Background to that '30s era: this 1934 film is often called the first (of the many following) in the 'screwball comedy' genre; it came out in the worst of the Great Depression (US unemployment in 1928 was 2.9%, by 1933 it hit 25%; millions were hungry and desperate, leading to some antagonisms between economic classes). This was also a time when women's roles were changing in the US: the 'women's suffrage' movement gained women the right to vote in 1920 (19th Amendment), more equality in decision-making, more freedom in dress, gender & sexual roles (e.g., '20s 'Flappers'). "Screwball comedies" capitalized and fed on those changes: they typically "feature farcical situations, a combination of slap-stick with fast-paced repartee and show struggles between" (central characters of different) "economic classes. They also generally feature a self-confident and often stubborn central female protagonist and a plot involving courtship and marriage or remarriage" ("quotes" from Wikipedia).
A young 30's Gable plays "Peter," a drinking, hard boiled newspaper reporter just fired from his job when he accidentally meets the young 20's "Ellie" (a young 30's Colbert) who's increasingly rebelled against the escalating but failing attempts of her upper class, super-rich father to control her. He tries to keep her on his Florida yacht while arranging to annul Ellie's impulsive marriage to a man (whom her father recognizes but Ellie doesn't as mainly interested in her wealth). But Ellie escapes her father's captivity and sets off to NYC to be reunited with her new spouse. On her way, she meets Gable who's initially interested in helping her because it'll lead to his scoop of a newspaper story (and reinstatement of his job). But then--romance eventually, gradually, starts to happen between you know who.
My rating: 6 of 10 I found this interesting as a time-traveling experience--early '30s bus rides, clothes, roles, attitudes, etc.-- but all the people seemed to me to be too much caricatures and not enough real characters. (However, many people on IMDb's "Discussion Board" say the more often they've seen this film, the more highly they value it--many saying it's among their most favorite films of all--so maybe familiarity breeds appreciation?) FWIW: Neither Gable nor Colbert wanted to be in this film; MGM "loaned" them to Columbia Pictures, then a 2nd rate movie company, for this movie as punishment for each being too "uppity" and/or violating MGM policies. But, after this film gained such outstanding success (lifting Columbia's rank to among the majors) and substantially helped both Gable's & Colbert's careers, they came to appreciate it.
A young 30's Gable plays "Peter," a drinking, hard boiled newspaper reporter just fired from his job when he accidentally meets the young 20's "Ellie" (a young 30's Colbert) who's increasingly rebelled against the escalating but failing attempts of her upper class, super-rich father to control her. He tries to keep her on his Florida yacht while arranging to annul Ellie's impulsive marriage to a man (whom her father recognizes but Ellie doesn't as mainly interested in her wealth). But Ellie escapes her father's captivity and sets off to NYC to be reunited with her new spouse. On her way, she meets Gable who's initially interested in helping her because it'll lead to his scoop of a newspaper story (and reinstatement of his job). But then--romance eventually, gradually, starts to happen between you know who.
My rating: 6 of 10 I found this interesting as a time-traveling experience--early '30s bus rides, clothes, roles, attitudes, etc.-- but all the people seemed to me to be too much caricatures and not enough real characters. (However, many people on IMDb's "Discussion Board" say the more often they've seen this film, the more highly they value it--many saying it's among their most favorite films of all--so maybe familiarity breeds appreciation?) FWIW: Neither Gable nor Colbert wanted to be in this film; MGM "loaned" them to Columbia Pictures, then a 2nd rate movie company, for this movie as punishment for each being too "uppity" and/or violating MGM policies. But, after this film gained such outstanding success (lifting Columbia's rank to among the majors) and substantially helped both Gable's & Colbert's careers, they came to appreciate it.