The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Relations between Dr. Bradford (William Powell) - 'Brad' - and ex-wife Paula (Jean Arthur) are surprisingly romantic. They divorced because Brad hated being dragged into murder mysteries, to which mystery writer Paula is addicted. But through horse trainer Mike North (Frank M. Thomas), Brad is embroiled in the case of a jockey who died of "heart failure" during a race. As they pursue clues, Paula pursues Brad for remarriage, and assorted hoods pursue the Bradfords.
- Actors:
- William Powell, Jean Arthur, James Gleason, Eric Blore, Robert Armstrong, Lila Lee, Grant Mitchell, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Ralph Morgan, Lucile Gleason, Johnny Arthur, Stanley Blystone, Tom Brower, Spencer Charters, Frankie Darro, John Dilson, James Donlan, Jimmie Dundee, Paul Fix, Dorothy Granger
- Directors:
- Stephen Roberts
- Producers:
- Edward Kaufman
- Writers:
- Anthony Veiller, James Edward Grant
- Aka:
- One to Two
- Genres:
- Comedy, Drama
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Reviews (1) of The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Screwball Mystery - The Ex-Mrs. Bradford review by Steve
In the 1930s, the Hollywood studios discovered that screwball comedy blended with the golden age detective story with the sparkle of a gin fizz. And was popular with audiences. The success of The Thin Man series led to many imitations. William Powell shared his urbane, nonchalant smarts with a few other female comedy stars. And was so irresistible, it always works.
This is among the best of these. There is a serviceable mystery about the murder of a jockey with a black widow spider when just about to take the lead in a horserace loaded with large, dubious bets. The cast of suspects is a little grey, but it intoxicates because of the sparring of Powell with screwball great, Jean Arthur.
He is a police doctor, the kind who lives in a huge, deco apartment and employs Eric Blore as his butler. She is a chic, successful writer of detective stories who was divorced by Powell because she kept involving him in madcap murder mysteries. And she tries to win him back, by tangling him up in... tracking down the dangerous killer of a jockey.
James Gleason gives fine support as the long suffering Irish detective. There's a funny/crazy script. The stars are superb and this could easily have been a successful series. Arthur has a lot of fabulous gowns. Powell is so practiced at opening bottles of champagne that he can hit a gong with the cork at ten paces. It's charming and effortless studio-age escapism.