For hard working Alice Brady, finding out all of a sudden that she's got a title thanks to the death of a distant relative is quite a shock. In fact, it's a wake-up call to the pretentiousness of the British class system. She becomes mentor to the pretty Anita Louise (whom the society snobs believe to be a social climber) and easily breaks into Hedda Hopper's social circle by being outrageous and flamboyant, realizing that Hopper and husband Russell Hicks accept her simply because they believe she's made of money and has a title. Douglas Montgomery and Alan Mowbray offer fine performances in smaller roles. The truth about their characters come out thanks to Brady's scheme, giving a couple of humorous moments as Brady exposes their vicious true selves. Thanks to Brady's flamboyant performance, this ends up being better than it may have been otherwise. Any lady who declares while dressed in sequins that "A title is merely a title, but a weenie is an institution!" is alright in my book.
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mark.waltz16 April 2017
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drednm24 June 2016Alice Brady stars as a raucous railroad camp cook who suddenly inherits a fortune. After a whirlwind grand tour, she decides to invade Long Island society where her genteel niece (Anita Louise) is getting snubbed from the society lions because she has no "background." Brady has a field day as the outspoken "lady" who gets the goods on the snooty bunch of Long Islanders with the help of her trusty lawyer (Alan Mowbray) and her own common sense.
Film co-stars Douglass Montgomery as the society boy, June Clayworth as his snotty pal, Hedda Hopper as the society leader, Minor Watson as the railroad man, Harry Tyler and Walter Brennan as the long-lost relatives, and Clarence Wilson as the passerby.
Character of Lady Tubbs is a bit of "Auntie Mame" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" as Brady becomes a lady and is forced to join a fox hunt. One wonders if Patrick Dennis saw this film as a child and remembered it for his Auntie Mame character.