Riptide (1934) (original) (raw)
Synopsis
"When a Woman Loves!"
Mary is an impetuous romantic who marries British aristocrat Lord Philip Rexford on a whim. Their marriage is successful, though, and they grow closer over the years. Then, a trip to the Italian Riviera unexpectedly reunites Mary with her former beau, Tommie. After some vicious gossip makes Rexford distrust her, he begins work on a divorce. Mary must now choose between the man she has married and the man she once loved.
Cast
Popular reviews
“I wouldn’t do such, because I loves you too much. Kipling.”
Let Norma Shearer be a messy drunk—getting naughty at Cannes, falling into pools, accepting kisses from boys. I initially thought I was watching the wrong movie because it opens with a bonkers meet cute between Herbert Marshall dressed as the Insect Man and Norma Shearer as Lady Sky Bug. Riptide is basically a dual film, a zany screwball romance with Robert Montgomery, and a serious melodrama with Marshall. Hard to say if it works when you put Shearer in the middle.
Mary (Shearer) is a “woman with a past." She's full of “zim” as Aunty Hetty says. When hubby is away, former party girl must play. Staying on the…
Whatever Adrian was on when he designed those Insect Ball costumes... I want somma that.
In Riptide Norma Shearer plays Mary, a free spirited party girl who falls for and gets a quickie marriage to respectable Lord Philip Rexford, played by Herbert Marshal. Lord Rexford vows to forgive Mary her past and they go on to a successful union that lasts for years… until Tommie Trent, a lovable and drunken cad from Mary’s past arrives while Lord Rexford is away. Trent, played by Robert Montgomery, seems like he was air-lifted from a nearby screwball comedy and unceremoniously dropped into what was supposed to be a serious drama about marriage fidelity. So the film ends up being inconsistent. It starts off with a serious first act, moves into a comedy focused second act, then returns to…
not letting me see robert montgomery in a ridiculous bug costume is heinous and I won’t be standing for it! but I did get to see him guzzle gin and then immediately fall off a balcony so I guess that slightly makes up for it.
I also firmly believe herbert marshall’s character had no business being in this film! that man is just not appealing!
also happy pride month to the gay secretary and the man who kept hitting on him and telling him how much he loved carnations
The bonds people form over an abandoned insect party can’t be broken just because handsome Tommie turns up.
They should have filmed the whole movie with the cast wearing bug costumes the entire time
Bob and Norma are my onscreen otp.
And why did she choose her boring husband when she could of had beautiful Bob Montgomery?
Norma Shearer is a delight in this film, which was the last of her pre-Code appearances. She gives a very natural, charming performance in scenes that call for tenderness, temptation, flirtation, and playfulness, including those with the two leading men (Robert Montgomery and Herbert Marshall), her aunt-in-law (theater legend Mrs. Patrick Campbell), and her adorable daughter (Marilyn Spinner). She’s helped considerably by the script which has a lot of life to it, something evident from the beginning, when we see Marshall in a giant ‘Insect Man’ costume and Shearer in a revealing ‘Lady Sky bug’ number, get ups designed by Adrian for a “World of the Future” ball. The story degenerates into a bit of a soap opera in its…
Just Norma Shearer doing hot girl shit... 5 stars.
Bob Montgomery apologizing to Herbert Marshall for stealing his girl... He actually uses the term 'lit' in the modern context and it took me out.
How fitting that Norma Shearer kicked off and ended her reign as the queen of pre-code with movies about troubled marriages which also co-starred Robert Montgomery as the “other man.”
A typical Shearer pre-code vehicle which consisted of stunning and racy Adrian outfits, some digs at sexual politics, and a dashing co-star. This was a standard affair made all the more enjoyable because of its two stars. Norma was always in top form playing this kind of role that she specialized in - a woman that has both ladylike and party girl qualities. Bob was especially charming here and oh so dreamy. As proven by their other outings, Bob and Norma have electric chemistry. Their pairing just oozed playfulness and sexiness perfect for this era in films.
Now, I’m really miffed at that darn Hays code - but again, when am I not?
There is a scene where Norma Shearer is wearing a gorgeous gown designed by Adrian and Robert Montgomery is wearing a tuxedo looking handsome and dapper and I'm just so overwhelmed by these two!
Even for an MGM melodrama, it's a little generic, basically a straight-up re-do of The Divorcee, down to having the same exact lead (Norma Shearer) and even the exact same guy its lead adulterously fucks (Robert Montgomery). The good news is it's The Divorcee with and for actual grown-ups while The Divorcee was content to feel like it's actually about middle schoolers who've unaccountably gotten married; there's a maturity to this one that, though it's so close to being the same thing that I'll probably start getting them confused even just a few months from now, it's a completely different experience. Part of this is that the cartoonish dipshittery is confined solely to the figure best able to handle it…