The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)

So much average

Brilliant and touching

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY was not a very good film, though you probably wouldn't suspect that until the film was about half complete. That's because the basic premise and acting were very good. In fact, the film had a super-strong cast--with Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Frank Morgan and William Powell. It's obvious that this was a big-budget MGM film. However, towards the middle, the whole thing became a very stagy and dreadful film--with way too little action and way too much horrid dialog. By the end of the film, instead of improving, the film takes a nose-dive into wretchedness! If you don't believe me, then read on to find out about the terrible plot.Joan plays the title character. She is supposed to be a rich American but is actually a thief working with William Powell's gang. Her goal is to insinuate herself into rich society so she can steal some fancy jewels. However, along the way, she finds that not only are these people very welcoming but nice folks--so nice that it's obvious that she's having a hard time sticking with the plan. However, the gang members won't allow this--even if it's obvious that Powell cares about Joan and wouldn't hurt her himself. So far, this is great stuff and seeing love blossom between Joan and two nice guys (Montgomery and Morgan) made it all the better.Unfortunately, I assume the original writers must have died or suffered massive head injuries because the witty dialog and fascinating story completely lost its way midway through the film. It was as if they'd set up a good story and had no idea where to go. That, or the writers went on strike and were replaced by lemurs! At this point, the film didn't seem to know whether to have Joan prove herself to be decent or a crook--so they made her BOTH!! This made no sense, but what was worse was the reaction her new society friends had when her plan came to light. Now you'd THINK having a jewel thief lie and steal would cause a problem, but in a case of insane script writing, they had the rich folks not only agree to forgive and forget but try to pay her and Powell 10,000 pounds!!! What the heck was this?! No anger, no recriminations but everyone instead being happy and even talking about setting Joan up in business! This was just stupid and .000000003% believable. Talk about contrived and dopey. To make it worse, all they seemed to do for the last 30 minutes or so was talk, talk, talk and talk. It all seemed like mindless prattle after a while.I guess the worst part about all this for me was how utterly wasted William Powell was in the film. He is one of my very favorite actors of his age, yet here his performance is very muted and he's given a very bland part. It was as if he was sleepwalking through the film. As for Robert Montgomery, he was pretty typical of his usual devilish playboy character up until the end--where he was transformed by Joan's allure into a simpering wuss. Ugghh! While she was given crappy material to work with, Joan probably came off the best of the leads in the film---and this isn't saying much.Please understand that of all eras, 1930s films are my very favorite and I adore Hollywood's Golden Age. So my dislike for this film is not because I hate older films. It's just that with so many wonderful films out there (often starring these same actors), this is among the worst of the larger budget MGM films. This film is ONLY for devoted fans of the actors--and even then you might want to think twice about seeing this one.

On a fast boat to England, Joan Crawford (as Fay Cheyney) finds herself in wealthy Frank Morgan (as Lord Kelton)'s stateroom bed. Turns out, Ms. Crawford is part of a gang of jewel thieves. She is in the process of endearing herself to wealthy British socialites. In London, she and "butler" William Powell (as Charles) plot to steal Jessie Ralph (as the Duchess)'s pearls. Of course, things get complicated when Crawford is increasingly attracted to dashing Robert Montgomery (as Lord Dilling), who thinks he knows Mr. Powell from somewhere... Neither the first nor the last of Mrs. Cheyney, as MGM previously plotted to amuse audiences with Norma Shearer (1929)'s turn; subsequently, this story was retooled for Greer Garson (1951). This version might have had the best chance for success, but it falls flat. Directionless, despite having three directors, the three leading stars often seem to be doing the "read through" of a listless script. The film's supporting cast, led by Ms. Ralph's "Duchess" is fairly reliable, and consistent, however. Crawford, Montgomery, and Powell really smoke! smoke! smoke! up the screen, when they light up three cigarettes. ***** The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (2/19/37) Richard Boleslawski ~ Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, William Powell, Jessie Ralph

What was Joan Crawford thinking when she accepted this incredibly bad 1937 vehicle?A woman and her gang of thieves plan to steal gems from a wealthy family. Crawford, as Mrs. Cheney, is that woman who plays up to Robert Montgomery, in order to be invited to the home of his wealthy aunt.The Crawford character is in cahoots with William Powell. The film goes bad as this is a comedy. Had this been a drama with Crawford playing a brassy woman, this would have been something. Otherwise, the film goes downhill quickly once Crawford has been found out. Crazily, a letter has been sent by Frank Morgan, one of the aristocrats to Mrs. Cheney, which describes the negative side of these wealthy patrons. Crawford and Powell try getting some money out of Morgan, and when they do, they promptly relinquish it. Powell goes willingly to jail while Mrs. Cheney finds her true love in Montgomery. To believe this misery, you have to be quite a fool. O yes, Jesse Ralph is around as the dowager aunt. Even her hearty laugh can't save this mess of a film.

Joan Crawford is miscast as a wealthy American widow who relocates to London and mixes it up with the high society Brits. Lethargic comedy, previously filmed in 1929 with Norma Shearer, does have one plot twist, though many viewers may tire and tune out by the time it is revealed. First-half is so slow setting up the story, I could easily understand why this was such a flop in 1937. The second-half does improve, with jazzy supporting performances including Frank Morgan's as a befuddled would-be suitor (he's very funny). As for Crawford, she's too tough and inflexible for this kind of flippant character. Originally based upon a play by Frederick Lonsdale, with the material's stage-origins are all too apparent. *1/2 from ****