Libeled Lady (1936)

A few words from guest poster Debbie on one of her favs!

This Sunday, May 15th, at 8:00 am, TCM is showing one of my favorite films of all time.  Its 1936’s Libeled Lady, directed by Jack Conway and starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy.  Talk about your terrific casts!  This is almost a perfect screwball comedy in my opinion.  It has a great plot.

At the time this was made, William Powell and Jean Harlow were a couple in real life.   Harlow wanted badly to play the romantic lead opposite Powell but because Powell and Myrna Loy were a greatly loved on screen couple already, Loy was cast as Powell’s love interest.  Harlow was coupled with Spencer Tracy.  However, the plot involves a sham marriage between Powell and Harlow’s characters, so she at least got to marry Powell onscreen.  Their real marriage would sadly never take place due to her untimely death the next year from renal failure.

The plot is about a wealthy socialite (Loy) who is suing a newspaper for libel because of a fabricated story claiming she stole another woman’s husband.  Tracy is the editor of the newspaper and Harlow is his fiancée.  Powell is brought in as an expert in dealing with libel suits.  He devises a plan to trick Loy into a comprising situation so that she will drop the suit.  Tracy offers up a not to happy Harlow as the girl Powell will marry in order to create the set-up for Loy.

This film is nothing but fun with its plot twists and romance.  There is also a famous fishing scene with Powell that is laugh out loud funny.   One the things I love most about Powell, being the well-dressed debonair  individual that he was, was his willingness to play parts in which he is put in the position to make a fool of himself.  The man could be so funny!

Do yourself a favor and if you have never seen this film, watch it.  If you have seen it, you are probably like me and love it, so watch it AGAIN!!  (OK, it’s on rather early, so set your DVR!)