Second Honeymoon (1937) User Reviews

Depression escapism with beautiful people

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 9 November 2005]

"Second Honeymoon" is a fluffy comedy which probably had its genesis in "Private Lives." It concerns a beautiful divorcée (Loretta Young) who, upon marrying her second husband (Lyle Talbot) runs into her first (Tyrone Power). Everyone is rich, magnificently dressed, and does a lot of traveling in the spirit of Hollywood escapism during the Depression.

This movie is talky and doesn't have the energy or enough of the humor of "Cafe Metropole," another early Power-Young film. Even with an 85 minute or thereabouts running time, it felt long.

There are some very good performances. Stuart Erwin plays Power's valet, and he has an interesting characterization. Claire Trevor is delightful in a supporting role, and Marjorie Weaver brings liveliness to the part of Joy.

Young is absolutely fabulous looking and is appropriately jealous and angry when the script calls for it. Power is absurdly handsome, just stunning, and alas, doesn't have too much to do. It's an extremely lightweight role. It's probably just as well. It was difficult to do anything but ogle when he was on screen in this one.

Rather hysterical...and far from the stars' best work

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 14 January 2009]

This screwball comedy surprised me. I've already seen a few Tyrone Power-Loretta Young films and liked them very much. This one, on the other hand, was far less enjoyable and just a bit shrill--with lots of actors shouting their lines--even the usually demure Miss Young. All too often, the film seemed to try a bit too hard and ended up being a very loud and far from subtle film.

Power and Young play a couple who have divorced each other and now Young is married to dull old Lyle Talbot. When Power comes on to the scene, he claims it's all an accident and he has no intentions towards his -ex, but it's obvious to almost everyone (except poor Lyle) that Tyrone wants his wife back. In many ways, the film reminds me of several of Cary Grant's films such as THE AWFUL TRUTH and MY FAVORITE WIFE, as well as the Colbert-McCrea film, PALM BEACH STORY--though all of these films are made better. The bottom line is that there have been many similar movies that were simply written better--with better dialog and far less yelling. As a result, this is a thoroughly mediocre film and not among the stars' best.

By the way, look for Lon Chaney, Jr. in a tiny part as a reported towards the end of the film. Look fast or you'll miss him in one of his earlier roles.

Tyrone Power and Loretta Young reunited

[kevinolzak · 5/10 · 30 August 2017]

1937's "Second Honeymoon" reunites the stars of "Love is News," Tyrone Power and Loretta Young, this film coasting along at a slower pace than its predecessor, less amusing and quite predictable. Loretta, living in Miami with second husband Lyle Talbot, just happens to encounter former spouse Power (yeah, right!), and they immediately kiss before we learn that they USED to be married! From there surprises are few, as Talbot may be a good provider but is also prissy and businesslike, while the happy go lucky Tyrone, the very qualities responsible for his divorce, proves now to be irresistible to the undecided bride. There are some minor complications involving Marjorie Weaver, whose Kentucky working girl catches the eye of both husbands, winding up marrying Power's new valet Stuart Erwin. Among the unbilled reporters appearing in the final reel is Lon Chaney, getting some unintelligible dialogue and virtually nothing to do, one year into his forgettable two years as a Fox contract player, his role in the earlier "Love is News" excised from the film prior to release. Chaney did survive as another reporter in Power's "Thin Ice," opposite Sonja Henie, and plays a photographer in the upcoming "Alexander's Ragtime Band," with his future co-star John Carradine assuming the role of a taxi driver.

Come late!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 8 March 2017]

Come late! Yes, you'll enjoy this movie much more if you come in around 15 minutes late. The opening expositions are not only slow, flat- footed and extremely dull, but they feature a ridiculously miscast Tyrone Power. Admittedly, Mr. Power is nattily attired and emits a breezy personality. But he doesn't fool us, even though director Walter Lang has seen to it that Loretta Young gets the pick of the camera angles. I don't know about you, but I was never a great fan of Loretta. She always struck me as being too businesslike, too self-centered, too untruthful and too mannish – although not afraid to use any amount of feminine whims to accomplish her purposes: Selfish and self-centered as they always were, she always needed a man like Clark Gable (which she got in Key to the City) to stand up to her.

Claire Trevor has a small, inconsequential part, although we like her costumes and coiffure – which are not too over-shadowed by Miss Young's even though Milady Young gets the pick of the camera angles.

Marjorie Weaver, although she has a part larger than Trevor's, is the one that suffers in the costumes designed for and photography stakes. Some of her close-ups, for example, leave a whole lot to be desired. Unfortunately, this is virtually what happened to Marjorie throughout her entire career. She came mighty close to major stardom, but never ever crossed the dividing line! "Sally, Irene and Mary" is a typical Weaver entry. Although she plays Mary, her credit on the poster is so small, it makes little impression.

On the other hand, although hidden way down Second Honeymoon's cast list, Lyle Talbot has a large part as Miss Young's present husband. Needless to say, both script and direction constantly remind us that Talbot is a comic figure who elicits little audience sympathy, although I myself found him far more likable than the preposterous Ty Power character. I also enjoyed Paul Hurst, who does a wonderful turn here as the inebriated Huggins.

All told, however, Walter Lang's direction of this 84-minutes slice of escapist entertainment is the acme of polish, although it puts as little strain on the facial muscles as it does on our brains. Even so, just be sure you come late and don't examine it too closely!

Supporting cast provide much of the humor in this light comedy

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 24 February 2022]

"Second Honeymoon" is a somewhat different comedy romance, and I agree with others who call this one fluff. One thing I noted in Tyrone Power is that he seems a little more at ease in a comedy film. He actually has some smiles and faces others than frowns or chagrins that he had in his first comedies. Still, it's obvious that Power is not a natural for comedies. He clearly has to be in a straight-man role, off of which the leading actress can work the best comedy.

Loretta Young was one actress who could work the comedy beautifully with Power. Their earlier two comedy romance films in 1937 were superb with wonderful comedy - "Love is News" and "Café Metropole." But this one doesn't have near the comedy, probably due mostly to the different plot that doesn't have a very good screenplay. The leads alone would not have made much of this film, but a supporting cast with some good performances and situational humor lifts the picture enough to earn it six stars. Those good supporting performances are Stuart Erwin as Leo MacTavish, Marjorie Weaver as Joy, Claire Trevor as Marcia, J. Edward Bromberg as Herbie, Lyle Talbot as Bob Benton and Paul Hurst as Dennis Huggins. It's nice to see Weaver and Bromberg, especially, because they didn't have long careers, but were very good actors.

The difference in this film is two formerly married people meeting by chance at the same vacation place, and their romance rekindling, while the remarried woman's husband has business problems. He, Talbot's Bob Benton, starts off having a party and some fun with the first husband of his wife. While the screenplay has holes and poor continuity or connectivity between scenes, the script has a couple of funny situations. One is when a few of the friends decide to go pronging - spear fishing from a boat at night, and they shoot a deck gun into a giant ray. Another is Benton sending a wrapped gift to Power's Raoul McLiesh - a caged racoon, which Raoul names Violet.

The script doesn't have a lot of funny or witty lines. Here are the better ones.

Raoul McLiesh, "Joy, I'm not a married man, and I'm not trying to get fresh, but will you kiss me?" Joy, "Of course."

Joy, "Why did you do that?" Raoul McLiesh, "I Just wanted to see what it was like to kiss an honest woman."

Leo MacTavish, "My experience with dalliance has been nil." Joy, "Dalliance?" Mac, "It means to dally around wantonly."

Raoul McLiesh, "And by the way, just what kind of a belt business is this anyway? Wheels or pants?" Vicky Benton, "Wheels. Automobile wheels. And incidentally, is that ink business of yours so much better than his belt business?" Raoul, "Oh, go to bed."

Raoul McLiesh, "Isn't that just like a woman?" Vicky Benton, "What?" Raoul, "Not satisfied with ridding my life of its happiness, not content with a husband who's a veritable oak of society, you want to eliminate my pitiful pastimes."

Solid Virtues Deprecated

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 20 December 2009]

I guess it's somewhat fortunate that I recently watched Woody Allen's Radio Days because Second Honeymoon seemed to be about just the kind of people that his family used, his mother especially, used to listen to on the radio. These people who go to glamorous nightclubs and never seem to worry about where the money is, the kind of people during the Depression everyone would fantasize about.

Loretta Young seems to have gotten off the fantasy trip. She was married for awhile to Tyrone Power who is a Thirties type playboy who normally would be found over at MGM played by Robert Montgomery or Franchot Tone. But life was too much of an adventure with the irresponsible Power, so she got rid of him and married reliable old and dull Lyle Talbot.

Now when Power and Young meet up again quite accidentally at a resort vacation if you're any kind of movie fan you KNOW they'll be back together. Curious that Talbot's very reliability, the kind of man most in the Thirties in real life would have liked to have as provider is just dismissed here. Of course Talbot's given a roving eye himself so he's not made a sympathetic figure.

I thought of Radio Days and the parents who when it is reported that Power's renewed interest in Young is reported in Walter Winchell's column that they would be listening to Winchell and hanging on every word of gossip he had about the beautiful people.

No doubt about it though, Power and Young were certainly beautiful people back in the day. Second Honeymoon though is a fluff kind of fantasy comedy that would never fly today, I'm not sure how well it got off the ground in 1937.

In 5 minutes, you will fall in love with Marjorie Weaver

[rlymzv · 9/10 · 18 January 2021]

Although she did not receive top billing, Marjorie Weaver is the superstar of this movie. Near the beginning of the movie, a group of people are at a fancy nightclub in Miami, (Remember, this is before the collapse of most big cities.) They are a little annoyed because Tyrone Power is running late, he does show up, and with him is his new date, Marjorie Weaver!

All the other women at the table are dressed in fancy evening gowns, Marjorie however has on a simple, but nice dress. Introductions are made and it becomes clear than Marjorie is NOT in their class. Marjorie only has a high school education and speaks with an adorable Kentucky accent. (She was actually born in Kentucky and that's how she really talks.) What's unique about her in this setting is not only is she much prettier than the "big" stars, but her homespun, unpretentious, honest attitude makes all of the men desirous of her, and the women turn green with jealousy.

Marjorie, (Joy) openly admits that she thought that she would never get to go to "such a nice place" and see so many nice people. Not too different from the real Marjorie Weaver. Tyrone drives Marjorie home, during the drive Tyrone stops the car and says "I'm not married, and I'm not getting fresh, but may I kiss you?" Marjorie replies enthusiastically, Yes! After the kiss she asked why did you want to kiss me? Tyrone replies "I just wanted to kiss ONE honest woman."

The rest of the movie is entertaining as well. I just wanted to describe my favorite scene. One of my favorite movies with Marjorie Weaver is "I'll give a million".