Posts from ethanedwards in thread „Men Are Like That (1931)“

Great shot of a young Duke

Quote from Paula

EthanEdwards, could you move my post over to the Men Are Like That thread and delete this one? Thanks.

OK done, these aka titles are often confusing.

Quote from chester7777

Keith or Arthur,

Has either one of you been privileged to see this film through the film society over there? Is there any obscure source of this film?

Chester

Yes Jim,

It is available from

The John Wayne Film Society

Well it was listed in their latest newsletter

Men Are Like That was a 1931 movie
starring Laura La Plante and John Wayne.
It was directed by George B. Seitz,
and released by Columbia Pictures

Duke played the part of Lt. Bob Denton
a West Point graduate, traveling to an Arizona army post.

However, it was a trite plot, and with unconvincing perfomances
by Duke and his leading lady, doomed the film to poor reviews.

Quote

Author: Gary Dickerson, Austin, TX

I suppose this is what they used to call a "woman's picture." Laura LaPlante, a fetching, if gnomish blonde, plays Evelyn Palmer, a New York girl (what she does for a living is never revealed) who's been dallying with dashing West Point cadet Bob Denton, played robotically by a very young & handsome John Wayne. When she is dumped unceremoniously before Bob's graduation, Evelyn woos & eventually marries his mentor, Colonel Bonham, played by Forrest Stanley more like a stuffed-shirt British army officer than an American who's spent years in Arizona. The big complication is that, once the newlywed Bonhams relocate to Arizona, Denton shows up for duty &, despite Evelyn's triumphant attitude toward him, Denton takes a fancy to Evelyn's sister, Bonnie, who's the cutest flapper I've seen in ages.

This plot, made today, might have a bit more nastiness in that; it's as close to a "Cruel Intentions" as you're going to get in 1931. That Bob & Evelyn are having a sexual relationship is implied, of course, & it's amusing how, later in the picture, every time someone's about to say it, that person is interrupted or hushed. More than that, though I saw this on the Starz Western channel, it's more like your average sophisticated thirties melodrama than a western. The cigarettes are in boxes, gowns are worn to dinner, & the Colonel's house in Arizona is strictly Long Island.

The film features some amusing stock footage of an Army-Navy football game, as well as military maneuvers. But without giving anything away, the film unwinds & then winds up in a pretty cliched manner. For John Wayne fans, it's bound to be extremely disappointing, but for those of us who are intrigued by the early days of Hollywood, good & bad, it's not such a bad way to spend an hour. But it was way too silly to be moving, & it's by the numbers mix-up plot never really generates any suspense.

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Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
West Point football star Bob Denton is a protege of Colonel Holmes,
who considers Bob almost a son. Bob is a ladies' man who resists commitment,
and when he tells girlfriend Evelyn that he has no intention of marrying her,
she takes revenge by romancing Colonel Holmes,
to whose Arizona base Bob has been assigned. Evelyn marries Holmes, and the colonel,
unaware of her former relationship with Bob, encourages Bob in his blossoming romance with Bonita,
Evelyn's younger sister. With Bonita, Bob finds reason for committing to a long-term relationship,
and the two are secretly married. But when Bob is caught in a falsely compromising situation,
Evelyn sees her chance to get even with Bob and to protect her sister
from what Evelyn perceives as Bob's bad attitude toward women.
Summary written by Jim Beaver

Full Cast
Laura La Plante .... Evelyn Palmer Bonham
John Wayne .... Lt. Bob Denton
June Clyde .... Bonita 'Bonnie' Palmer
Forrest Stanley .... Colonel Frank Bonham
Nina Quartero .... Conchita
Susan Fleming .... Dot
Loretta Sayers .... Peggy
Hugh Cummings .... Hank
Adrian Morris .... Officer (uncredited)
Harry Northrup .... (uncredited)
Charles Sellon .... Officer (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Dorothy Howell continuity
Robert Riskin adaptation (dialogue)
Augustus E. Thomas play Arizona

Original Music
Mischa Bakaleinikoff (uncredited)

Cinematography
Ted Tetzlaff

Trivia
Unknown

Goofs
Unknown

Filming Locations
Unknown