Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935)

Waste of time

Instant Favorite.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Ann Harding is about to have ghost written her Biography Of A Bachelor Girl. She's a portrait painter, but in a part years before such a thing was an occurrence she's more of a professional celebrity. She paints famous and near famous people's portraits and gets involved with them. She's even got a ghostwriter, the iconoclastic Robert Montgomery who hates even the very idea of her. One person who is very concerned is Edward Everett Horton who knew her back when and he doesn't want Ann writing about him. He's marrying Una Merkel and her father Charles Richman is Horton's chief backer in the Red state he would be representing. Montgomery may quit the project anyway because he's getting angrier and angrier about someone he's developing feelings for.Biography Of A Bachelor Girl is something a decade later Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn might have done. Surely it would be better know if they had. But that's not taking anything away from Montgomery and Harding.In the supporting cast you'll like Edward Arnold who is a foreign born composer of uncertain nationality. Arnold he's kind of fallen for Harding himself, but he has a sort of bemused tolerance for all that's going on around him. Charles Richman is one tyrannical tyrant, thinking he has the right to tell everyone else how to live. He gets a lot of rebellion in his close circle for his trouble.Montgomery and Harding are surely not as well known to today's audience. But Biography Of A Bachelor Girl should be better known. This one's a sleeper and a keeper.

Ann Harding was like a rainbow in the early sound days - she was a Broadway star who came to Hollywood and just wowed everyone with her unique talent, not to mention her silvery blonde hair and her sultry honeyed voice which always seemed to indicate that she would be just as happy having a beer with the boys as residing in the most exclusive penthouse. Unfortunately she had her share of "stinkers", films in which she portrayed women too noble for any mere mortal and with her wicked sense of humor kept on a short leash (ie "Gallant Lady" (1933)) and audiences soon tired of her. Every so often she came up trumps ie "The Lady Consents" (1936) and "Love From a Stranger" (1937) but definitely not this movie taken from the 1932 Broadway play "Biography" which showcased a glowing Ina Claire.It starts out in an interesting "I want to see more" type of way. Marion Forsythe (Harding), a glamorous artist is the woman all America is talking about - her affairs in Europe have become legend. Steely editor Richard Kurt (Robert Montgomery) is determined that his magazine will be the one to publish her scandalous biography - if he can convince her to. Meanwhile, her first "beau from Knoxville" is now a jittery would be Senator, Leander Nolan (Edward Everett Horton) who is eager to see that the biography is never published, fearing it would stymie his political career as well as his coming marriage to Slade (lovely Una Merkel who unfortunately has to keep her usual quick witted personality under a bush for this movie). Behind Kurt's business like persona are memories of a harsh childhood and a resentment toward the rich and flighty of society but Marion soon shows him she is a regular gal!!This is when the movie starts to unravel. Richard takes Marion to his mountain cabin so they can work in peace and they instantly fall afoul of the suspicious locals who look aghast at her "bohemian" ways (all except nice Donald Meek) and they are then invaded by Nolan, Slade and her father. The ending has Nolan confessing to Marion that he doesn't love Slade but has always carried a torch for her, with Marion managing to convince him that Slade is really his ideal match. Apparently the movie had originally been intended to star Marion Davies and I think she would have been great. You couldn't get two stars more dis-similar and I think Ann was just too sincere and "earth bound" to be believable as the frivolous Bohemian who is quick to put her past behind her and settle down with solemn Richard.

Robert Montgomery is an editor for a magazine and he has convinced the owner to finance a scheme. Montgomery wants to convince a bohemian artist (Ann Harding) to write her supposedly scandalous autobiography to boost the magazine's sales. She is unsure about this but Montgomery is able to convince her. However, another man (Edward Everett Horton) has approached Harding and wants her to keep her life story to herself. That's because many years ago, Horton has dated Harding. Nothing scandalous ever came of it (which isn't surprising since Horton is involved) but Horton is afraid if he's even mentioned that it will hurt his chances in an upcoming senate race. Then, Horton's future father-in-law, a very rich and influential man, comes to beg her to keep Horton out of the story. But what is Harding to do...she doesn't want to hurt Montgomery (especially since she's falling in love with him) but she did promise to expose her life--warts and all.Choosing Harding was a good decision as in the Pre-Code era (which just ended 1934) she was perhaps the most consistently amoral lady in films. I am NOT talking about her personal life but the characters she played--they were VERY much like the lady she played here--though who exactly she is is only implied in "Biography of a Bachelor Girl". Horton was also very good--playing his usual effete and dull lover. As for Montgomery, he was fine but it was funny that politically the guy he played was the exact opposite of him in real life. His character is a crusader and a bit of a socialist--while in real life he was a very conservative Republican.Overall, this is a pretty good but not great film. It is enjoyable but perhaps a bit overlong--as there are a few flat portions and the film could have used a bit more energy. Still, the actors fine job and the film is quite enjoyable fun.

Ann Harding plays the role of Marion Forsythe who is an artist and looks absolutely beautiful in her role. Marion wears very little makeup and at times looks likes a ghost. Robert Montgomery,(RIchard Kurt) seeks out Marion and tries to get a biography of her along with many other men who have had relationships with her in the past. Edward Everett Horton, (Leander Nolan) claims to have been romantically involved with her and Edward Arnold, (Mre. Feydak) gives a great supporting role. There is plenty of funny scenes and lots of slapstick comedy which went along with most films from 1935. This is truly a great film Classic of Ann Hareding who was a great film star along with all the other actors in this great film Classic. Enjoy.