The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)

☆ ☆ ☆

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) – S. Roberts

William Powell was so enjoyable in the role of the suave, comical private detective that he played more than one during his career. Most famous, of course, is Nick Charles (husband of Nora, played by Myrna Loy) in the Thin Man series (which began in 1934, based on characters created by Dashiell Hammett).  Prior to that, he was Philo Vance (1929-1933) from the books by S. S. Van Dine.  So, it comes as no surprise that he turns up here as a doctor who is encouraged into sleuthing by his ex-wife, played by Jean Arthur, who is apparently a mystery writer.  The case focuses on the death of a jockey, presumably by heart attack, but later thought to be something more sinister.  There is the usual array of minor characters and red herrings who all wind up in a room at the end, so that Powell can identify the murderer (a set-up which must have been cliché even by 1936).  The chemistry between Powell and Arthur is pretty good, but no patch on the remarkable pairing of Powell and Loy. She holds her own but has more meaty roles in other films that show off her comic technique better. Eric Blore has a funny bit part as Powell’s butler.  All told, this is somewhat less than the sum of its parts but fine for fans of the period.