Despite having heard her name a number of times,I have somehow never got round to seeing Joan Crawford in a film!,which led to me searching around on Amazon UK for a film that would allow me to finally break my non-Crawford watching chain.The plot:Meeting up with her long-term lover Richard I. Field,mistress Diane Lovering starts to hope that she is about to become part of Field's cruise ship business empire,thanks to Field announcing to Lovering that he is finally going to divorce his wife Louise.Despite having hardly seen his wife for over a year,Field's plans are left in tatters,when Louise reveals that she won't divorce him,due to the doors that have opened since she has gotten the 'Mrs.Field' title.Desperate to heal the sadness that Lovering has suffered from his failure to get a divorce,Field arranges for Lovering to go on a cruise ship of his,which will allow her to go on an all expenses paid South American cruise.Spending time on her own thinking about Field,Lovering soon catches the attention of a wealthy ranch owner called Michael 'Mike' Bradley,which will lead to Lovering wondering if she is really chained to Field's love.View on the film:Teaming up for the 4th (of 8) times,Clark Gable and Joan Crawford each give excellent performances,with Gable showing a devilish side which contains real warmth,as Bradley finds himself getting closer to Lovering.Walking round the cruise ship with a dazzling elegance,Crawford places Lovering's concern for Field right at the heart of the character,thanks to Crawford showing a real charm in the largely improvised scenes she shares with Gable,which along with showing the characters flirtatious side,also displays Lovering's fear of someone getting hurt.Taking the character in an unexpected route,Otto Kruger gives a masterful performance as Richard I. Field,as Kruger keeps away from dipping in sleaze,to instead give Field a genuine sense of sincerity,as Field finds himself unable to stop the chain that he has with Lovering from breaking.Filmed just after prohibition had been lifted in the US,director Clarence Brown displays the wealthy world that the character's inhabit by covering the movie with lashings of booze,which are joined by glamorous tracking shots which show Crawford's beauty and also show the beauty of the luxury cruise (something that only the very rich could afford at the time) that Lovering is on.Sadly not being able to match the glamour that Crawford gives the movie,or the stylish tracking shoots that Brown uses,the screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, John Lee Mahin and Edgar Selwyn keeps away from looking at the seedier aspects of the title,which leads to no real sparks being allowed to set off between Lovering and her would-be lover's,that cause this chain to break apart far too soon.

Beautiful secretary Joan Crawford (as Diane Lovering) enjoys both working and sleeping with the boss, Otto Kruger (as Richard I. Field). Mr. Kruger wants to marry his willing mistress, but the wife refuses to grant him a divorce. To console a disappointed Ms. Crawford, Kruger sends her on a luxury cruise. On the ship, Crawford spurns "hot and bothered" Stuart Erwin (as John "Johnnie" L. Smith) at the bar, intending to be faithful. Then, she meets sexy rancher businessman Clark Gable (as Michael "Mike" Bradley)...Will Crawford stay "Chained" to Kruger, or fall in love with Gable?This is an MGM box office star power production, with Crawford and Gable doing what they do best. "When she's in his arms, it's the grandest thrill the screen can give!" Not quite, but director Clarence Brown and cameraman George Folsey handle the performers very well; the combination showed Crawford in her best light. Highlights include a fast stroll aboard ship, and a shimmering swimming pool sequence. The later includes young Mickey Rooney and pal Delmar Watson cavorting with Gable and Crawford.****** Chained (8/31/34) Clarence Brown ~ Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Otto Kruger, Stuart Erwin

Forget the plot, as it's the typical 1930s love triangle. You've seen it all before, probably, but Clarence Brown adds his usual sure touch, and the plot unfolds satisfyingly. Crawford is at her most beautiful and glamorous in the role of Diane Lovering. Each scene is like part of a fashion show, with Crawford modeling the latest and greatest of 1934 fashions by Adrian. She is given the full MGM star treatment here, ala Garbo or Shearer. It was said that this was the film in which the cinematographer, and Joan, learned of the lighting which produced what we recognize now as the Joan Crawford face. The viewer can certainly tell in the stunning closeups. Gable is again playing dashing, robust, virile, and has plenty of clever dialog. It's not a standout role for him, but Crawford and Gable always create plenty of sexual chemistry to keep the viewer interested. Overall, CHAINED is an entertaining film, thanks to gorgeous art deco sets, costumes, fine performances by the entire cast, and the usual Gable-Crawford chemistry. The big stars, sex, and glamour manage to carry a fairly routine script.

Joan Crawford is "Chained" in this 1934 film, but alas, it's not to Clark Gable, but to Otto Kruger. Crawford and Gable were a wonderful team, and this is one of the eight films they made together. Crawford plays a young woman, Diana Lovering, whose married boyfriend Richard (Kruger) is unable to get a divorce from his wife. She goes on a long cruise to South America and on the boat meets Mike (Gable), who has a horse ranch in Argentina. And guess what. She feels that she needs to return to tell Richard that she's fallen in love with Mike. When she returns home, however, she finds out that Richard has gotten a divorce from his wife and had to give up seeing his children in order to do so. She then believes she's obligated to marry him and writes a Dear Mike letter. However, she and Mike cross paths again a year later.There isn't anything special about this film, directed by Clarence Brown, except for the chemistry of the two stars. They made better films together - "Possessed" (the '30s one) and "Strange Cargo" being two off the top of my head. But I have to admit that I always love seeing them, and Crawford was so striking in those days, it's worth a look.