Lovers Courageous (1932)

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

When Halliwell Hobbes describes his and Beryl Mercer's son as a wastrel sad to say he was proved right. The son who grows up to be played by Robert Montgomery is just that. It's a term of the century before the last and more used in the United Kingdom than here. I wish it was in more usage now because it describes many that I've known.Those people also don't have the good luck to have a happy ending fall from right out of the blue as is in Lovers Courageous. We get to see a bit of Montgomery's life going from place to place and occupation to occupation never 'finding himself'. Eventually he meets and charms Madge Evans in South Africa, daughter of British admiral Frederick Kerr. They marry without his approval and live a life of not so genteel poverty.I've known a few in my life so that this kind of movie about a wastrel won't find a friendly audience with me. Nevertheless the cast does a fine job.But I doubt you'll believe the ending either.

If you are a Robert Montgomery fan you will enjoy seeing this. Written by Frederick Lonsdale (The Last of Mrs. Cheyney), the scenes are clearly from a play but it does give to the movie's charm. Although it is somewhat choppy with pauses, the story is rather interesting although idealistic. Willie meets Mary, she is rich, she engaged to another, leaves him, and so on. The man she is to marry is a complete dope only interested in "unting" with the "ounds." Her family being more interested in appearances is not pleased when she leaves and barges in while Willy is in bed. A deal is struck with Mary's father, after Willy is unable to support her, although she doesn't mind that he stole a steak from the local butcher. She thinks he has abandoned her and she is bedridden. Willy's play does become a success and he goes back to Mary, with a very sweet happily ever after ending. What is not so known about this story is that it was filmed while Robert Montgomery's daughter, Martha Bryan was ill and dying. The story goes that they were shooting the end scene when he was given the message to go to the hospital. Nevertheless, he continued shooting, which is why the ending in this film is somewhat tender.

It's very stagy. Clearly, it was a play. Though opened up, with flashbacks and scenes on lakes, it is like a play -- and a very stodgy one, at that. Indeed, it's like what we imagine the Robert Montgomery character's play would be, based on the few lines we hear.Montgomery is supposed to be English. His American accent is explained by his going to Canada and then South Africa -- if one views that as an explanation. Madge Evans was a charming performer but one wouldn't know that from her performance here. Beryl Mercer comes through well, as Montgomery's mother. And Roland Young, in a minor role, is good. Was he ever not good? The problem with this is that it's hard to believe the trajectory of Montgomery's life as it's portrayed. It's hard to believe he suddenly became a fine playwright. And it's quite difficult indeed to care about the romance between him and Evans. When many people think of early sound movies, they think of grandiose fluff like this. And that's a shame, since there are so many gems to be mined.

Other internet sources state this is a rare direct-to-screen original by Frederick Lonsdale, the playwright responsible for such drawing-room comedies as THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY and like the two versions of that film (1929 & 1937), this one bubbles and sparkles with great lines. From Robert Montgomery's first scene, he delivers clever observations with the clipped wit of an intelligent philosopher filled with the wonder of discovering something better in life. Lots of short funny scenes as he wanders the globe drifting from job to job, gathering experiences to enrich his writing. Lovely Madge Evans (better known for DINNER AT EIGHT & David COPPERFIELD) plays the pretty and pampered daughter of a high society stalwart member, an admiral with plans for her to marry "well." Fate introduces these two idealistic lovers in a lowly tobacconist shop and their perceptive exchange quickly shoots arrows through their hearts. They are fated to love forever before the scene ends. Starting with humor, gracefully slipping into romance, spiking with the passions of obsessive love, dipping down into harsh realities only to be tried and tested… the ending comes as only a playwrights guilty pleasure could imagine.Bottom line, I loved it and fans of smart precode love stories will relish in this forgotten little gem! 8 out of 10!