Platinum Blonde (Dir: Frank Capra, 1931).
Released by Columbia Pictures, Platinum Blonde is a pre-code, early screwball comedy from legendary director Frank Capra.
When newspaper hack “Stew” Smith (Robert Williams) investigates the latest scandal involving the son of society Schuyler family he, instead, finds himself falling for their daughter Ann (Jean Harlow); outraging the family, who brand him a Cinderella man, with their subsequent romance and marriage. Finding the rich life harder to stomach than anticipated he frequently turns to ever patient gal pal Gallagher (Loretta Young) for support, unaware of the torch she is carrying for him.
With situations and character tropes which would become Capra staples, Platinum Blonde is both pre-cursor to the director’s future whimsical comedies such as It Happened One Night (F Capra, 1934) and You Can’t Take it With You (F Capra, 1938) and something of a proto-screwball comedy; a genre Capra would practically invent with It Happened One Night. Regular collaborator Robert Riskin was responsible for the movie’s dialogue which, while not quite as rapid fire as the great comedies of the latter part of the decade, is still fast paced, charming and witty.
Third billed, Harlow shines in the role of Long Island debutante Ann. Her charismatic and subtlety sensual performance giving a good indication of things to come from the then ascendant star. Williams is immensely likeable as the charmingly cynical newspaper man who bristles under the restraints of a society husband. However the real standout here is Loretta Young. Her role as the tough talking reporter, one of the boys but decidedly female in maters of romance, is one more readily associated with the likes of Jean Arthur or Katherine Hepburn. Yet Young proves the equal of her acting peers, displaying a deftness for comedy sadly underused by Hollywood.
Both Harlow and Williams succumbed to ill health and died tragically young; Harlow in 1937 at age 26 and Williams at age 37 just three days after the Platinum Blonde premiere. While Harlow is rightly remembered as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, Williams early passing robed him of the chance to build upon this, his only leading role.
While perhaps not quite the equal of later Capra classics such as Mr Deeds Goes to Town (F Capra, 1936) or It's a Wonderful Life (F Capra,1946), even second tier Capra is better than most directors’ best work. Duly, Platinum Blonde is an excellently crafted comedy gem.
With a master director and legendary stars near the peak of their powers, it stands as a prime example of classic Hollywood rom com at it formation. A smart, pacy comedy from the Golden Age that holds its own 9 decades after it originally graced the silver screen.
