Let Us Be Gay (1930) User Reviews (25)

The Other Divorcée

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 9 August 2008]

Dutiful wife Norma Shearer (as Katherine "Kitty" Brown) waits on husband Rod La Rocque (as Bob Brown) hand and foot. While making him breakfast in bed, and helping him dress for a Sunday golf outing, Ms. Shearer suggests joining Mr. La Rocque for the day, noting how infrequently the two see each other. But La Rocque puts her off, saying her presence adversely affects his game. Then, unexpectedly, Shearer meets the real reason for her husband's frequent absences… his pretty blonde mistress!

Three years later, Shearer is a glamorous and flirty divorcée. While summering in Paris, she has struck up a friendship with wealthy, older socialite Marie Dressler (as Mrs. "Boucci" Bouccicault). Ms. Dressler invites Shearer to her Long Island home, to socialize with some friends, and ask a favor. Dressler is worried about her granddaughter's relationship with a suave, worldly man. She wants young Sally Eilers (as Dionne) to marry Raymond Hackett (as Bruce), instead. Aware of Shearer's flirtatious conquests, Dressler asks her to lure the undesirable man away from Ms. Eilers. Shearer is stunned to discover the man is La Rocque, her ex-husband.

Shearer and Dressler make this a cute, entertaining play. They are in top form, giving guaranteed-to-be-popular performances, with enthusiasm and professionalism. The story is silly and predictable; yet, in a way which helps the humorous situation. And, the ending is quite clever. In fact, the comic "Let Us be Gay" may have aged better than Shearer's larger-produced, and more serious, "The Divorcée", which was released around the same time. The cast uniformly fine. La Rocque is better than his film with Lillian Gish; but, his role is not at all endearing. Gilbert Emery (as Towney) and Tyrell Davis (as Wallace) are funny supporting suitors.

Those not familiar with Norma Shearer may not realize it is she who appears as the dowdy wife in the opening scenes. This is Shearer as "Kitty" before her make-over. Watch the close-ups of Shearer with light, natural make-up, for a good look at an intriguingly beautiful woman.

******* Let Us Be Gay (1930) Robert Z. Leonard ~ Norma Shearer, Marie Dressler, Rod La Rocque

Film's A Pushover for Shearer's Makeover

[sobaok · 7/10 · 7 January 2002]

Norma Shearer dazzles as she is transformed from a frump, addle-brained house-wife to an alluring potential divorcee. Most 1930 films have a creaky edge to them -- the camera work is pretty sluggish at times -- but we must forgive these all-talking pleasures for their thump-a-long "qualities". As a guest of the eccentric globe-trotting Marie Dressler -- Shearer mixes with an odd assortment of lovelorn types, including her long-lost husband. The dialogue is fun, oft-times clever and the performances on cue. Shearer and Dressler shine the most. Shearer even shows off her piano expertise in a musical brevity. Her strange, yet appealing posturing and "affair with the camera" are evident throughout -- and she hits every emotional note, genuinely and on target. For its time . . .a good show.

Shearer and Dressler Shine in this Creaky Museum Piece

[BKRudy-1 · 6/10 · 6 August 2008]

If you love Shearer or Marie Dressler (or both, as I do!) this a must see little movie. I FINALLY saw it again on TCM after over 20 years. It's not out on video or DVD and it seems that TCM only airs it once every 5 years or so. The plot is creaky and cliché'-ridden (Since I wasn't around in 1930, I'll assume that the depression audiences of the day must have loved this romantic trite). The supporting character are painfully wooden and annoying (Hedda Hopper had to soon realize after this that she wasn't cut out to be an actress. You know that Shearer is going back to her louse of an ex-husband (who still doesn't deserve her) at the end and you almost want to slap her senseless for doing so. Nevertheless, I love Shearer and Dressler and the two of them are a hoot together as they scheme and plot. They just seem so much more smarter than everyone else around them. It's a shame they never made another movie together. Their screen chemistry was simply marvelous! FYI: Reading Norma Shearer's bio, I learned that she was pregnant with her first child when filming this movie. You can't tell, but she suffered with terrible morning sickness throughout the entire shoot. Adrian also had his work cut out for him trying to disguise Norma's increasing "baby bump". But Marie Dressler thought she was a real trooper and the two women became fast friends off-screen.

A little old fashioned and stagy but still a very good film--especially thanks to Marie Dressler

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 5 August 2008]

The film begins with a dowdy housewife (Norma Shearer) finding out that her husband (Rod La Rocque) had been cheating on her. Three years pass and apparently they'd been divorced during these years due to the infidelity. Oddly, during this time, La Rocque did not see Shearer or his two kids as Shearer took them to Paris.

Marie Dressler is a rich society lady and she has invited a new and improved Norma to come to her house for the weekend--ostensibly to help Marie break up a budding romance between her daughter and La Rocque! Apparently, Norma is now a super-vamp and with her magical sex appeal, she can break up the romance--and no one seems to realize that she and La Rocque were married. Several others are there for the weekend and immediately Norma is a hit with her gay, carefree sexy ways--and almost all the men (including La Rocque) are captivated by her. Neither tells anyone that they were married but it's obvious that her ex- wants the new and improved Norma back! This film is a sophisticated comedy of manners among the upper-crust--similar in some ways to Jean Renoir's THE RULES OF THE GAME. Oddly, despite the severity of the Depression, such films about pretty rich folks were pretty popular though many today will doubtless find them a bit too droll in spots. However, fortunately, in LET US BE GAY, there are plenty of cute and funny moments (particularly towards the end when Marie Dressler shows her true colors). While not a great film, it certainly is a good one and more than just another time-passer. My only real regret is that I didn't love the very end. You'll just have to see it for yourself--perhaps you'll agree about the ending, perhaps you won't, but I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this clever film.

This Divorcée is a Free Soul hiding her Private Lives.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 5 March 2013]

Those three Norma Shearer films, along with this, were released within a similar period, between 1930 and 1931, and other than different character names, are almost the same. This drawing room comedy is most memorable for the joining together of MGM's first two contract actresses to win Oscars-Shearer and Marie Dressler. It is obvious that Ms. Shearer gave this film to Dressler on a silver platter, even if she plays a woman of two different faces: a plain Jane wife and mother who loses her husband (Rod La Rocque) after finding out about the other woman in his life, then three years later, now a ravishing beauty, encounters him at a society party thrown by Dressler.

Dressler gets life in immortality (as opposed in prison) for theft, stealing this film so easily. A raised eyebrow, a sideways glare at her butler, or laughing raucously at one of her various guests, she is a treasure. Her St. Bernard eyes (I'm still convinced that she was re-incarnated as the dog on the "Topper" TV series) growl as she peruses a Hirschfeld like sketch of her on the society pages.

The one major flaw in this is the casting of the effete La Rocque, an extremely ineffectual leading man, as the ex-husband. Why any wife would want him back is a question never answered. He is charmless. Future gossip columnist Hedda Hopper adds imperious nobility as one of the ridiculous uppity guests. As far as drawing room comedy goes, this is extremely dated, but comes to life whenever Dressler appears, reciting her lines as if she was biting into a lobster without removing the shell.

Norma Shearer is "Ooh La La"!!!

[kidboots · 7/10 · 24 February 2010]

Norma had spent most of the 20s playing beautiful ingenues but her first talkie cast her as a brassy showgirl in "The Trial of Mary Dugan" and she came through with flying colours. From then on her sweet and lovely ingenues were cast aside and she sizzled in parts that cast her as sophisticated women of the world or society girls out for thrills. "Let Us Be Gay" was made before but released after "The Divorcée" and was an unusual twist on the upper crust dramas that Shearer made her own.

Norma first appears without make-up as frumpish Kitty Brown, who's main purpose in life is to pander to her very unappreciative husband Bob (Rod La Rocque). She is hurrying to get him off to his golf game - but in reality he is going to see his mistress. When Helen, the mistress, comes to the house for a showdown, Kitty faces the situation with civility but behind closed doors she is a mass of emotions and Bob leaves for good.

Three years later Mrs. Courtland Brown (Kitty) comes to stay as a house guest of the eccentric Mrs. Bouccicoult ("Bouccy")(Marie Dressler). Kitty is now a knockout and "Bouccy" has a job for her. She wants Kitty to romance a house guest, who in his turn is romancing her grand-daughter Diane (beautiful Sally Eilers). Shock!! Horror!! - the man is none other than Bob, her ex husband!!! Kitty carries off the meeting with sophistication and witty repartee - "there seems to be something strangely familiar about that man"!!! - and no one is the wiser.

The film then settles down into one of those early very "talkie", boring "drawing room" comedies. Kitty casts a spell over all the men and Bob is desperate to start again. The women have all the strong roles in this film - men are just puppets. Raymond Hackett seems to be in the film as an extra butler - "pass me a cushion", "get me a drink", "move this chair" instead of Diane's harassed fiancé. Norma Shearer is of course the whole show, Marie Dressler adds "Bouccy" to her list of eccentric portrayals and Sally Eilers is a real eyeful as the gorgeous Diane.

Crummy housewife fantasy, with two good points

[rhoda-9 · 5/10 · 9 September 2020]

Plenty of movies are designed to appeal to mindless housewives (and housemaids), but this sounds as if it was written by one. Norma Shearer discovers that her husband has been playing around, so she walks out. Three years pass, and drab, dull Norma is suddenly a glamorous society woman wearing couture gowns and doted on by society men. This transformation may be hard to believe, but it becomes utterly impossible when one watches her in action. When a man suggests a ride on his yacht or a visit to her bedroom after dark, she rolls out a laugh that sounds like a horse playing piano, pushes him away, tosses her head, and even says, "Now, don't spoil things." Surely any teenage girl, even back then, could do better. But it gets her ex-husband hot enough to beg her, "Give me a chance to make you love me again." Only in dreams.

The two good points: (1) the pre-divorce Norma, with no makeup, a hairdo that looks like a very old cat, and a limp outfit that she says is homemade and looks it. If Norma doesn't rate any praise for her acting, she gets full marks for bravery. (2) Marie Dressler. With a face like a bulldog and a coiffure and gowns of thirty years earlier, Marie stomps off with the movie like the great clown she is. The leer when she says proudly that she is being "subtle" is something to see.

Female Stars Loom Large In Small Comedy

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 13 December 2001]

A rich old lady calls on a flirtatious divorcée to woo a Lothario away from her silly soon-to-be-married granddaughter.

LET US BE GAY is an interesting little domestic comedy which features some tart dialogue (courtesy of celebrated screenwriter Frances Marion) & good performances. While perhaps a bit mawkish at times, this can probably be blamed on the difficulties with early sound technology which tended to limit action & movement.

Norma Shearer can be credited with appearing in this minor film, rather than using her undoubted clout as Irving Thalberg's spouse to insist upon only A-grade pictures. She is especially effective in her first few scenes, where dowdy flat makeup makes her almost unrecognizable. Her extreme transmogrification from goose to swan could only happen in Hollywood, but it's scarcely profitable to spend much time worrying about that.

Rod LaRocque doesn't come off too well as Shearer's adulterous husband. Quite popular during Silent days, the talkies were not especially kind to him and his career would suffer. Here his role is not in the least sympathetic and one has to wonder what masochistic impulse moves women to desire the cad so much.

Magnificent Marie Dressler is on hand as an eccentric Long Island dowager. As a great friend of Frances Marion, one can easily imagine that the part was written expressly for her. Full of cranks & crotchets, she is very humorous. However, the tremendous warmth & essential goodness which would very shortly make her Hollywood's biggest star are largely missing.

Among the supporting cast, Hedda Hopper scores as a slinky society serpent, as does Wilfred Noy playing a comic butler. Movie mavens will spot little Dickie Moore as Shearer's young son & elderly Mary Gordon as her housekeeper, both uncredited.

Dated But Interesting

[Maleejandra · 6/10 · 28 October 2008]

Frumpy housewife Katherine Brown (Norma Shearer) adores her husband Bob (Rod La Rocque). Her every action is dedicated to his comfort. Unfortunately, his roving eyes find other women and in heartbreak, Katherine divorces him. Years later, the two meet again, this time under very different circumstances. Katherine has become a beautiful and charming woman of the world. She is invited to a small party by an eccentric friend (Marie Dressler) to lure Bob away from his latest conquest, the engaged young Diane (Sally Eilers). En route to seducing Bob, Katherine also catches the eyes of all of the men at the party.

Also appearing are Hedda Hopper as the beautiful Madge Livingston and Dickie Moore as Katherine's young son.

This film suffers a bit from early talkie syndrome. The editing is not as slick as it could be, with moments of complete silence and shots with no people in the frame. Sometimes the scenes are confined to one room with very little editing between people. The story is also quite old fashioned, especially the abrupt ending which does not comply with the rest of the film. However, it is worth watching especially for Shearer fans. It is fascinating to see such a startling transformation from an overweight housewife to a gorgeous and elegant woman.

Dreary Breakup Film with Shearer - Let Us Be Gay

[arthur_tafero · 5/10 · 6 October 2022]

No, this film is not about alternative sexual roles. Remember, this is the 1930s. Norma Shearer was a very good actress of the era, when given scripts and characters that utilized her substantial talents. However, the plot of this film is so mundane, that not even Shearer can save it. Whoever heard of a film where a husband cheats on his wife? Oh wait, it was only done over 1000 times in Hollywood films over the course of the next 90 years or so. Consequently, it is fairly difficult to be surprised by anything a wife might do when confronted with the misbehavior of her husband. Several films have far exceeded this one for more interesting scenarios (including murder of spouses, and other more dramatic situations). This one is just plain dreary.

Norma Shearer and Marie Dressler know how to throw a party!

[Pat-54 · 8/10 · 22 September 1998]

When a dowdy wife (Shearer) loses her husband, she decides to completely make herself over to win him back. Not "politically correct" by today's standards, but still fun to watch, especially the scenes with Marie Dressler and Hedda Hopper.

Don't watch the last line of this movie: you'll hate it

[richard-1787 · 7/10 · 13 June 2016]

This is an above-averagely clever sex romp from the pre-code days. Lots of clever double-entendres.

To me, the most interesting aspect was the opening sequence, in which Shearer plays a VERY dumpy housewife who must come to terms with her husband's infidelity. That infidelity is never explained, but the audience is certainly led to believe that her husband has gone astray because she has allowed herself to become so frumpy.

Compare that to almost identical scenes in Shearer's 1939 hit *The Women* and you see major differences. In that movie, it is suggested that Joan Crawford lures Shearer's character's husband away because she knows a few extra tricks in the bedroom. But we never see Shearer as anything less than her most elegant self. Was the Shearer of 1939 no longer willing to appear as unappealing as the Shearer of 1930 was willing to do?

The other thing I found interesting, but not in a positive way, about this movie was the very last line. Once again it will recall the last scene in *The Women*, but this time, after all Shearer's character says about her new-found independence, it really comes out of the blue. Whereas in the 1939 movie Shearer's character's acceptance of her erring husband comes as no surprise, here it comes as a real bombshell - and as a disappointment.

This is a fun movie, in great part because of the script and another superb performance by Marie Dressler. It is also interesting to see that Shearer was already using all the mannerisms familiar from *The Women* already 9 years before. But the last line is really a disappointment.

Let Us Be...TOO Gay

[IdaSlapter · 4/10 · 6 December 2021]

What starts out well -- with Shearer almost unrecognizable as a frumpy, devoted housewife and mother -- unfortunately falls apart once she shows up three years later not only looking completely different, but ACTING different as well.

And that's just not credible. The change is too abrupt. Shearer is suddenly all bubbly, carefree and happy-go-lucky -- giggling constantly, with absolutely NO concern for her children, not even a touch. One could understand why she might try to de-frump herself, but she goes WAY overboard and is so constantly GAY and BUBBLY towards everyone and everything, it's simply not believable.

So one star goes for her performance early in the picture, another 2 stars for the great Marie Dressler, and one star for the always reliable performance from child actor Dickie Moore, who at five years old, could act more naturally than ANY of his adult co-stars.

Slight but Amusing

[Favog · 7/10 · 14 June 2016]

I happened to channel surf to Turner Classic Movies just as this one was beginning last night, and once I got past the unlikely opening sequence I couldn't possibly turn away from the unlikely rest of it. It's a romantic comedy with Norma Shearer and a supporting cast that includes a lovely Hedda Hopper and a formidable Marie Dressler. As these things go -- silly rich people playing out a ridiculous "who'll pair up with whom?" plot in a Long Island mansion -- it's amusing and pretty good fun. I guess it's not a movie to recommend per se, but I have to admit I was in the mood to enjoy it last night, especially Marie Dressler's overacting. So if you stumble across it as I did, sure, go ahead, stick around. You won't believe your eyes.

It's a good thing Norma Shearer was already married to Irving Thalberg when she made this...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 6 October 2023]

... because this is some bold fashion statement she is making here, four years before Bette Davis dared to look repulsive in "Of Human Bondage".

Kitty (Norma Shearer) is a somewhat overweight frumpy housefrau, devoted to her husband and kids. The husband, Bob (Rod La Roque), is kind to Kitty, but his passion belongs to his mistress. The mistress is getting tired of hiding matters, so she barges into the house and frankly tells Kitty what's been going on between the two of them. Kitty acts sophisticated and says she knows all about it, but deep down she is heartbroken. Bob asks for forgiveness and a second chance, but she flatly refuses.

Fast forward three years and socialite Mrs. Bouccicault (Marie Dressler) is entertaining at her Long Island estate. She's invited her good friend Kitty to come for the weekend and steal Bob away from her granddaughter, Diane (Sally Eiler), who is about to be married to someone closer to her own age and range of experience. Mrs. B has no idea that Kitty was ever married to Bob, so this is just a big coincidence. Kitty is now thin, fashionable, and confident and has no idea that she is supposed to be vamping her ex husband. Just how this transformation to head turner happened is never mentioned. For that matter, neither are her children! Well, they are alluded to from time to time, but they apparently are stashed somewhere that they cannot interfere with the jet setting of their parents before there was any such thing as jets.

When Kitty and Bob finally meet, they are genuinely surprised to see each other and sparks begin to fly. In Bob's case that means romance is on his mind, but in Kitty's case those sparks could mean she is considering burning him at the stake. How does this turn out? Watch and find out.

I don't know who cast the men in this film, but they are ponderous choices. Collectively they have the romantic appeal of the Pillsbury Doughboy without his flair for conversation and comedy. I will give it a small break because this was the first full year MGM was involved in talking film. The first act with Kitty as a frump and the last act are compelling, but it sags pretty badly in the middle and is mainly saved by Marie Dressler's performance as the eccentric socialite Mrs. B. Dressler steals the show in just about every scene she appears, as was often the case.

Come for Norma and Marie

[xan-the-crawford-fan · 6/10 · 20 June 2021]

The storyline of this film is fairly similar to all of Norma Shearer's pre-coders. She is married. She gets divorced. She sleeps her way through pretty much everywhere, and happens to run into her husband. They realize that they still love each other, and get back together. The end.

But this one has Marie Dressler, bringing her more than welcome presence to the screen. She's not as good here as she was in Anna Christie or Dinner At Eight, but she works. Norma Shearer suffers from twitchy syndrome in this one, and seems to be constantly hiding her weak eye- more than she needs to, because the print of the film is so blurry that you wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

For a real change of scenery, see Norma at the beginning. She's a dowdy housewife- and this is a real shocker, given her glamour image- and she plays that part of the film without makeup. I had to do a double take- I really didn't recognize her.

Now for the bad stuff. Norma's leading man is so stiff that they could have replaced him with a wooden board and no one would have noticed- this makes the ending even more stupid. The last line alone almost made me tear out my hair- and my rating dropped from an 8 to a 6.

Overall, watchable but it suffers from early talkie syndrome. It also has basically the same plot as The Divorcee, Riptide and Strangers May Kiss. But other than that, it's great. Just make sure to turn it off before the godawful last line that comes out of Norma's mouth.

Not a LGBT promo

[gridoon2024 · 3/10 · 5 September 2018]

"Let Us Be Gay" is as boring as the idle rich it is populated with, and as vacuous as their lives. Watch the opening 10 minutes to see the amazing job the make-up artists have done in "frumping down" Norma Shearer, then watch another 10 minutes to see her in some slinky Adrian gowns, and then switch it off; the rest is predictable, anyway. A pretty terrible film. * out of 4.

Early melodrama and comedy with bite

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 4 June 2018]

"Let Us Be Gay" is an early sound picture of comedy, romance and drama. Its production quality shows the strains of the first couple of years of the studios, even the big ones like MGM, in adapting to sound and other technical improvements in movies. For instance, there isn't much free movement and discussion among the cast in the few different settings. The confined speaking spaces were due to the stationary microphones. This film can serve as a good study in following the changes in movie technology and methods.

Norma Shearer was pregnant when this film was made, so MGM hurried its shooting - completing it in less than a month. The story is based on a play by American playwright Rachel Crothers. In places, it is melodrama, and in some others, it's silly or sappy. It's a classic use of innuendo regarding morals and loose living. And, it's a picture of marriage, infidelity and tested love. The setting for all of this is in the upper crust of society. One wonders how audiences received this film in the first year of the Great Depression.

The film has much humor - biting in places. The cynicism contributes to some hilarious scenes in which the players crack up among themselves. Those seem to be impromptu and authentic, and one wonders if they didn't happen that way on the set and the director decided to keep them instead of reshooting scenes. They give a sense of reality as something that happens among people in regular life, but that one seldom sees in scripted movies.

Most of the cast do well with one exception. Rod La Rocque is very wooden as Bob Brown. His voice especially seems to be that of a monotone robot. This is so obvious as to be nagging and distracting from any sincerity on his part. This is an instance when one role so affects the whole film negatively. La Rocque looked the part but just didn't or couldn't play it. Any number of other actors of the day would have been suited for that role.

Norma Shearer is Kitty Brown, whose makeup transformation is quite remarkable. Marie Dressler is Mrs. Bouccicault - Bouccy (pronounced, "Boo-see") as Kitty and others call her by nickname. She and Kitty dominate most of the scenes they are in together. Dressler truly was one of the greats of early cinema. Gilbert Emery is superb as Towney Townley, a carefree wealthy middle-aged bachelor who is smitten with Kitty. Hedda Hopper is a hoot as the very exaggerated stuffy and snobbish Madge Livingston. And, Tryrell Davis is very good and funny as the cowering Wallace Granger. Even the main butler and maid contribute to the humor in this film. The rest of the cast are fine

The best part of the film is the witty and cynical comedy in exchanges between Kitty and others, especially Bouccy and Towney. The plot is unique and good, and it has a different but nice ending for a Hollywood production even then. It reflects the undertone of true love, not just romance between a couple.

Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more witty and other dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.

Mrs. Bouccicault, "Towney, this is Mrs. Cortland-Brown. She's not as sweet as she looks. But, you'll think she is." Towney Townley, "How do you do. I am nicer than I look - much." Kitty Brown, "How could you be?"

Kitty Brown, "How do you do. Oh, you magnificent long-legged Britisher. I've been avoiding you in Paris. But you are wonderful, aren't you?" Towney Townley, "Yes, yes, we, we are, aren't we?" Kitty Brown, "I thought you said he was 'umble." Mrs. Bouccicault, "Hmm, hmm. This isn't the one." Kitty Brown, "Oh! You mean to say I have to say that all over again? Because that's the way I'm gonna begin."

Towney Townley, "Uh, begin what?" Kitty Brown, "Well, you see, uh, Bouccy has a certainly laid plan whereby I have to get a man. Now, would, uh, would that get you?" Towney Townley, "I don't remember what you said, but you have got me." Kitty Brown, "Oh, I like this one. Bouccy, make it this one." Bouccy, "All right, practice on him." Towney, "She doesn't seem to need practice."

Kitty Brown, "You must be a very smart person." Towney Townley, "You found me out."

Kitty Brown, starting a bridge game, "Who's going to pay my losses?" Towney Townley, "I shall be delighted. I love to have beautiful women under obligation to me."

Mrs. Bouccicault, "When you quote me, make it agreeable." Kitty Brown, "No one would believe you said it, lamb." Towney Townley, "One on you, my pet."

Mrs. Bouccicault, while a group is singing around Kitty at the piano, "Towney, is that you making that particularly bad noise?" Towney Townley, "No. I'm making the tenor." Bouccy, "Well, stop it." Kitty Brown, "Don't stop. You make the rest of us sound so good."

Towney Townley, "Kitty, you have the prettiest ears I ever saw. I wanted to kiss the right one all through dinner, especially with the salad." Whitman - 1st Butler, "Oh, Perkins. Mrs. Brown is leaving on the 11 o'clock train. It might be as well for you to assist her." Perkins, "That's just where I'm going, and without any suggestions from you."

Society dalliances

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 26 December 2018]

I've kept onto this film but it is a really close call. It's just scraped through on the merits of Marie Dressler's dialogue delivery. Annoying wife Norma Shearer (Kitty) dotes on her husband Rod LaRocque (Bobby). I hate female characters like this. Stop doing things for him - no wonder he wants to spend time with another woman in the shape of Helene Millard. Millard certainly seems more fun but also a lot of trouble. As things stand, though, LaRacque is perfectly in the right to get the hell out of this awful saccharine relationship with miss goody two shoes.

So, the couple split up but are reunited 3 years later at a society weekend hosted by Marie Dressler (Boucci). Dressler has an ulterior motive for the invitation of Shearer. At the end of the film, you are praying for a certain outcome and it doesn't happen. It's quite annoying and perpetuates the woman's role as a wet fish, goody two shoes, all-forgiving waste of space. Join a monastery for goodness sake! This film is a bit boring in parts but is saved by Shearer's performance when she is being strong and Marie Dressler's character. It can be fun working out who should partner with whom but the film is incorrectly resolved and also unresolved at the same time. There also needed to be more gayness.

Marie Dressler is a hoot!

[djscamwi · 10/10 · 29 June 2001]

At the beginning it was almost a shock to see Norma Shearer without her makeup. Then she glamorizes herself and becomes the life of the party.

Anyway, she divorces her husband, makes herself over and gets on with her life; or so she thinks. Somewhat keeps you guessing if they'll get back together.

hate the reconnection

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 5 September 2023]

Dowdy housewife Kitty (Norma Shearer) caters to her self-obsessed husband Bob Brown. One day, his pampered mistress shows up at their house and tries to break up his marriage. She succeeds with Kitty divorcing Bob. It's three years later and Kitty has transformed into a beautiful social butterfly. Society grand-dame Mrs. Bouccicault invites Kitty to her home. She recruits Kitty to break up her granddaughter Diane and her new no-good boyfriend Bob. Through misunderstandings, Kitty starts flirting with every men assuming that each one is Bob. She is shocked to see that it's her ex-husband Bob.

It's a pre-Code comedy. I don't think that I would have realized that these are the same Kitty and Bob without reading the plot summary first. The only way to make sense of this premise is for Mrs. Bouccicault to know about Kitty's former marriage to Bob. The best way to break up Bob and Diane is for Kitty to talk about his mistresses. Of course, Diane wouldn't believe her, but the story can take off from that point on. As it stands, I really hated Bob reconnecting with Kitty. That's the last thing I want out of this movie. So that really bugs me. This is based on a play and at times, it feels like a play. I can see the ending coming from miles away and I don't like it.

Norma Was Such a Boss Until She Wasn't

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 3 February 2024]

The last time I saw Norma Shearer in a movie she was surrounded by three men who were desperately in love with her. And in "Let Us Be Gay" she was again surrounded by several men who, at least, thought they loved her.

Norma played Katherine 'Kitty' Brown, a very loving, doting, too-good-of-a-wife of Robert 'Bob' Brown (Rod La Rocque). Bob had a mistress, as many of the men did in 1930's romances. His mistress, Helen Hibbard (Helene Millard), was so bold that she came to Bob's house and actively broke up his happy home. It was such a breach of mistress protocol. I don't think that I'd ever seen a mistress do that before in the hundreds of movies I've watched from that era.

Kitty demanded that Bob leave. Bob, after pleading with Kitty, said that if he left he was never coming back. He made the threat as though he was somehow being wronged in the situation. Kitty stuck to her guns and told him to go.

Three years later the venue shifted to Mrs. Bouccicault's estate. Mrs. Bouccicault aka Boosie (Marie Dressler) had a problem she needed Kitty for.

Boosie met Kitty in France and saw how she operated. Kitty had men draped on her like clothes and she treated them just like garments-no doubt a result of her heartbreak. Boosie wanted Kitty to woo a man away from her granddaughter Diane (Sally Eilers). What Kitty didn't know was that the man was none other than Bob, Kitty's ex-husband. Boosie knew the man was Bob Brown, but she had no idea he'd been married to Kitty Brown.

Kitty was to arrive at Boosie's estate and then turn on her charm. When Kitty got to Boosie's and found out who the man was, she played it smooth and coy as though she had never met Bob before. Bob, having seen this new Kitty who was a blossomed flower as opposed to the very modest and homely looking woman he used to be married to, was in love with her all over again. For Kitty's part, she smoothly and casually brushed off Bob time and time again when he would approach her with pronouncements of love and fealty. Kitty was holding all of the cards and she was playing them like a boss. Not only did she have every man there waiting on her hand and foot, she had Bob twisted up in knots about her.

Everything about the movie and everything about Kitty was great up until the absolute very end. Like I said, Kitty was like a marionette, and she had every man on a string, including Bob.

When the relationship between Bob and Diane (Boosie's granddaughter) went south once Diane found out that Bob and Kitty used to be married, Bob was once again at Kitty's feet begging her to take him back. At first Kitty blithely and casually dismissed him which I'm sure drove him even more mad. She told him she was not done with her frivolity that he had enjoyed for so many years. It was such a satisfying joy to watch Bob twist in the wind and go crazy for her while she seemed to not care the least bit about him anymore. Then at the very last moment she broke and proclaimed her deep love for Bob and how she wanted him back.

That was the happily ever after moment, and it was rather weak. It wasn't weak because Kitty took back her cheating husband after three years, that would not have been a problem. It was weak because Bob, just before that, was engaged to Diane (Boosie's granddaughter). And had not Diane broken off their marriage due to her newfound knowledge of Bob's past, he was going to go through with marrying her. It was only Diane's action, not Bob's, that made him once again grovel for his ex-wife, Kitty.

It made Kitty look desperate and pitiful that she would take back this man who was actively pursuing another woman only moments before. I thought Kitty was a character who had learned, become wise, and could see through the BS of men like Bob. She even boasted of her "intelligence" which meant that she was too smart to fall for his or any other man's games. The new Kitty wouldn't fall victim to her heart. She knew what Bob was about, and by all accounts, he had not changed. But like they made women back then - so given to their hearts that they could never stop loving a man regardless of what he was - she took back this man who she probably knew was going to mistreat her yet again.

Movies of that era could hardly dispense with having a woman fall in love with a man regardless of what the potential consequences to her could be. Happily-ever-after meant having woman and man be together, no matter what occurred before, which didn't make those endings romantic to me, they made them absurd.

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Marie Dressler and Norma Schearer for the win

[Black-Jack-Shellac · 9/10 · 3 August 2019]

Oh I do so love this film. Except for Bob, he needs a good bop on the nose, and if I weren't a gentleman let me tell you I'd be the first to supply it.

I would have given it 10 if not for the last scene.

My, How Words Have Changed!

[boblipton · 8/10 · 8 January 2021]

Frumpy housewife Norma Shearer treats husband Rod Larocque like a king, until his mistress shows up one Sunday morning to introduce herself. Three years after the divorce, a refurbished Miss Shearer shows up at Marie Dressler's to ensure the old lady's grand daughter marches down the aisle a decent girl. The threat to her virginity is Larocque.

It's set up as a star turn for Miss Shearer, also known as Mrs. Thalberg; production was rushed because she was pregnant with her first child, and showing by the end of the shoot. LaRocque is dull and whiny, the other men whom Miss Shearer captivates are dullards, and the only performer who offers her any competition is Miss Dressler. Not that there was any way of stopping her, but she does get the funny lines, and already understands how to act for sound movies. Miss Shearer is still a little exaggerated, her hands a distraction. Still, Frances Marion and Lucille Newmark punch up Rachel Carothers' play enough that it's fun, and director Robert Z. Leonard could get a good performance out of a block of wood, if not Larocque.

Empowering and entertaining; Shearer shines

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 22 June 2021]

"When I can pay my own bills, men may come and men may go."

Another great vehicle for Norma Shearer, empowering in its own way, and emblematic of the freedom that female characters enjoyed in pre-Code films, at least to a point. Shearer is almost unrecognizable at the beginning of this film, not made up and in frumpy, homemade clothes, doting on her husband and children until she's devastated when she finds out he's been unfaithful. I loved seeing this side of her, and the transformation three years later into a fashionable, carefree woman who has no intentions of re-marrying, enjoying a different man each month or mischievously "borrowing" one for the weekend. She's simply delightful as she flirts with the men at the Long Island home of a socialite (Marie Dressler), doling out playful comments to those who know the task she's been assigned, which is to break up a budding romance by luring the man in it away.

Of course, it's damn improbable that the man in question happens to be her ex-husband, but I didn't mind. He's a combination of shocked and intrigued by her, and out of discomfort tells her he wishes she were like her old self. She replies, "Three years in Paris ought to improve any woman. Like you, I've been amusing myself with anything and everything that came my way. I know how a man feels about those things now." We know exactly what she means by that, and the sexual freedom is wonderful. It's a good example of a Norma Shearer role that upset religious conservatives. To them she was playing "loose and immoral women," and it was dangerous to show a woman not in the role of a submissive housewife, much less one being transformed into such a free and easy creature.

When men come on to her character, like the distinguished one played by Gilbert Emery or the awkward poet played by Tyrell Davis, she's in full control, charming them but not wilting under their advances. Even when her ex-husband throws himself at her, she sees right through him, saying his love for her is only because she's "new" and literally laughing in his face. I absolutely loved that, and how she smiles while looking back at how she and the bridesmaids at her wedding are all divorced now.

It's pretty clear that this was adapted from a play, but I found it full of life, especially for a film from 1930, when many others from this early year of talkies suffered from trying to incorporate sound and were quite creaky as a result. Hedda Hopper and Sally Eilers brighten things up as the other young women flirting with the men at the party, and Dressler is quite amusing with her blunt talk with everyone around her, servants included. It would have gotten an even higher rating from me, but unfortunately it bobbles things in literally the final ten seconds, though that was hardly a surprise. All in all though, very entertaining, and very enjoyable.