Traveling Husbands (1931)
A salesman gets in trouble with a party girl and a debutante in Detroit.
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I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Highly Overrated But Still Good
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.
This RKO precode is a restrained affair, in which much more is implied than directly shown and stronger for that delicacy. It plays nicely with the perception of drummers as a licentious bunch and we do get to see a lot of partying. The script, however, is more about the loneliness of the salesmen and their sense of isolation. Several actors who in just a few years would be reduced to supporting roles, like Hugh Herbert and Frank McHugh, are given a chance to act and Evelyn Brent gives a typically excellent performance.The technical issues are well handled by Leo Tover, who would be Oscar-nominated several times in his career. He handles the camera beautifully and lights scenes dramatically when they call for it. A kind word should be offered about the uncredited editor, who sets up the process shots beautifully and seamlessly. There is a great montage shot that shows the wild abandon of the party scene that is a model for the effect.