Producer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Copyright 16 November 1936 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corporation. New York opening at the Capitol: 27 November 1936. Australian release: January 1937. 8 reels. 81 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Two rival newspapermen (Clark Gable and Franchot Tone) pursue a scatty American heiress (Joan Crawford) halfway across Europe. Their romantic misadventures are curtailed by an encounter with a German spy (Reginald Owen) who kidnaps the unfortunate rich girl. The reporters, each in their own way, set out to rescue her.
COMMENT: This M-G-M attempt to cash in on the success of It Happened One Night looks as if it was shot on the run too. Back at his home studio, Gable is playing the hard-bitten reporter once more, while this time Joan Crawford assumes the Claudette Colbert role of the escaping-from-an-unwanted-marriage heiress. No doubt to forestall any Columbia claim for outright plagiarism, Metro has been forced to make the situations far more outlandish, complete with a brace of comic-opera spies plus a competitive "buddy" for the reporter. As a result, a good deal of the humor seems rather forced--a problem often intensified by the players themselves who try to make up in aggressive delivery what the script often lacks in genuine wit.
Nonetheless, Gable manages to impress his usual creditable performance upon his characterization of the fast-talking, double-crossing reporter (we like the scene where he dances and fools around in period costume). Crawford looks beautiful and acts adequately. Tone is wasted. He really hasn't much to do. He's just a foil.
A fine assemblage of support players is also on hand, led by Reginald Owen as the bogus baron, Donald Meek as a loony caretaker, and Billy Gilbert as a put-wise headwaiter.
Oddly, Love on the Run lacks Director Van Dyke's usual skilful polish. The film editor should be congratulated for the clever job he often does in disguising some very clumsy camera set-ups-including a crowded tracking shot that Van Dyke went ahead and printed anyway, even though it missed the marks for Mona Barrie and Reg Owen! (Now there's a wonderful example of his penchant for hasty and just tear-ahead shooting).
The film was produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Two or three particularly snappy rejoinders in the dialogue were no doubt contributed by him. And maybe he did a lot more. It wouldn't surprise me if producer and writers made up the script as the film rolled along. It certainly sounds that way.
A lot of money has been expended on the movie. The sets look astoundingly (but attractively) lavish, and there's a nice music score too (including the song, "Gone").
Doubtless owing to the director's insistence on celerity, Marsh's lighting photography, however, is less artistically stylish than his customary approach.
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