Sad to say, the lovely, breezy Clara Bow was not well liked by her female acting colleagues in 1930. To a woman, they were jealous of her success and of her instant mastery of the sound medium. She didn't require any lessons. She didn't have to undo any stage training. Quickly adjusting to sound, she just breezed through her roles the way she normally did them. But all the constant carping from her colleagues gradually made her lose confidence in herself. They criticized her accent, her delivery, her stance – everything.
Adding to the mix, Clara herself was courageously honest about her horrific childhood in Brooklyn, her abusive parents and their mental instability. This truthful version of a star's hideous life story was an absolute no-no with her colleagues who always acted as if their glamorous film roles reflected either their own upbringing in some idyllic small town OR that they were the heirs of equally famous show-business parents.
Fortunately, Clara is at her brightest, funniest and sexiest in No Limit – which is most fortunate as she receives little support from the rest of the cast with the exceptions of Dixie Lee (who simply disappears from the plot) and Thelma Todd (who has little more than a walk-on). Her leading man, Norman Foster, is both a bore and a jellyfish. Stuart Erwin has little to do – which is fortunate as I'm not sympathetic to his shtick. His easily-duped dope can be funny in the right circumstances, but this script does not provide them. The character was obviously written for Jack Oakie; but a Jack Oakie brand of garrulous, self-important idiot, Stuart Erwin most definitely is not. As for Harry Green, I can take him or leave him, though I tend to agree with the 99% of movie lovers who would much rather leave him. The rest of the players, including Mischa Auer, are just background scenery.
The movie's finest moments are right at the very beginning of the picture when Clara and Dixie are running for the 6th Avenue El. A pity the writers and the director couldn't keep up this level of inspiration for the rest of the movie!
Adding to the mix, Clara herself was courageously honest about her horrific childhood in Brooklyn, her abusive parents and their mental instability. This truthful version of a star's hideous life story was an absolute no-no with her colleagues who always acted as if their glamorous film roles reflected either their own upbringing in some idyllic small town OR that they were the heirs of equally famous show-business parents.
Fortunately, Clara is at her brightest, funniest and sexiest in No Limit – which is most fortunate as she receives little support from the rest of the cast with the exceptions of Dixie Lee (who simply disappears from the plot) and Thelma Todd (who has little more than a walk-on). Her leading man, Norman Foster, is both a bore and a jellyfish. Stuart Erwin has little to do – which is fortunate as I'm not sympathetic to his shtick. His easily-duped dope can be funny in the right circumstances, but this script does not provide them. The character was obviously written for Jack Oakie; but a Jack Oakie brand of garrulous, self-important idiot, Stuart Erwin most definitely is not. As for Harry Green, I can take him or leave him, though I tend to agree with the 99% of movie lovers who would much rather leave him. The rest of the players, including Mischa Auer, are just background scenery.
The movie's finest moments are right at the very beginning of the picture when Clara and Dixie are running for the 6th Avenue El. A pity the writers and the director couldn't keep up this level of inspiration for the rest of the movie!