"Second Honeymoon" is a somewhat different comedy romance, and I agree with others who call this one fluff. One thing I noted in Tyrone Power is that he seems a little more at ease in a comedy film. He actually has some smiles and faces others than frowns or chagrins that he had in his first comedies. Still, it's obvious that Power is not a natural for comedies. He clearly has to be in a straight-man role, off of which the leading actress can work the best comedy.
Loretta Young was one actress who could work the comedy beautifully with Power. Their earlier two comedy romance films in 1937 were superb with wonderful comedy - "Love is News" and "Café Metropole." But this one doesn't have near the comedy, probably due mostly to the different plot that doesn't have a very good screenplay. The leads alone would not have made much of this film, but a supporting cast with some good performances and situational humor lifts the picture enough to earn it six stars. Those good supporting performances are Stuart Erwin as Leo MacTavish, Marjorie Weaver as Joy, Claire Trevor as Marcia, J. Edward Bromberg as Herbie, Lyle Talbot as Bob Benton and Paul Hurst as Dennis Huggins. It's nice to see Weaver and Bromberg, especially, because they didn't have long careers, but were very good actors.
The difference in this film is two formerly married people meeting by chance at the same vacation place, and their romance rekindling, while the remarried woman's husband has business problems. He, Talbot's Bob Benton, starts off having a party and some fun with the first husband of his wife. While the screenplay has holes and poor continuity or connectivity between scenes, the script has a couple of funny situations. One is when a few of the friends decide to go pronging - spear fishing from a boat at night, and they shoot a deck gun into a giant ray. Another is Benton sending a wrapped gift to Power's Raoul McLiesh - a caged racoon, which Raoul names Violet.
The script doesn't have a lot of funny or witty lines. Here are the better ones.
Raoul McLiesh, "Joy, I'm not a married man, and I'm not trying to get fresh, but will you kiss me?" Joy, "Of course."
Joy, "Why did you do that?" Raoul McLiesh, "I Just wanted to see what it was like to kiss an honest woman."
Leo MacTavish, "My experience with dalliance has been nil." Joy, "Dalliance?" Mac, "It means to dally around wantonly."
Raoul McLiesh, "And by the way, just what kind of a belt business is this anyway? Wheels or pants?" Vicky Benton, "Wheels. Automobile wheels. And incidentally, is that ink business of yours so much better than his belt business?" Raoul, "Oh, go to bed."
Raoul McLiesh, "Isn't that just like a woman?" Vicky Benton, "What?" Raoul, "Not satisfied with ridding my life of its happiness, not content with a husband who's a veritable oak of society, you want to eliminate my pitiful pastimes."
