Men in Her Life

Columbia Pictures was a good studio for up-and-coming or down-and-out talent in this period. Harry Cohn ran the studio with a tight fist, making sure that the money showed on the screen. As a result, this early picture for character star Charles Bickford, late movie for ingénue Lois Moran, directed by former star director William Beaudine (still able to get good performances with a script and decent budget) is a pleasant effort as Miss Moran shows ex-gangster Bickford how to behave like a gentleman in Europe, while fighting off Victor Varconi and Don Dillaway ... and Bickford, although not with equal success.

Bickford is typically very good as "Flashy" Madden, probably named for the gangster Owney Madden, who was already building up his collection of about twenty night clubs, including the famous Cotton Club and a stake in the Stork. It's a sentimentalized version but very watchable.