Now here's a obscure little film. This pre-code talkie starring William Powell has been scarcely seen since its original theatrical run 76 years ago. Due to some legal issues with RKO and Merian C. Cooper it was shelved save for a very limited re-release in the late 50s. TCM unearthed the film and sorted out the legal issues and it finally received a TV debut back in 2007. Since then it's been scarcely shown.

Since this film has a somewhat legendary reputation and the fact that I love William Powell films, I had to take advantage of its TV showing tonight.

William Powell is John Fletcher, a young playboy. He has inherited a huge shipping industry but he'd rather play polo than take care of business. Ann Harding plays Joan, a woman who feels marriage is a business and she thinks the best business oppertunity for her is the rich John.

Double Harness is a decent film but for an "almost lost" film, it's rather bland. What is interesting about the film is its risque nature. Being pre-code it has many double-entendres and even references to extra-marital affairs. While this may seem tame nowadays, back in 1933 this was wild stuff.

I'd say if you can catch it on TCM sometime, there's no harm in spending 70 minutes in watching it. I wouldn't seek it out, though. It's available on DVD on TCM's website but just wait for it to be on TCM.

Sources for this blog post include Wikipedia and TCM's movie database.

Labels: 31 days of film, Drama