"Hands Across the Table" is a delightful light comedy starring Fred MacMurray, Carole Lombard, Ralph Bellamy, and Marie Provost.
Lombard plays Regi, a manicurist determined to marry for money and lots of it. She gives manicures in the hotel where she works to a very wealthy gentleman in a wheelchair (Ralph Bellamy). She seems to only be friends with him; she sincerely likes him and loves talking with him. He, however, is madly in love with her.
When Regi meets playboy Theodore Drew and he asks her out, she thinks she's found the motherload. Unfortunately, he's engaged to be married. Worse than that, he's broke, and this marriage is supposed to bolster the family bank account. We all know what happens.
MacMurray and Lombard have decent chemistry, and both were good at light comedy. Someone on this board said MacMurray had no sex appeal. He didn't. I liked his character, but I felt sorry for Ralph Bellamy who always seemed to lose out. The nice thing about his character, though, is that he is philosophical and only wants the best for Regi.
Lombard absolutely sparkles. She was a vivacious, beautiful, and charismatic actress.
Looking at the two tragic stars of "Hands Across the Table" (1935), one can't help but watch this film with a twinge of sadness. Carole Lombard would die in a plane crash seven years later. One of her costars, Marie Provost, died of alcoholism and malnutrition two years after this film. Another Hollywood dieting story, like Laird Cregar, Provost had trouble managing her weight and was having trouble getting roles like she had previously. It seems she crash- dieted as well as turning to alcohol. She gives a nice performance here as Regi's good friend.
Definitely worth seeing.
Lombard plays Regi, a manicurist determined to marry for money and lots of it. She gives manicures in the hotel where she works to a very wealthy gentleman in a wheelchair (Ralph Bellamy). She seems to only be friends with him; she sincerely likes him and loves talking with him. He, however, is madly in love with her.
When Regi meets playboy Theodore Drew and he asks her out, she thinks she's found the motherload. Unfortunately, he's engaged to be married. Worse than that, he's broke, and this marriage is supposed to bolster the family bank account. We all know what happens.
MacMurray and Lombard have decent chemistry, and both were good at light comedy. Someone on this board said MacMurray had no sex appeal. He didn't. I liked his character, but I felt sorry for Ralph Bellamy who always seemed to lose out. The nice thing about his character, though, is that he is philosophical and only wants the best for Regi.
Lombard absolutely sparkles. She was a vivacious, beautiful, and charismatic actress.
Looking at the two tragic stars of "Hands Across the Table" (1935), one can't help but watch this film with a twinge of sadness. Carole Lombard would die in a plane crash seven years later. One of her costars, Marie Provost, died of alcoholism and malnutrition two years after this film. Another Hollywood dieting story, like Laird Cregar, Provost had trouble managing her weight and was having trouble getting roles like she had previously. It seems she crash- dieted as well as turning to alcohol. She gives a nice performance here as Regi's good friend.
Definitely worth seeing.