We all have our biases concerning favorite actors and actresses. The more of I see of Myrna Loy and William Powell, the more they impress me, and Libeled Lady doesn't disappoint. However, I feel Spencer Tracy was miscast; I didn't find him very funny in this movie. And as for Jean Harlow, she was at times amusing, but after awhile her overacting got under my skin. I agree with one reviewer that at times she was behaving like a gangster's moll. However, her evolving relationship with Powell was a nice twist. The middle section where William Powell goes fishing was a refreshing change of pace, especially with the outdoor setting, though his ineptness was a bit over the top. I wonder if they derived some inspiration for the fishing sequences from Buster Keaton's 1923 short, The Balloonatic. For me, the scenes with Loy and Powell were by far the most satisfying. I doubt he has an equal in delivering witty lines oozing with biting sarcasm. I strongly disagree with many of the reviews rating this one of the greatest romantic comedies ever, even comparing it to My Man Godfrey. While that movie had one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen (with Powell delivering a surprising, brutally honest, assessment of the family he's been working for), the ending to Libeled Lady is a dreadful contrived mess that attempts to dismiss rather difficult complications in noisy, albeit trivial, fashion (as if they had no idea how to end it). Nevertheless, it's well worth the watch to see William Powell in top form.
Review of Libeled Lady
