I see a William Powell film that I haven't seen before, I walk away with even more admiration for him. Honestly, he may make it to my upper tier of actors soon (Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, and Cary Grant); he's so close already. And this film repeated that pattern...in this case because of the really off-beat Powell plays so well here.And while this is very much Powell's picture, Myrna Loy provides the balance to Powell's character. I did have a little trouble seeing Loy's character married to Powell's character. A sequel would have been great to explore that.For me, however, there are 2 problems with this film. The first is the first 15 minutes of the film. Frankly, it should have been totally rewritten with a better scenario. But after we get to Powell and Loy interacting, things turn around pretty well.The other problem is the supporting cast. Florence Rice is "okay" as the second female love interest. But John Beal floats along like a rock in water. Jessie Ralph as an elderly friend is the one standout among the supporting actors/actresses. And -- unfortunately -- Sidney Toler is along as the butler, and once again proves he had virtually no talent.So, for me, the film was uneven. But William Powell's masterful comedy instincts make this a film worth savoring, while overlooking the problems with the film.

Double Wedding is a wonderful comedy loaded with great dialogue and wit. This was just one of the 14 movies Powell and Loy teamed up for. It was during the filming of this movie that Powell's fiancee Jean Harlow died. Filming was halted for six weeks and Powell returned to finish the movie. He then went to Europe for a year before teaming with Loy again in 37 for another Thin Man movie.