We're in the Money Film Review

A quick injection of fizzy champagne for those of us who are fans of the Joan Blondell - Glenda Farrell films from Warners. They palled up for a bunch of films in the 1930s as friends supporting each other and trying to get through the tough times. It is the Depression and though rarely explicitly referred to, the audiences at the time sure knew it. Sometimes gold diggers or just looking for a man or hoping for a lucky break, they make their way with acerbic wit, cynicism and a never give up attitude. Most of them were directed by Ray Enright as is this one. And what would one of their films be without the inclusion of Hugh Herbert and his comic schtick of amiable confused eccentricity. From what I have read all these Warner B film actors and directors were all good friends off screen - in particular Blondell and Farrell who were friends for life. Both had similar film personas of independent women who take no shit and can shoot off a retort faster than a six-gun. Blondell is usually the softer one though and the magnet for men with as one person puts it in this film "eyes like teaspoons of the Mediterranean". This runs a mere 66 minutes which is just about right.

They are process servers of subpoenas who work for Herbert. They work as a team with Blondell handing out the honey to attract the man and Farrell as the back-up with a snarl. They are pretty good at their job but have had enough and plan to quit. Blondell has fallen in love with a chauffeur (Ross Alexander) and wants to spend her time kissing him on a bench in the park. He doesn't know what she does and vice versa. But Herbert in his mixed-up manner promises to give them a thousand dollars for one last job - serve subpoenas to four men who have a habit of beating up servers. A singer, a mobster, a wrestler (the real Man Mountain Dean) and the wealthy man the suit is being brought against for breaking his word to be married to a woman (Anita Kerry).

Their plays of getting the subpoenas to the first three are very clever and successful - but getting to the fourth is way more complicated and of course he turns out to be the faux chauffeur that Blondell is in love with. It all speeds along just fine. Ross Alexander was one of those tragic Hollywood stories. He looked to be on his way to a successful career with parts in Flirtation Walk, Captain Blood and China Clipper. But he had one thing against him - he was a homosexual and the studio kept having to cover up for him - even getting him married twice - one who killed herself. He ended up doing the same in 1937 at 27-years old. Hollywood is littered with tragic lives.