Nothing Sacred (1937)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Nothing Sacred (1937) – W. Wellman

I’ll admit that I was a little underwhelmed by Nothing Sacred (screenplay by Ben Hecht, directed by William Wellman) although I do see the blackness of the comedy here (despite the technicolor) which focuses on how New York responds to the heart-wrenching story of young Hazel Flagg (Carole Lombard) who has been diagnosed with radium poisoning and is soon to die (but the comedy lies in the fact that it isn’t true and she’s scamming everyone but perhaps rather innocently). Frederic March is the reporter (Wally Cook) who sees the value  (for his career) in the personal interest story for his newspaper and travels to Vermont to pick up Hazel and bring her to the big city for one final trip of a lifetime. The daffy dipsomaniac doctor who made the errant diagnosis is also along for the junket. The tension builds as we wonder how soon everyone will find out that Hazel just isn’t sick and the implications of this for Cook’s job, their budding romance, and, well, the investment of all those kind hearted people who have put forward their public acknowledgment of Hazel’s bravery (and encouraged people to join them). The point is that everyone’s out to make a profit or to boost their own images/egos on the back of Hazel’s sad misfortune – that is, nothing’s sacred.  But alas the film isn’t really very funny (not really screwball either – too slow and not sharp enough for that) apart from some sight gags that wryly go by without comment.  A little bit racist and sexist too.  However, Lombard and March are good as usual, even if the character actors in bit parts aren’t of the calibre found elsewhere. Start with Sturges or Hawks.