Although the plot didn't sound that special, with it being quite old hat and predictable, there were a couple of interest points. Namely the cast, being somebody who has liked very much a lot of the work of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable individually and Robert Montgomery is good when in the right role. Not to mention Charles Butterworth, Rosalind Russell and Billie Burke. WS Van Dyke was a very talented director who was hardly out of his depth in this sort of film and golden age comedy with touches of romance are my kind of film.
'Forsaking All Others' is not one of the best of the genre. Have also seen everybody in the cast give better performances than here, though they do come off very well still and are the main reason for seeing the film. 'Forsaking All Others' is one of those films that starts off very well but runs out of steam in the latter stages in material and momentum. It is certainly not a bad film, let alone terrible, but considering the talent it had potential to be much better.
Beginning with the good, it looks good with some lovely shots and Crawford's typically knockout wardrobe. Van Dyke's direction is slick and accomplished for the first half. Really liked the song choices for the soundtrack, some real classics here and all used appropriately and it was surprising to hear a few of the songs sung by the cast a capella. The script is very witty and sophisticated in the first half and is also very funny.
The first half also moves at a lively pace and has fun and charm. Crawford clearly enjoys herself while not playing her role too heavily, which she did do in some of her comedies, and has nice comic timing. Gable despite being underused later is charming and dashing, didn't like how his character was written in the second half but Gable really makes the most of what he is given. Montgomery also has great comic timing and is suitably caddish, though again his character didn't appeal to me. Butterworth and Russell are very amusing.
However, 'Forsaking All Others' could have been better. The second half for me was not near as good as the first, it drags in pace, any turns are predictable and the material becomes tired and contrived. It actually felt like a different film. The ending comes over as hokey and would have made more sense and rang true if Gable's character was written better in the second half and didn't make such an unwarranted and out of the blue decision.
The character does come over as simpering and too easily fooled and Montgomery's character's negative character traits are also overblown to the extent that his appeal gets lost on the viewer. Van Dyke's direction also isn't as focused and it was like he lost control or gave up. Burke has too little to do to shine.
In conclusion, uneven but just about above average. 6/10.
