How a 1936 screwball comedy turned a $5 million libel suit into a romantic farce
In short: When a wealthy socialite sues a newspaper for millions, the editor orchestrates an elaborate scheme to entrap her. He hires a charming reporter to stage a fake romance, but the plan spirals into chaos when the hired man falls for his target, and his own fake wife demands a real commitment.
Released in 1936, Libeled Lady stands as a quintessential example of the era's screwball comedies. The plot centers on Connie Allenbury, who sues the New York Evening Star for $5 million after being falsely accused of scandal. Desperate to avoid the payout, managing editor Warren Haggerty recruits a former reporter, Bill Chandler, to compromise Connie’s reputation. The plan requires Bill to marry Haggerty’s long-suffering fiancée, Gladys Benton, in a sham ceremony, allowing Bill to pursue Connie without legal repercussions.
The production was marked by complex off-screen dynamics. MGM insisted on pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy, despite Jean Harlow’s desire to play the lead role opposite her real-life partner, Powell. Consequently, Harlow took the role of Gladys, while Spencer Tracy, who was reportedly infatuated with Loy, humorously protested her real-life marriage to Arthur Hornblow Jr. by creating an anti-Hornblow table in the studio commissary. Filming took place between mid-July and September 1, 1936, with location work in Sonora, California.
Upon its release on October 9, 1936, the film became a significant commercial success, earning $2.7 million globally and clearing over $1 million in profit. It ranked among the top twenty box-office hits of the year and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, though it ultimately lost to The Great Ziegfeld. Critics have long debated its legacy; while some, like Leonard Maltin, praised the high-energy performances of its four leads, others like Pauline Kael found the relentless pacing and constant shouting to be somewhat lacking in charm.
The film’s technical production included creative visual tricks, such as using the RMS Berengaria and the SS Normandie to represent a single passenger liner. The story’s resolution hinges on a series of legal complications involving invalid divorces and shifting romantic loyalties, ultimately forcing the characters to confront their true feelings. It remains a notable artifact of 1930s Hollywood, capturing the frenetic energy and star-driven studio system of the time.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Libeled Lady
- Also: Wikidata — Libeled Lady · CC0
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