Joan Crawford

NO MORE LADIES

MGM, 1935.  Directed by Edward H. Griffith.  Camera:  Oliver Marsh.  With Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Charles Ruggles, Franchot Tone, Edna May Oliver, Gail Patrick, Reginald Denny, Joan Fontaine, Arthur Treacher.

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After waiting for over two hours for her beau, Sherry Warren, to show up for their dinner date, Marcia declares, as she has on many similar occasions, that Sherry is a heartbreaking scamp, and then turns in for the night.  Marcia shares her elegant home with her grandmother, Fanny Townsend, who warns her about the rakish Sherry, yet both love him nevertheless.  Also vying for Marcia's attentions is the naive and boring Oliver, who has become a seemingly permanent fixture in the Townsend household, and is usually found playing backgammon with Fanny.

Later that night, Sherry shows up and, though offering no valid excuses for his tardiness, manages to charm Marcia into accompanying him to a nightclub.  When Edgar Holden, Sherry's second cousin, spots the man-about-town, he jokingly offers to protect Marcia from his notorious abuses, and sends prizefighter James McIntyre Duffy over to rough him up.  The two, however, turn out to be old chums, thus foiling Edgar's plan.

Soon after, Jim Salston, whose wife Sherry had stolen from him years ago, approaches the playboy to complain that Caroline, another object of Sherry's affections, is upset because he passed her up on the dance floor.  While Sherry makes amends with Caroline, Marcia leaves with Edgar for a drive in the park.  Later, Sherry looks for Marcia at her home, finds that she is not there, and is warned by Fanny that if he is not careful he will meet with the same fate as the famed sea captain, Louis Casabianca, who died when he blew up his ship in order to prevent the enemy from capturing it.  Marcia finally shows up, behaving as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened, and then shares a late night snack with Sherry, while they discuss the institution of marriage and all its attendant woes.

Though they both agree that the odds against a successful marriage are overwhelming, Sherry proposes marriage to the obstinate Marcia, and she accepts.  When Fanny enters the room, she quickly realizes what has just transpired, and announces that Casabianca's ship has just sunk.

While honeymooning at Whitehall Beach, Marcia finds Sherry flirting with Sally French and later admits that she is jealous.  At Williams' Bar, Sherry steals Edgar's date, Theresa German, and fails to return to Marcia's that evening.  Sherry calls her to tell her that he will not be coming home because Edgar has gotten ill and needs his help.  Marcia knows Sherry is lying because Edgar is home with her, and realizes that her philandering husband has already ruined their marriage.  Though a cad, Sherry later tells his wife the truth about the incident, admitting that he spent the night with Theresa, a "graduate of the old speakeasies."  Insulted, Marcia slaps Sherry, but concedes that she knew about his flaws when she married him and predicts that it will happen again.

Marcia takes her revenge on Sherry by throwing an impromptu party and inviting, unknown to her husband, a number of people who have been ill-treated by him.  One of the first guests to arrive is Jim, who once tried to shoot Sherry, followed by Theresa and Lady Diana Knowlton, another lover Jim had lost to the playboy; Caroline is also present. After Marcia announces that she and Jim are going for a drive, a quarrel ensues and Sherry promises to be unforgiving if she leaves.  A game of charades affords Jim and Marcia an opportunity to escape and, when Sherry discovers the two have not returned the next morning, he makes preparations to leave for good.  Fanny tries to stop him, and then Marcia pulls up just in time to save their marriage.  After admitting that she felt bad about cheating on him because she truly loves him, all is forgiven and the two embrace.

American Film Institute Catalog

Additional photo courtesy of Gary