The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Stephen Roberts

Writers:

James Edward Grant (story)
Anthony Veiller (writer)

Release Date:

13 May 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

An ex-married couple investigate a murder in the 'Thin Man' manner.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Horse | Jockey | Screwball | Beautiful Woman

Cast

William Powell	...	Dr. Lawrence Bradford
Jean Arthur	...	Paula Bradford
James Gleason	...	Inspector Corrigan
Eric Blore	...	Stokes, Bradford's Butler
Robert Armstrong	...	Nick Martel (bookie)
Lila Lee	...	Miss Prentiss, Bradford's Receptionist
Grant Mitchell	...	John Summers, Luxury's Owner
Erin O'Brien-Moore	...	Mrs. Summers
Ralph Morgan	...	Leroy Hutchins, Warcloud's Owner
Lucile Gleason	...	Mrs. Hutchins
Frank M. Thomas	...	Mike North (Luxury's trainer)
Frankie Darro	...	Spike Salisbury
Frank Reicher	...	Henry Strand, Summers' Lawyer
Charles Richman	...	Mr. Curtis, Turf Club President
John Sheehan	...	Bert 'Murphy' Murph, Private Eye

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2051)

Filming Locations:

Santa Anita Park - 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Paula refers to Brad as "Lochinvar back from the wars". 'Lochinvar' is the title of a romantic poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1808.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The bite of a black widow spider is painful but rarely fatal.

Quotes:

Paula Bradford: Oh well, you know, "Great minds..."
Dr. Lawrence Bradford: No, I don't know any great minds.

Soundtrack:

Wedding March

Topnotch entertainment in an outlandish murder mystery.

The comic banter between William Powell and Jean Arthur is the highlight of this murder mystery, which has one of the most bizarre and unlikely plots ever. Powell is probably the most suave detective of the 30's, and Arthur has a unique voice which often sounds like a succession of tiny tinkly bells. They are extremely fun to watch, so take the brashness of the plot with a grain of salt and just enjoy seeing it unfold. Eric Blore also has some comic turns as Powell's butler.

Powell's contract with MGM included a clause which allowed him to reject being loaned out to another studio, but he wanted to work again with Arthur and he liked the script, so he eagerly accepted the assignment. They had worked together in two 1929 Paramount films, The Canary Murder Case and The Greene Murder Case, both in the Philo Vance series.