STRANGERS MAY KISS
US, 1931, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, Neil Hamilton, Marjorie Rambeau, Irene Rich, Hale Hamilton.
Directed by George Fitzmaurice.
Strangers May Kiss is definitely a pre-Code film. It is the kind of film that led the Hollywood industry to create the Code, controlling the presentation of morals on screen.
The film stars Norma Shearer who had appeared in such pre-Code films as A Free Soul. She won the Academy Award for that. She had a strong screen presence during the 1930s at MGM, marrying Irving Thalberg. However, sometimes she is restrained in her performances. Here she uses the expressionistic style of the silent films, exaggerated gestures and laughter rather than serious acting. The two men, Robert Montgomery as her alcoholic friend, and Neil Hamilton as her lover, are far more restrained.
The film focuses on morals and double standards. Norma Shearer’s character states she doesn’t believe in marriage. She is living with a divorced man and travels to Mexico with him. However, when he refuses to take her with him on further travels and returns to Paris to get a divorce, she goes to Europe and leads a profligate life, presented as very glamorous, international, many men, especially in Spain with bullfighters. Her friend, Robert Montgomery, is in love with her but she is not in love with him although she loves him. When she receives a message that the divorce has come through, she goes to Paris only to be rejected by her lover. He berates her quite severely for her promiscuity, she is ashamed, admits that he must love her because he is so severe on her. A year passes and the group meets by chance at a New York theatre – Norma Shearer much more subdued and partly repentant, wanting to marry, and her lover prepared to let bygones be bygones. Robert Montgomery is left with his champagne bottle.
Marjorie Rambeau appears as the owner of a shop where Norma Shearer worked and has found a happy marriage. On the other hand, her aunt and uncle have had a disappointing marriage, the uncle betraying his wife, even taking his girlfriends to the same restaurant. She kills herself.
The film was based on a novel by Ursula Parrott – and commentators note that at the end of the novel, the Norma Shearer character kills herself.
The film is interesting in the light of discussion about morals as presented in Hollywood in the late 20s and the early 1930s and the toning down of moral issues and the control of them under the auspices of the Hayes Code.
The film was directed by George Fitzmaurice, a director of many, many silent films in the second decade as well as into the 20s. He made several sound films including The Emperor’s Candlesticks but died in 1940.
1. A film of 1931? Morals on the screen? Disputes? The formation of the Hayes Code?
2. MGM production values, stars, black and white photography, locations atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The title – strangers, lovers, marriage and non-marriage, divorce, people living together, betrayal, fidelity and infidelity?
4. The focus on Lisbeth Corbin, Norma Shearer and her screen presence, acting style? Her character, not marrying, working at the shop, the expensive life, her friendship with Geneva? Her Aunt Celia, the absence of Uncle Andrew – and the restaurant sequence and discovery of his betrayal? Celia’s suicide? Her friendship with Steve, from schooldays? Her falling in love with Alan, living with him, going to Mexico with him, the enjoyment of the freedom? His not taking her to Paris, his being married? Her grief, reaction, going to Europe, her wild life, life of the party? International, the men, the collage? Spain and the bullfighter? Her being hurt by Alan? The reaction and rebound? His message to come to Paris, her leaving instantly, going to see him, his denunciation of her and her lifestyle? Her being hurt, considering that he loved her because of his attack on her? Return to the United States, at the theatre, the devotion of Steve, her not marrying him, loving him but not in love? Alan’s arrival, the breaking down of the past, happiness together?
5. Alan, his marriage, with Lisbeth, going to Mexico, carefree, the decision to travel, business, going to Paris, the divorce? His message to Lisbeth, his denunciation of her in Paris, his being hurt? The chance encounter at the theatre, the forgetting of the past?
6. Steve, friendship from schooldays, his drinking, society and wealth, his advice to Lisbeth, offering to marry her, her loving him but not being in love?
7. Celia and Andrew, the betrayal, the restaurant sequence, Alan’s intervention, her suicide? Andrew coming to Lisbeth to give her advice? Her rejection of it?
8. Geneva, in the shop, friendship, marrying, at the end?
9. The background of wealth and the high life in the 1930s? The images of wealth – the equivalent of soap opera in later decades?
