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Nutshell Review: No Man of Her Own (1932)
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Starring: Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Dorothy Mackhaill, Grant Mitchell
Studio: Paramount
My IMDB Rating: 7
Viewing: Universal Vault Series DVD
Plot: Babe Stewart (Gable) is a card shark on the run from the law laying low in small town Glendale, when he meets the town librarian Connie Randall (Lombard). There is an immediate spark, but Connie plays it cool, leery of Stewart’s big city ways and assumptions about small town girls. While he sneaks in a kiss or two, including barging in on a weekend getaway Connie is having with friends, Babe is getting nowhere fast until he offers to flip a coin. When he starts with the suggestive “heads we do”, she immediately interjects, “tails we get married.” Of course the coin comes up tails & Babe’s mantra of “never going against a coin” means they’re off to get married. Bringing Connie to New York, without her knowledge of his illegal activities, presents a bit of a problem for Babe, but he solves it by getting a fake job on Wall Street. Eventually, the regular poker games, and lack of regular companions, lead Connie to suspicion and the eventual confrontation with Babe. Initially Babe storms out and books a 3 month trip to South America, but later realizes that he loves Connie and cooks up another scheme to save his marriage. Lying to Connie about the trip, he confesses to a crime that will lock him up for the 3 months and get the cops off his back. He covers for his time in jail by having a colleague send telegrams from the ship. Only the intervention of Babe’s ex-girlfriend blows the plan, but Connie decides to live happily ever after allowing Babe the belief that he put one over on her, while in fact proving his love for her!
Thoughts:
No Man of Her Own was the only on screen pairing of one of Hollywood’s most romantic couples, although it was made several years before they began dating. In fact, Lombard was weary of Gable for several years after making the film in 1932, believing him to be without humor and rather stuffy. Her parting gift for him at the wrap party was a ham with his picture taped to it, which was symbolic of her feelings at the time. What’s interesting about No Man of Her Own, however, is the parallel/similarity in the story with the real life courtship between Gable & Lombard several years later. Connie’s weariness of Babe’s big city, wolf in sheep’s clothing swagger mirrored Lombard initial reluctance to give into Gable’s overtures when they started flirting. By 1936, when they started dating, Gable was a twice married lothario known all over Hollywood as a lady killer. While not quite the “King of Hollywood” he would shortly become, Gable’s reputation made Lombard coyly tease him the night they were reacquainted at the White Mayfair ball in January of 1936. That night she allowed him to drive her around, but would not go up to his hotel, instead having him drop her back at the party. He was livid and stormed off, only to be awoken the next morning by 2 white doves flying loose in his suite, a peace offering from Lombard. Eventually, she came around, just as Connie did.
The theme of luck, chance and gambling are a big part of No Man of Her Own. Babe’s occupation as a card cheat is perhaps the only action in the movie that isn’t left to chance. His rigged card games assure a final result in his favor, while children play slot machines, decisions are left to coin flips & a roll of the dice determines the cost of the morning paper for everyone else. His greatest gamble, however, when he determines that he loves Connie completely, leaves nothing to chance, even if Connie finds out in the end.
Finally, I couldn’t help but mention the scene in the library where Lombard & Gable showcase their star making charisma in full force. As they banter & flirt among the stacks, the sly glances from Gable, mixed with the distracted, but careless sexiness of Lombard are the perfect combination for romantic comedy. He is clearly the wolf, but she is no frail sheep as she leads him on and into closer proximity. Her mix of surprise and shock as he grabs her for a kiss seems too knowing, giving way to her cunningness that is illustrated in the coin flip marriage proposal later. This scene clearly shows the allure of both actors, and if not an inkling of their future love affair, certainly proof that they would have been fun to watch together doing practically anything.
Category: Pre-code Comedy
See Also: Twentieth Century, It Happened One Night, My Man Godfrey
Random Notes & Quotes:
*Mariam Hopkins was slated to play Lombard’s part, but she balked at receiving second billing from the borrowed from MGM Gable, so she bowed out.
*Gable was made available for Paramount’s No Man of Her Own because Marion Davies (William Randolph Hearst’s mistress) wanted Bing Crosby to co-star with her in MGM’s Going Hollywood. Louis B. Mayer, under pressure from Hearst, made the trade reluctantly, never very fond of loaning out Gable.
*At the White Mayfair Ball where Lombard & Gable began their affair the guests were expected to be formally dressed in white, but Norma Shearer, in an attempt to gain full attention came dressed in a vivid red dress. Lombard, who had organized the party, was incensed and after a round of expletives in the ladies room, ignored Shearer’s act of defiance. She did comment to a friend that under normal circumstances she would have hit her.
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Starring: Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Dorothy Mackhaill, Grant Mitchell
Studio: Paramount
My IMDB Rating: 7
Viewing: Universal Vault Series DVD
Plot: Babe Stewart (Gable) is a card shark on the run from the law laying low in small town Glendale, when he meets the town librarian Connie Randall (Lombard). There is an immediate spark, but Connie plays it cool, leery of Stewart’s big city ways and assumptions about small town girls. While he sneaks in a kiss or two, including barging in on a weekend getaway Connie is having with friends, Babe is getting nowhere fast until he offers to flip a coin. When he starts with the suggestive “heads we do”, she immediately interjects, “tails we get married.” Of course the coin comes up tails & Babe’s mantra of “never going against a coin” means they’re off to get married. Bringing Connie to New York, without her knowledge of his illegal activities, presents a bit of a problem for Babe, but he solves it by getting a fake job on Wall Street. Eventually, the regular poker games, and lack of regular companions, lead Connie to suspicion and the eventual confrontation with Babe. Initially Babe storms out and books a 3 month trip to South America, but later realizes that he loves Connie and cooks up another scheme to save his marriage. Lying to Connie about the trip, he confesses to a crime that will lock him up for the 3 months and get the cops off his back. He covers for his time in jail by having a colleague send telegrams from the ship. Only the intervention of Babe’s ex-girlfriend blows the plan, but Connie decides to live happily ever after allowing Babe the belief that he put one over on her, while in fact proving his love for her!
Thoughts:
No Man of Her Own was the only on screen pairing of one of Hollywood’s most romantic couples, although it was made several years before they began dating. In fact, Lombard was weary of Gable for several years after making the film in 1932, believing him to be without humor and rather stuffy. Her parting gift for him at the wrap party was a ham with his picture taped to it, which was symbolic of her feelings at the time. What’s interesting about No Man of Her Own, however, is the parallel/similarity in the story with the real life courtship between Gable & Lombard several years later. Connie’s weariness of Babe’s big city, wolf in sheep’s clothing swagger mirrored Lombard initial reluctance to give into Gable’s overtures when they started flirting. By 1936, when they started dating, Gable was a twice married lothario known all over Hollywood as a lady killer. While not quite the “King of Hollywood” he would shortly become, Gable’s reputation made Lombard coyly tease him the night they were reacquainted at the White Mayfair ball in January of 1936. That night she allowed him to drive her around, but would not go up to his hotel, instead having him drop her back at the party. He was livid and stormed off, only to be awoken the next morning by 2 white doves flying loose in his suite, a peace offering from Lombard. Eventually, she came around, just as Connie did.
The theme of luck, chance and gambling are a big part of No Man of Her Own. Babe’s occupation as a card cheat is perhaps the only action in the movie that isn’t left to chance. His rigged card games assure a final result in his favor, while children play slot machines, decisions are left to coin flips & a roll of the dice determines the cost of the morning paper for everyone else. His greatest gamble, however, when he determines that he loves Connie completely, leaves nothing to chance, even if Connie finds out in the end.
Finally, I couldn’t help but mention the scene in the library where Lombard & Gable showcase their star making charisma in full force. As they banter & flirt among the stacks, the sly glances from Gable, mixed with the distracted, but careless sexiness of Lombard are the perfect combination for romantic comedy. He is clearly the wolf, but she is no frail sheep as she leads him on and into closer proximity. Her mix of surprise and shock as he grabs her for a kiss seems too knowing, giving way to her cunningness that is illustrated in the coin flip marriage proposal later. This scene clearly shows the allure of both actors, and if not an inkling of their future love affair, certainly proof that they would have been fun to watch together doing practically anything.
Category: Pre-code Comedy
See Also: Twentieth Century, It Happened One Night, My Man Godfrey
Random Notes & Quotes:
*Mariam Hopkins was slated to play Lombard’s part, but she balked at receiving second billing from the borrowed from MGM Gable, so she bowed out.
*Gable was made available for Paramount’s No Man of Her Own because Marion Davies (William Randolph Hearst’s mistress) wanted Bing Crosby to co-star with her in MGM’s Going Hollywood. Louis B. Mayer, under pressure from Hearst, made the trade reluctantly, never very fond of loaning out Gable.
*At the White Mayfair Ball where Lombard & Gable began their affair the guests were expected to be formally dressed in white, but Norma Shearer, in an attempt to gain full attention came dressed in a vivid red dress. Lombard, who had organized the party, was incensed and after a round of expletives in the ladies room, ignored Shearer’s act of defiance. She did comment to a friend that under normal circumstances she would have hit her.
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