Forsaking All Others, from 1934, is a romantic comedy/drama starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Robert Montgomery. It was one of the films TCM recently aired on Joan Crawford's day during Summer Under the Stars, and since I had been wanting to see it, I made sure to set my DVR that day.
The film begins on the eve of Mary Clay's (Joan Crawford) wedding day. Having been in love with Dillon "Dill" Todd (Robert Montgomery) since childhood, Mary is thrilled to finally be marrying him. Her joy is complete when another dear childhood friend, Jeff Williams (Clark Gable), returns from a trip to Spain just in time for the wedding. What Mary doesn't realize is that while she has been in love with Dill all those years, Jeff has been in love with her. His arrival at her house was to ask her to marry him, not to congratulate her on her upcoming marriage to Dill. In fact, Jeff wasn't even aware of her upcoming marriage. Jeff never has an opportunity to declare his love for Mary, as before he has the chance to do so, he learns of Mary's next-day wedding to Dill. Though disappointed, Jeff puts on a brave face and tries to be happy for her.
On the eve of the wedding, Dill's old flame, Connie, shows up at his door. After having a few drinks together, they decide to run off and get married, and Dill informs Mary of this in a telegram just hours before their planned wedding. Jeff is there to help Mary pick up the pieces, though he never reveals his love for her. Not long after marrying Connie, Dill regrets that action and seeks to reconcile with Mary, putting Mary in the position of having to determine which man will make her happy.
All three stars give a good performance here in Forsaking All Others, making for a very solid 3-star film. The movie is out on DVD, plus it's available on You Tube. Additionally, TCM has it on their November schedule. So there are plenty of ways you can enjoy this cute film.
Happy viewing!!
