Robert Williams is the male "fish-out-of-water" that gets the total treatment from Jean Harlow. She is the rich, bored socialite that traps "Mr. Smith" (Williams) in her little web, and completely "twitterpates" him (yes, it's a real verb). He leaves all that he knows as a reporter and newspaperman, and becomes known as "The Cinderella Man" by the papers. His rich wife also has hints of infidelity, as well. The last half hour is priceless, as he finally realizes he is a "Captive Eagle", as Smyth the Butler so discreetly puts it. He invites "Gallagher", (the incredibly beautiful Loretta Young at age 18) his newspaper "buddy" at work, to the mansion while his wife is out at a society event, and she brings the entire office! A rousing and funny climax ensues. He finally gets to do three things: 1. Write his comedy play (a fictionalized account of his sappy marriage and high society). 2. Sock their divorce-lawyer in the nose. 3. Propose to Gallagher. Great Capra-corn. A "warm up" to "It's a wonderful Life", populated with a few of the Capra cast of character actors. Both Williams and Harlow died very young. Jean Harlow had fantastic charisma and was captivating. Just like Marilyn Monroe she was not a true natural blonde. Her special "hair treatment" might have contributed to her early demise. (Read the on-line bios.)

Brisk social commentary comedy from Capra doesn't have the bite of his later 30's work but is interesting as evidence of it's development. Robert Williams is strong in the lead, it is easy too see him possibly going on to a career similar to Spencer Tracy had he not died just days after the premiere of this film. Loretta Young is beautiful and lively not yet having settled into the great lady mode she adopted a few years later. Jean, early in her career before MGM took her in hand and molded her into a first class comedienne and broad, is cast as the the rich girl and while she isn't terrible she's more at ease in the moments when not trying to play the grand society lady. She does looks sensational in her almost blinding blondeness.

I see that I'm in good company here on IMDb in first wondering why on earth I had never heard of Robert Williams before and then in regretting that his career was cut so short after hearing his story.Williams proves himself to be a winning and engaging comedian in this very funny Frank Capra film about a reporter (Williams) who marries a society dame (Jean Harlow) only to realize that his true love is for the female co-worker (Loretta Young) who's been by his side the whole time. Never mind that Young is one hundred times more feminine and prettier than Harlow -- I just chalk it up to the theory that Harlow had a certain look that was very much in vogue in the 1930s and that made her extremely attractive to people.I don't think Harlow is at all attractive, but I do see her appeal, and I didn't find her performance to be as bad in this film as the history books have claimed. It's true that the casting should have been reversed, and Young should have played the society belle with Harlow as the working-class girl next door. But never mind. She equips herself pretty well with the material given her, and she manages to be believable in the role.But in any case, it's neither of the women you'll remember from this movie. It's Williams and his absolutely fantastic way with a funny line. He died of appendicitis at the age of 37, and it's clear that 30s movie audiences lost a potentially major star when they lost him.Grade: A-

I saw this in February 2009 with a nearly full house at a theatre in NYC, and the crowd responded very minimally. Williams is solid, Young is gorgeous, but, as so many others have said, Harlow is miscast and, worst of all, the pacing is absolutely glacial. I know this was an early effort from Frank Capra, but it's hard to imagine he couldn't recognize that the picture moves much too slowly.The movie would have been much better if it had been sped up, if the actors had been encouraged to pick up the pace and keep things moving.It's a shame, given Williams' tragic death, that we didn't get to see how he might have shone under a director who worked more quickly. Heck, Capra himself would soon learn to keep things moving, but he clearly hadn't yet learned that lesson when he shot this picture. I'm surprised more reviewers haven't mentioned this fault of the film.I'm not sorry I saw it, but my wife sure was. She couldn't stand this slow-moving tortoise of a movie.