The Bride Walks Out (1936) starring Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Robert Young, Ned Sparks, Helen Broderick directed by Leigh Jason Movie Review

The Bride Walks Out (1936)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Gene Raymond and Barbara Stanwyck in The Bride Walks Out (1936)

Husband of the Bride

Despite not earning much Michael Martin (Gene Raymond - Flying Down to Rio) wants to marry dress model Carolyn (Barbara Stanwyck - The Mad Miss Manton), but being the old fashioned type he wants her to be a stay at home wife and quit her job even if his money isn't enough to support them both. Despite her reluctance to quit she agrees and they marry in a court where shortly afterwards Michael gets arrested when they row. It is how they come to meet rich sot M. Hugh McKenzie (Robert Young - Secret Agent) who not only pays Michael's fine but becomes besotted with Carolyn and offers her help when he realises they are struggling for money.

I could base my review of "The Bride Walks Out" on how dated it is, visually when we have a married couple sleeping in separate beds to the whole old fashioned idea of a wife's place being in the home but heck this is a movie which is over 75 years old so it is little surprise. I could base my review on the cast as "The Bride Walks Out" stars Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond and Robert Young but in truth this isn't a good movie for any of the actors. I could base my review, well to be honest I don't know what I can base my review on as "The Bride Walks Out" is utterly forgettable and never once hits the target of being the screwball comedy it is trying to be.

The trouble with "The Bride Walks Out" is not so much the idea as the whole old fashioned viewpoint of a wife's place is in the home and the financial problems that leads to has potential for some snappy comedy. And the whole idea of a rich, drunk bounder vying for the attention of a newly married wife has just as much potential for some good laughs. The trouble is that the comedy falls short pretty much every time and it makes it a procession where you are kept waiting for just one gag to really fire. In the end the best thing about "The Bride Walks Out" is Barbara Stanwyck, not her character but the actress herself and that smile which could melt the coldest of hearts.

What this all boils down to is that whilst "The Bride Walks Out" may sound like a screwball comedy from the era when they were at their best but unfortunately it never really comes to life and is only really enjoyable because of the pretty Barbara Stanwyck.


LATEST REVIEWS