Lightning reviews are first impressions of movies I’ve yet to research for more detailed articles. Unlike my more polished full reviews there is little to no research here; sparse images and links; a more relaxed writing style. These are movies I’d love to eventually cover with a more fully developed article, but until time permits, here’s the short version:Stanwyck loves Philip Reed, but Reed is such a cad he’s killed by a jealous husband within a few moments … Stanwyck crushed … miserable and unwilling to pull herself together, doesn’t care whether she lives or dies … recovering in the wilderness, she has a fall and is discovered by Frank Morgan … Morgan fascinated by her … more serious Frank Morgan than we’re used to … fascination turns to love, Morgan proposes … Stanwyck initially rejects him … accepts, but lets him know she could never wholly love him … based on a Willa Cather novel, but I’ve never read Cather, so this part of the story reminded me more of Irene’s bargain with Soames in Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga, except Frank Morgan is a sweet guy … Morgan’s character fabulously wealthy, insanely busy with his law practice … dedicates his off-hours to making his new wife happy … introduces her to society … surprised that they all love her as perfect match and, eventually, perfect hostess … one of Morgan’s law partners, played by Lyle Talbot, develops crush on Stanwyck, but she keeps him at arm’s length … she may not love Morgan, but she’s loyal … besides, she doesn’t feel anything for Talbot, who she thinks of as a sweet boy … it’s a little different when Ricardo Cortez crash lands and disrupts Stanwyck’s gardening … she hates him on sight, so, of course, she loves him … what the eventual revelation does to the lovable Morgan character makes Stanwyck hard to love through much of the latter part of this one … likable but ultimately unrewarding part for Talbot … Cortez comes off sleazy (surprise!) and Stanwyck’s attraction would have been more acceptable if they stressed that it was all sex … but this was a September 1934 release, post-Code enforcement, so there goes that … handcuffs story, makes Morgan look like too big a sucker, Stanwyck too shallow … my IMDb rating: 6/10.
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