Law of the Tropics

Bennett has top billing, which must have been some consolation for starring in this story of a torch singer in the tropics attempting to elude the law. The film is OK - and it has several pleasing songs sung by a trio of tropical lads - but the presence of Bennett does not raise it from "B" to "A" status. Maybe Jack Warner wanted to help his old poker partner by giving her a job. And she took it because, according to her biographer, she hadn't put away so much as a dime for the inevitable rainy days and she needed the money to support her palatial lifestyle.

Although the former #1 glamour queen of Hollywood is only 36, she is not looking especially fabulous in this film. But Mona Maris, a dead ringer for Bennett's poker playing comrade, Kay Francis, does look fabulous. Unlike Bennett, Francis did save her money for a rainy day, but when the rainy day came she found it impossible to go quietly into obscurity and she too made a few "B" films. Both ladies, like so many other former femme stars out of fashion, took up live theatre in the late 40s. Bennett fans are advised to skip this film and watch Topper instead.

Warner Bros. seemed to be doing a retread of TORRID ZONE, the film that starred James Cagney and Ann Sheridan. And CONSTANCE BENNETT is no substitute here for Sheridan, for whom the role of a nightclub singer running from the law would have been perfect...except that by this time, Sheridan was doing Grade A films.

JEFFREY LYNN, with a mustache, has the kind of role you might expect James Cagney to be in. He's the inventor of a process that produces rubber faster than the usual time it takes. He's assigned to a rubber plantation where he can carry out a way to increase production of rubber. When he's jilted by his would be bride, he makes a deal with a nightclub singer (CONSTANCE BENNETT) who agrees to play the role for a fee and as a means (unknown to him) to escape the law because of an incident in her past. Naturally, they fall in love before the last reel after the usual plot contrivances.

It's formula stuff and gets the Warner Bros. B-film treatment with clumsy attempts at humor along the way, but at least there are two nice supporting performances from MONA MARIS (looking beautiful) and the reliable REGIS TOOMEY, both sympathetic to Bennett's cause.

Summing up: Passes the time quickly, but is one you'll soon forget. Bennett's penciled in eyebrows are a distraction and she looks ill suited for a role that would have fit Sheridan like a glove.

Good movie with the usual plot. Girl doesn't go with intended (always different reasons) and other girl (in this case Constance Bennett) falls in love (with Jeffrey Lynn). He gets telegram and drinks because of being jilted. But they are all good serviceable actors and the top four in the film are as good as any known star or character actor. So, why do some make "it" and some not so much? It comes down to whether you like them when you see them or not. They catch your eye AND THAT'S IT GENERALLY SPEAKING!!

Jim Conway (Jeffrey Lynn) works on a rubber plantation in the Amazon. He has come up with a new way to process rubber. He's eager to marry his girl Laura and bring her back to the jungle. Instead, he receives a Dear John telegram. He meets singer Joan Madison (Constance Bennett), and tells her his sad story. She is being chased by an unsavory character and she jumps on board his boat. To avoid embarrassment, she pretends to be Laura after marrying him. Secretly, she needs to hide under the assumed name. They get married by the captain and agree to a divorce in three months. Jim is a loyal company man but the company isn't loyal to its men.

This is loosely based on the 1935 movie, Oil for the Lamps of China. This is a B-movie. It's a bit of a jumbo. The acting is fine for a lesser movie. The movie needs something but I'm not sure what. The fist fight is fun but the movie doesn't really elevates.

Constance Bennett, while still slim and lovely, was 36 years old when she made this movie, and while there's nothing wrong about being 36, it doesn't work when your character is supposed to be more like 26. She also looked older than leading man Jeffrey Lynn (which she was, by 4 or 5 years). Her eyebrows weren't drawn in a flattering manner, either. Other than that, it wasn't a bad story...maybe her sister Joan would have been a better choice for the lead. But there are worse ways to spend an hour or so than watching this... The casting of Bennett in the lead just didn't work for me. And I don't get why everyone says the other female lead was so beautiful...she looked hard to me.