Nonureva Really Surprised!

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Antonius Block William Powell is delightful, Jean Harlow is warm and vulnerable, Rosalind Russell is charming, and even Franchot Tone, who plays a millionaire playboy who jilts Russell for Harlow without truly knowing his own mind, is witty. The dialog, particularly in the first half of the movie, is light and amusing, and there are a couple of nice musical numbers. It gets a little fast paced and soap operatic towards the end, but it's always entertaining. This is the film that got Powell and Harlow together personally for the last two years of her life, and their chemistry shows. The early scene with them lounging together and him proposing in his own way as she drowses off is fantastic, and Powell's scenes with the old granny are also priceless. It's also fun to see a young Mickey Rooney in a couple of scenes. Not perfect but watch this one for the cast and their performances.

MartinHafer Apparently when this debuted it was a box office dud. And, apparently Jean Harlow was offended because she thought the studio deliberately put parallels into the script that mirrored her tragic marriage to a man who died under suspicious circumstances (even today, no one seems exactly sure what happened to her husband, Paul Bern). What is obvious is that Harlow should have been offended as the script clearly takes advantage of Bern's death. Now if the film had come out shortly after this tragedy, perhaps the studio could have been excused as they might have been able to claim that they made such a film to help Harlow's image (after all, like the character in the film, the public COULD have blamed Harlow for his death). But, with a three year gap between them, it's obvious they were just trying to exploit the tragedy for ticket sales--and I am surprised that apparently William Powell was able to convince Harlow to play this part. Frankly, based on the end results, I think she should have faced suspension and refused! Now this isn't because all the film is bad--but the ending is just god-awful and makes the entire film come off as rather seedy and stupid.It's important to note that after the film was completed, a total idiot at the studio thought they should add some song and dance numbers--even though Harlow was incapable of doing either--especially sing. Since she couldn't sing, they dubbed another's voice and the end result is, without a doubt, the WORST job of dubbing in the history of Hollywood. At first, I really did think that they deliberately did it badly as a parody--but later, at the end, is a supposedly poignant moment and once again, her lips aren't even close to being in sync and the voice is so obviously another's. Heck, had they used Paul Robson's voice, I don't it would have come off much worse!! As far as the story goes, the first 90% of the film (aside from the singing and dancing) isn't bad even if it is taking full advantage of the Bern tragedy (as well as the death Libby Holman's husband--which is even closer to the plot of this film than the Harlow/Bern death). Harlow plays an actress who is very much like herself. When she meets a rich society guy (Franchot Tone), they fall in love and soon marry--much to the consternation of her agent (William Powell--who really was in love with Harlow in real life). However, things are not rosy, as Tone's father and many society folk don't accept a common actress. But, Harlow handles it very well and soon the society swells warm up to her. However, Tone is a complete loser and spends all his time drinking and moping--and regretting marrying Harlow. Instead, he thinks back to his old fiancée (Rosalind Russell) and wishes he'd married her. Russell is classy and from an old established family--and Tone seems much more concerned about this than whether or not his wife loves or respects him. Eventually, Tone becomes so depressed that he kills himself (just like Holman and Harlow's husbands). And, the rich society swells turn on Harlow even though she is practically angelic in how she handles this. All this leads to her returning to the stage and a completely horrible ending that simply made me cringe.The bottom line is that the actors try their best but the script is horrid (in spots) and the singing is cringe-worthy. It's sad, as without the terrible ending and singing, I would have given this one a 7. As it is, 4 is probably a bit charitable. Worth seeing because it's so awful and exploitative but not a good film by any standard.

calvinnme ...this movie rapidly descends into maudlin melodrama that is practically unwatchable. The movie starts out with promise with a feisty Granny Lesie (May Robson) pulling a rather hung over Ned Riley (William Powell) out of bed to bail playful star Mona Leslie (Jean Harlow) out of jail. These early scenes would make any fan of these three want to stick around for more, but believe me, you'll regret that decision. Things go downhill rapidly when Mona meets avid fan and drunken playboy Bob Harrison Jr. (Franchot Tone), whose enthusiasm wanes and drunkenness worsens after the two are hastily married. Every indignity you can think of is flung at Harlow's character at a time in Harlow's life when she herself had recently been through a great personal tragedy, and you just get the feeling that MGM is using that tragedy to sell movie tickets. It really is a sad spectacle for any Harlow fan.The melodrama grows to ridiculous proportions by the end of the film, with Mona Leslie even being booed by fans and her giving a preposterous on stage speech as a result. All of this just crowds out any promise with which the film started. Avoid this one.

blanche-2 William Powell, Jean Harlow, and May Robson are absolute delights in "Reckless," a movie which starts out on the light side and then suddenly turns into a drama, continues down the drama road and ends at melodrama, '30s style. Powell and Harlow have wonderful chemistry. Both were natural, charismatic, and energetic performers. May Robson is a riot as Granny, and her scenes with Powell are gems.Franchot Tone plays a millionaire playboy crazy over Harlow; Powell loves her but doesn't come out and say it. It's a very old formula, but that doesn't matter. The film is interspersed with several musical numbers that aren't particularly inspiring. Harlow's singing is dubbed, and I suspect the actual dancing parts of her dancing were also. Who cares - she just radiated beauty, warmth, and vulnerability in everything she did. The musical sections were apparently thrown in after the film was made.I can't write for anyone else, but I was surprised when the film made its dramatic turn - and without giving anything away, particularly surprised Harlow went for it, until I read that she turned the film down because of it. William Powell convinced her to take the role. By the end of the film, we're in melodrama land. But the two stars pull it off, though it is truly ridiculous.A young Rosalind Russell has a supporting role and essays it beautifully. It's not a great movie, but the people in it surely are.