Pre-Code movies once again showing how our current cinematic moment is devoid of heat—when Connie and Babe make out in the library, I was worried the books would combust. Ladies constantly interrupted in the act of dressing, just casually walking around in lingerie—sorry, lounging pajamas—and gowns cut to exude so much sex that it’s no wonder the puritans rallied for the Hays Code. A married couple on a train? All text. (I loved Lombard’s little “gimme, gimme” hand motion when Gable wakes her up to disembark.)
The film really sags in the final third when Connie and Babe stop sharing the screen. It also made me think of Remember the Night, and the way both films are driven to redeem their characters through punishment—they have to perform penance, or we cannot root for their happy ending.
Lastly: Gable didn’t deserve Lombard here, and neither did he in real life. I said what I said!