Moviecut—Love Is News

source: Love Is News

A madcap, if lightweight screwball comedy with Tyrone Power and Loretta Young making like Grant and Hepburn in this Tay Garnett-directed feature. Power is the maverick ace reporter at the New York Post who scoops his fellow-newshounds by deceiving Young, the eligible millionaire heiress "It Girl" of the day into giving him an exclusive interview. When she gets wise to his ruse, she repays him in kind, not by reporting him to the Press Complaints Commission as you might expect but by declaring to the world that he's her fiancé and that they're to be married within a month. It could only happen in a 30's Hollywood picture like this of course. From there, things proceed on a hair-brained will-they-won't-they basis until the unsurprising ending barely 77 minutes later. It's pleasantly agreeable but the comedy here can't compete with its obvious staging posts "His Girl Friday" or "Bringing Up Baby". Power shows he has the facility to play light comedy and Young is probably the best thing about the film as she runs rings around Power and the rest of the paparazzi who regularly make her life a misery. Don Ameche too is good value as Power's literally drag-out-knockdown editor and the distinctive Elisha Cook Jr makes an early appearance as the office junior who gets in above his head. The weirdest piece of casting is the ubiquitous George Sanders as an effete titled gold-digger after Young's millions. I swear he looks uncomfortable with every line he utters. The piece didn't lack for pace and I enjoyed the running gags about Ameche's always-on-the-phone wife, "Yes, Mabel", his forever hiring-and-firing of Power from the paper and their ongoing fisticuffs. Compared to some of the real classics, the writing just isn't as sharp as it needs to be and there's also the deplorable, subservient treatment of the Stepin Fetchit character too to further denigrate the viewing experience. But with the enthusiastic playing of the three leads to carry it through, you'll be hard-pressed (ouch!) to hate it.

The premise of this picture is rather absurd. It involves newspaper reporters hounding a D-list celebrity (Loretta Young). She is famous because she comes from a well-to-do and politically connected family. She has never done anything meaningful in her life until now. What prompts the about-face is her desire to stick it to the men who won't let her conduct her affairs, of which there are many, in private. During the ensuing pandemonium there are light-hearted jabs about people who earn a living from reporting the news. Some events are not very important but are splashed on the front page anyway, if it's a slow news day. We see how something "small" like an heiress' engagement can become something big, magnified for the masses who find her personal business more interesting than their own. Ironically, the engagement that she announces is a deliberate lie. So the initial scoop is not really a scoop at all. But it triggers other more substantial scoops and realizations among the main characters. In addition to Miss Young, the main players in this film consist of Tyrone Power and Don Ameche. This is Mr. Power's first starring role at Fox, and he is cast as an eager beaver reporter. Mr. Ameche functions as a comic relief co-lead, playing Power's very exasperated editor, a man whose wife doesn't stop calling. There are other characters, meant to represent notions about the types of people- mostly men- who work in the news business during the late 1930s. In the second part of the story, Slim Summerville appears as a rural judge. His version of law and order in a humble community clashes with the views of everyone else. Especially when a media circus overtakes his jail. In these scenes, justice is an absolute joke. Several things make the film a screwball comedy. Mostly, its depiction of anarchy. There is plenty of defiance, particularly the kind exhibited by Miss Young's character; various degrees of unlawfulness and disorder; as well as chaos that comes from challenging the status quo. Within the parameters of such cinematic craziness, there are gleeful and effective performances, aided and abetted by the satiric writing. LOVE IS NEWS has a message which belongs on page one, not the funnies section. In a madcap world, remaining steadfast and true to one's ideals is what counts. It's the only thing that deserves a headline.

A sheer delight, this one is by far the best of the three movies (one of them even re-starring Ty Power) made from this material. The four principals, Ty Power, Loretta Young, Don Ameche and Slim Summerville were never handled funnier lines nor more delightful characters. The pace whipped up by director Tay Garnett is movie magic at its fast- moving best. Highly skillful direction is absolutely essential to the success of this film as most of the humor is revived by repeating the same visual and speech gags over and over. Only a really clever and right on top of his game director could get away with a constant repetition of the same gags, let alone make them seem funnier and funnier, but that's exactly what Garnett (a much under-rated director) succeeds in doing here. Needless to say, the re-makes with other directors in the chair (including Robert B. Sinclair, a stage director who found his real home in TV), are not a patch on this movie, the original version.

This is the best of the films Loretta Young and Tyrone Power played together. A must see.

This is an old movie that stats two of the most beautiful people in it that ever lived. It's such a fun story with snappy banter that makes it a good story. No wonder fans flocked to see it. I recommend this to all fans of Tyrone Power and Loretta Young. They seemed to enjoy each other's company and it shows on screen. Off screen, they remained friends for life

1937's "Love is News" marked the second film to pair Tyrone Power and Don Ameche ("Ladies in Love" came first), but it was the first to offer Power top billing, which reportedly infuriated leading lady Loretta Young. She definitely comes off worst of the three, as heiress Tony Gateson, tiring of the gossip printed about her, getting even with hot shot reporter Steve Leyton (Power) by offering up a scoop for all the other newspapers, that she and Leyton are engaged. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with her former fiancée (George Sanders), but her uncle (Dudley Digges) plays along so far as to buy an interest in Steve's ailing paper, Don Ameche as the harried editor. The stars are able to carry the thin screwball plot, while the supporting players prove even better, in particular Slim Summerville's judge and Walter Catlett's fellow reporter. Fans of Lon Chaney Jr. will be most disappointed, as what would have been his first film under a two year contract with Fox found his role as an unbilled newsman left on the cutting room floor, a fate repeated in "That I May Live," "Born Reckless," and "Walking Down Broadway."

Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Don Ameche star in this fun fast-moving comedy about the press and how they hound celebrities and how it feels when the shoe's on the other foot. Ty is a reporter who tries to catch Loretta, a millionairess who just broke up with a duke or something, and get the story for himself for an exclusive. They don't get along at all. Really, they don't. At least for a while anyway. Costarring George Sanders, Jane Darwell, Walter Catlett and Elisha Cook, Jr. in a small role, it feels like a poor man's "Libeled Lady." But, just because something's unknown doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. This is one of the best Ty/Loretta films they made together and should be watched again and again. And, with Don Ameche as his boss, this is one escapade that's too good to miss.

Screwball comedy mixed with romance has worked so well in many films, 'The Awful Truth' immediately springing to mind, though there are also a fair share of unsuccessful endeavours. Tay Garnett will never go down in my estimations as one of the greatest directors, but he is deserving of more credit. There is always a main reason or two for me when watching a film, in 'Love is News' case that main reason is the cast. Talented actors in roles that sounded just right for them conceptually. 'Love is News' will never be one of my all-time favourites and it is not quite one of the all-time best screwball comedies. It succeeds (hugely so) much more than it fails, and actually it never really does that, though and is an immensely enjoyable film in its own right. It is not to be seen for its plot, but if one wants to see a deftly written and easy to like film with a lot of talent on display to distract one from all the stress 'Love is News' very much does the trick. The least good asset is the story, which can get very far-fetched and tends to be quite slight. One should expect to see a lot of credulity straining, the latter stages of 'Love is News' is full of that. On the other hand, there is an enormous amount to like here. For one thing, it is beautifully acted by these very talented actors. All in roles perfect for them and ones that they did prove more than once in other films that they could do them well. Tyrone Power is in his element and gives an immensely appealing performance full of life and strong comic timing. Loretta Young is in the type of role she could do easily and do it in her sleep, she is as perky, charming and amusing as ever and there is no going through the motions here. Don Ameche's role is not that challenging and is quite one-dimensional, but he acts the heck out of it and clearly was having fun. Slim Summerville is hilarious and his material is a highlight. George Sanders did deserve a larger part but he does very well with what he has, few people did suave cads better than him and his performance here does nothing to change the mind. The rest of the cast are fine, though to me Stepin Fetchit didn't really fit with everything else. The film is slickly directed, with things moving along at a crisp pace, and it looks lovely. The photography doesn't try to do too much and is framed beautifully. The costumes are stylish too. Music is lively and there is some nice use of pre-existing material. The script is full of hilarious and not over-worked lines and witty, tasteful banter. There is sparkling chemistry between the leads. Along with the comedy, the romantic angle is genuinely charming without being too frothy and the energy is present and crackles throughout. In conclusion, immensely enjoyable. 8/10