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 In Evelyn Prentice (1934) poor Evelyn (Myrna Loy) loves her neglectful husband, John, (William Powell) who is an ambitious, successful lawyer. John adores his wife and young daughter, but his work comes first. He gets a client acquitted (Rosalind Russell in her first major role), and John later rebuffs her attempt to seduce him. Jealous after finding some incriminated but circumstantial evidence against John, Evelyn, egged on by her friend Amy (Una Merkel), encourages the advances of a charming ne'er-do-well, Larry (Harvey Stephens).
Myrna Loy & William Powell
Nothing immoral happens between Evelyn and Larry, but Evelyn sends Larry a letter to end their liaison. The wording of the letter is ambiguous enough to be misconstrued, and Larry blackmails her. She goes to his apartment. We see the gun. We see her take the letter, hear the shot, see Evelyn leave Larry's apartment and see Larry's girlfriend enter.
William Powell &
Rosalind Russell
Una Merkel
The two-timing blackmailer is dead. Who killed him? When the girlfriend is arrested, Evelyn urges John to represent her.
The film now becomes a courtroom drama. Will John be able to get the girl off? Will Evelyn confess to her role in the murder? Will John realize his ambitions are leading to the ruin of his marriage? This film could easily have been titled Evelyn Prentice Melodrama. But classic film buffs will find themselves engrossed until the explosive grand finale.
Myrna Loy
Note that the "jury of her peers" is made up of men dressed in suits and ties, and the male court reporter is taking notes by hand. No stenotype machine, no computer. One wonders how they ever got the job done!
Evelyn Prentice (1934) is part of the Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection that also includes the drama Manhattan Melodrama (1934) and three comedies Double Wedding (1937), I love You Again (1940), and Love Crazy (1941). Special features on each disk include a cartoon in color, an entertaining vintage short plus the theatrical trailer. The radio show of Love Crazy featuring Powell is on disk 5.
Special Features
€¢ Comedy short Goofy Movies #3
€¢ Classic cartoon Discontent Canary
€¢ Theatrical trailer
Director: William K. Howard
Writers: Lenore J. Coffee and W. E. Woodward.
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell, Isabel Jewell, Harvey Stephens, Una Merkel
Rating: unrated
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3 stars out of 5
DVD Release Date: 8/07/2007
Run Time: 78 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
Format: B&W - standard version
Photo credits: Warner Home Video
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