Two Heads on a Pillow (1934) Online

After Jack Smith (Neil Hamilton) and his wife (Miriam Jordan) divorce, she completes her legal education, and they oppose each other in a courtroom in a case involving damages over an annulment forced by a meddling mother-in-law. The case itself reflects the root cause of their own divorce (a meddling mother-in-law). Whether love wins over the "battle axe" dowagers in either case is the basis for the plot of this little comedy.

In some ways this film is a precursor to "Adam's Rib," but Hamilton and Jordan, of course, can't rival Tracey and Hepburn. Even so, there are some notable features making a viewing worthwhile. First, Jordan does a pretty good job of portraying a competent, self-assured and successful layer at a time when women attorneys were rare. Second, she also makes a worthwhile and (relevant to our own times), albeit brief, statement about the credentials as a true American of the son of the immigrant businessman Henry Populopulini (played fabulously by Henry Armetta, who stole every scene he was in). Third, the film offers a case study about attitudes toward marriage, in-laws, and class consciousness in 1934.

Although stagy, with a somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying ending, we can be grateful to the Library of Congress for restoring this film.

When I see the name, Henry Armetta on a film's credits, I cringe in my seat. And when that name is posted not fifty-sixth but third in a movie's billing, I rush – not walk – to the nearest exit. Armetta had 23 roles in 23 movies in 1934 alone. Hopefully in the other 22, he was not as vigorously or determinedly hammy as he is in this one, in which he has obviously been encouraged by the director, William Nigh, to seize upon every one of his lines as a shower of gold and to work it up at the top range of his voice and gestures. When they can get a few scenes in edge-ways, Neil Hamilton and Miriam Jordan come across with a reasonable, if somewhat over-subdued competence, although the rather less than sparkling script by Albert DeMond and Dorothy Canfield does not help them a great deal, nor does, as said, the determinedly plodding, totally uninspired direction by William Nigh who previously did such marvelous work promoting Joan Crawford at the expense of the movie's nominal star, Ramon Novarro, in "Across to Singapore" (1928). Speaking of silent stars, Betty Blythe has a small role here as Mrs. Agnes Walker. Available on a less than standard quality TV print from Alpha DVD.