Tag Archives: Otto Kruger

The popular Ivor Novello musical play Glamorous Night was given a conservative film treatment in 1937–minus much of the Novello score that had made it famous. Opera singer Mary Ellis plays an opera singer (why not?) who falls in with a band of roguish but likeable gypsies. Mary manages to convince her Bohemian cohorts to rescue the King from the machinations of his ambitious prime minister. As “cast insurance” to make certain that Glamorous Night would get American bookings, Hollywood character actors Otto Kruger and Victor Jory are given leading roles. The US distributors also sliced the film down from 81 to 65 minutes, through the simple expedient of removing several songs.
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Richard Field is a successful businessman who has become romantically involved with younger employee Diane Lovering, but he is unable to persuade his grasping wife to grant him a divorce out of his dysfunctional marriage. Diane meets dashing rancher Mike Bradley through his wise-cracking pal Johnnie on a South American ocean voyage, and they begin a shipboard romance that carries over to his Argentinian ranch. Diane decides to return to New York and tell Richard in person that she intends to marry Mike Bradley. When Diane gets there Richard surprises her with a wedding ring and the morning newspaper citing Mrs. Field is in Reno obtaining a divorce. Richard had to agree not only to a large monetary settlement but was forbidden to see his sons. Diane didn’t have the heart to tell Richard about Mike and decides to marry him. Diane writes a “Dear John letter” to Mike explaining a calculated mercenary decision that she prefers the position and financial status that Field’s can offer her …
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The Big Boss is Jim Maloney (Otto Kruger), who pulls all the political strings in an unnamed major metropolis. Maloney’s chief antagonist is scrupulously honest “reform” governor Bob Dugan (John Litel). The fact that Maloney and Dugan are actually brothers, orphaned in childhood and raised separately, adds both texture and poignancy to their current adversarial relationship. Intending to reveal his fraternal ties to Dugan at a crucial moment in the latter’s anti-corruption campaign, Maloney is ultimately defeated by the forces of Righteousness. Outside of the always dependable Otto Kruger and John Litel, the film’s best performance is delivered by the underrated Gloria Dickson as a fairly realistic newspaperwoman.
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