Source: www.ha.com |
Malcolm (Robert Montgomery) is a
best-selling author who embarks on a book tour in order to escape the clutches
of his girlfriend Vivian (Claire Dodd). Robert (Franchot Tone) is Malcolm's
frequently drunken publisher and next-door neighbor who suggests the idea of a
tour after watching Malcolm's previous break-up attempts fail to materialize.
Waiting in line at one of Malcolm’s rural stops is fresh-faced, innocent,
country bumpkin Nancy (Janet Gaynor). When Nancy informs him that it happens to
be her wedding day as he’s signing the book, Malcolm thinks (and we hear
Montgomery’s voiceover) that Nancy is a devoted fan whose life is so pathetic
she will treasure this signed book her entire life. He quickly finds out differently.
Nancy gives him a piece of her mind and one thing you’ll discover about this
film is that Nancy always seems to be giving someone a piece of her mind.
Sheltered? Yes. Shy? No, sir. Nancy confesses that she has no use for the book,
doesn’t own the copy he’s signing, has never read it, has never heard of him,
and wouldn’t spend a penny on it. Then off Nancy goes to marry George as
Malcolm receives word from Robert that his unwanted girlfriend Vivian is
preoccupied and it’s safe to return home.
Malcolm is surprised to see a jilted
Nancy in the train’s dining car and offended when she doesn’t instantly
recognize him and also, when she laughs as passengers assume they are married.
Nancy talks nonstop as a bewildered Malcolm looks on. After a purse mishap (a running gag
throughout the film), Malcolm and Nancy, there to search for her runaway groom
George, end up at a party in his NYC apartment. Nancy decides Malcolm needs
home-cooked meals and stays on at his apartment until she finds George.
Although her constant meddling frustrates him to no end, Malcolm agrees to the
arrangement to keep Vivian away and because he believes Nancy will prove to be
good fodder for a new book.
Franchot Tone and Janet Gaynor in Three Loves Has Nancy. Source: original from my collection |
As the playful, mostly inebriated
publisher-next-door, Franchot’s character Robert provides a lot of laughs.
Actually, what’s great about this film is that everyone provides a lot of laughs.
There’s not one actor carrying the film’s funny scenes. All three headliners
are equally funny in their roles and work very well as a trio. Enjoying the
three-square meals a day that Nancy provides, Robert rivals Malcolm for her
attention. He starts to fall for Nancy and the steadiness her presence gives
his life. Still, Robert has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. In this role,
Franchot gets to do a lot of physical comedy (like sleepwalking and trying to catch
an imaginary eagle) and as Malcolm’s sarcastic, witty friend, utters lines
like, “You know it’s funny. I drink and you’re drunk.”
Three Loves Has Nancy is overflowing
with witty one-liners from all of its characters. Malcolm’s rejected girlfriend
says at the party, “I had a lovely evening. This wasn’t it.” It’s just an
enjoyable comedy all around. When Malcolm takes her to an upscale restaurant, a
safety-conscious Nancy puts out the fire that’s grilling the evening’s meal.
She publishes a newspaper ad for George and is surprised when scores of men show
up at the apartment. Of course, Nancy’s solution is not to turn them away but
to feed them all, to which Franchot names her the “Florence Nightingale of the
Skillet.”
A favorite scene of mine is when
butler William quits after Nancy calls him dishonest. Speaking of this
character assassination to his employer Malcolm, you begin to notice all that
William is wearing…layers of Malcolm’s clothing which William claims he was
taking as “souvenirs.”
It’s clear to the audience that
Malcolm is slowly falling for Nancy’s homespun charms, but he is slow to
realize the fact himself. Sober since her arrival, Robert proposes immediately,
calling Nancy the “first genuine person who’s ever come into my life.” It takes the jealousy he feels about Robert’s
proposal to make Malcolm question his own feelings about Nancy.
Hilarity ensues! Nancy’s backwoods
family shows up (with unbeatable performances by Guy Kibbee and Charley
Grapewin), Robert’s snooty wealthy parents appear, a psychologist called
Pieface throws his expertise in, and then runaway groom George surfaces. You
will not be disappointed. The final scenes are laugh-out-loud funny and fitting
to the rest of the film.
Franchot and Janet in Three Loves Has Nancy. Source: original photo from my collection. |
I chose Three Loves Has Nancy because it starred Janet Gaynor, whom I’ve always liked. I watched the movie once, chuckling throughout, and completely forgetting everything else. And although I believe that all three stars are equally matched in it, it was Franchot Tone who grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I remember just being mesmerized by his manner of speaking and rich voice, his physical presence (the cocked eyebrow, slow grin, and comedic movements), and his entire delivery. I was waiting for his scenes and wishing he’d had more. This was not the first time I saw Franchot. I realized later, while frantically scouring the internet for information about him, that I’d watched him in Jean Harlow movies and Joan Crawford movies and Honeymoon with Shirley Temple. But I never actually saw him. He was there all the time, but for some reason, my eyes were not focused on him until the night I watched Three Loves Has Nancy. After watching it and then researching the film and Mr. Tone for a long while after, I was thinking of all the great lines and cute moments and ended up re-watching the film from start to finish immediately.
Three
Loves Has Nancy will always have a special place in my heart. It provided the
perfect escape for me on a night when I desperately needed the smiles and
laughter it contains. It is the film that forced me to take another look at
Franchot Tone. I’ve been madly researching and watching him since that viewing.
I would come to find that as much as I loved Three Loves Has Nancy, it was just
a hint of what Franchot could do. There were tons of sensitive and nuanced
performances waiting for me in Franchot’s film and television work. Three Loves
Has Nancy started it all—my appreciation of an under-appreciated actor, my
fascination with his life, and my need to dedicate a permanent online space for
him.
I hope you enjoy the Franchot Tone Blogathon this weekend!
I hope you enjoy the Franchot Tone Blogathon this weekend!
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