No Man of Her Own (1932)

☆ ☆ ½

No Man of Her Own (1932) – W. Ruggles

Despite the star power of Gable and Lombard (in their only film together, years before their marriage), the movie fizzles out after a promising start.  Gable is a card shark with a team of confederates helping him to swindle rich businessmen (who don’t press charges because they want to stay out of the papers).  The vice squad is onto him, however, so he takes a sojourn out of New York in a small town called Glendale where he meets Lombard’s bored librarian.  She’s a feisty match for him and follows him to the big city after a coin toss leads to their marriage (!!!).  She doesn’t know yet that he’s a crook but soon finds out (the movie doesn’t really build too much suspense here).  The second half is about his abrupt decision to go to South America for a long con, leaving her alone (but not abandoning her).  I think the script probably lets the actors down – or the lack of music highlights the way that the drama drags?  There is a little bit of naughtiness here, because this is “pre-code”, primarily in the form of heavy drinking and actresses in underwear (and both Gable & Lombard taking showers, separately).  Other films of this vintage, including with Gable and Lombard, separately, are far more sparkling than this.