VividSimon
Simply Perfect
Teringer
An Exercise In Nonsense
Janae Milner
Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
istara
This is a lovely 1930s film (1936 so not a pre-Code, despite some elements sneaked past the censors), with one of the most beautifully shot romances of cinema in this era.Both stars - Loretta Young and Robert Taylor - are of course radiant on screen, and the plot is sweet, never getting overly melodramatic. It's also reasonably plausible for film plots of this era (divorce lawyers may have some bones to pick with the court scene, but for a lay audience, it's fine).At the end of the film it turns out that Loretta Young's character is supposed to be 17. That's possibly the least plausible aspect, since she looks and comes across as far more sophisticated - she was 22/23 when she filmed this.The supporting cast are wonderful here too: others have commented on Basil Rathbone's sinister and villainous butler, but Patsy Kelly deserves a mention as the sparky friend.Very enjoyable and lovely to watch.
JohnHowardReid
The first half of this movie is better than the last, though Peverell Marley's photography is always a joy to look at, and Mark- Lee Kirk's sets (decorated by Thomas Little) are always wonderful to behold! And there's also a fine music score by Louis Silvers! The performances are never less than great, and the direction by Roy Del Ruth is always highly commendable. I would regard this entry as his best film. Of course, he did have a marvelous cast to work with! And it's true that the first half of the movie is more enjoyable than the last, because that's when we're introduced to people like Basil Rathbone's delightfully tyrannical butler; to Patsy Kelly's running interference; and to Joe Lewis and his idea of the perfect first date - and a blind one at that! In the first half, director Del Ruth stages a really wonderful brawl, which he caps by a glorious scene in which the GOODY TWO-SHOES HEROINE IS ARRESTED IN A BROTHEL! (I say again: This movie is a product of the moral clamp-down? Who's kidding who here!)From first to last, Peverell Marley's photography is always a joy to behold. Ditto Mark-Lee Kirk's sets (decorated by Thomas Little). And, joining the fine performances and the highly commendable direction, we must pay tribute to the screenplay concocted by Gene Markey and William Conselman from a story by Cleves Kinkead.
bkoganbing
In a film that was primarily a vehicle for Loretta Young, I'm guessing that Darryl Zanuck did not want to use his favorite leading man Tyrone Power in this remake of Common Clay. Power and Young did do several films together in the Thirties, but they were either equal vehicles or Power predominated. So Zanuck got the services of Robert Taylor who was the MGM equivalent of Power for Private Number.Or it's possible that Power also took a look at the script and realized that the part Basil Rathbone had would be a show stealer. Or that Basil Rathbone would make it one as the villainous and lecherous butler is the kind of role Rathbone could really sink his teeth into.Certainly the part is out of the Snidely Whiplash tradition of villains. Rathbone is the tyrannical butler who rules the house servants with an iron hand including 20% kickbacks on their salaries of which the clueless masters Paul Harvey and Marjorie Gateson know nothing and for reasons I can't figure out no one is telling them or complaining. The only who raises her voice to Rathbone is cook Jane Darwell.When Loretta Young arrives looking for work, Rathbone in true stage villain tradition is willing to forget the kickback for other considerations. But Young catches the eye of Robert Taylor as Harvey's and Gateson's son. They marry in secret and Young keeps her pregnancy a secret for as long as she can.With Rathbone playing Iago as well as Snidely Whiplash to the parents they move for an annulment. It all gets rather messy in court, but of course it all works out for the course of true love.Young is certainly beautiful and who wouldn't fall for her. Only toward the end is Taylor given anything to do that requires any real acting on his part. Patsy Kelly playing Patsy Kelly is also fine as Young's best friend. But the one you will really remember from Private Number is Basil Rathbone.
cphillips5
Roy Del Ruth delivers another firecracker entertainment. Loretta Young is a gorgeous, working girl along the lines of Ann Sothern's Maisie character. She rightfully wins the love of rich boy Robert Taylor with support from a feisty Patsy Kelly and interference from a deliciously snakey Rathbone. There's a perverse sexual undercurrent in Rathbone's performance that's a joy to watch. A pre-code gem!
