} Crítica Retrô: Casar por Azar (1932) / No Man of Her Own (1932)

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Casar por Azar (1932) / No Man of Her Own (1932)


Todos nós conhecemos Clark Gable e Carole Lombard como um casal, casados desde 1939 até a morte prematura dela em 1942. Mas, anos antes de eles se apaixonarem na vida real, eles interpretaram um casal em um filme. Em “Casar por Azar” (1932), o nome de Gable apareceu acima do título – sinal de status –, ele não tinha bigode e Carole era uma loura platinada. As coisas eram, com certeza, muito diferentes.

We all know Clark Gable and Carole Lombard as a couple, married from 1939 until his untimely death in 1942. But, years before they fell in love for real, they played a couple in a film. In “No Man of Her Own” (1932), Gable's name was above the title, he had no mustache and Carole was a platinum blonde. Things were, for certain, very different.


Jerry ‘Babe’ Stewart (Gable) organiza jogos de cartas com três outras pessoas, incluindo sua ex Kay Everly (Dorothy Mackaill). A função de Kay é convencer homens ricos a participar dos jogos, tirando alguns milhares de dólares deles com um jogo manipulado. Quando ele se vê cercado de problemas – as causas destes problemas são Kay e um dos jogadores – Jerry foge e por acaso vai para a cidadezinha de Glendale, onde Connie Randall (Lombard) vive com sua família.

Jerry 'Babe' Stewart (Gable) puts up card games with three other people, including his former girl Kay Everly (Dorothy Mackaill). Kay's function is to lure rich men into playing cards with them, until the man has lost a few thousand dollars in the rigged game. Once in trouble – with both Kay and a player – Jerry runs away and by chance ends up in the small city of Glendale, where Connie Randall (Lombard) and her family live.


Connie vem de uma família simples e trabalha como bibliotecária. O primeiro encontro de Jerry e Connie é caliente, e eles instantaneamente sentem atração um pelo outro. Ele é mais direto, e ela não é uma garota simplória do interior. Ela quer aceitar as investidas dele, mas reluta em fazê-lo. A sequência labiríntica, qual jogo de gato e rato, na biblioteca filmada em plongée (de cima para baixo) é uma epítome do que é flertar.

Connie comes from a simple family and works as a librarian. Jerry's and Connie's first meeting is a steamy one, with both instantly attracted by each other. He is more straightforward, and she is no simpleton from a small town. She wants to say yes to him, but is reluctant. Their cat and mouse, labyrinthine sequence in the library filmed from above is an epitome of what flirting is.


Agora Jerry e Connie estão juntos, mas ele não pretende ficar muito tempo sem ela. Kay não é mais problema: ela está em um cruzeiro no Caribe. Connie será um grande problema, porque, para manter a farsa, Jerry precisará fingir que tem um emprego. Além disso, Connie começa a suspeitar das noites de jogo de Jerry.

Now Jerry and Connie are together, but he doesn't intend to be with her for long. Kay will be no problem: she is away in a cruise through the Caribbean. Connie will be a great trouble, because, to keep the farce, Jerry will need to pretend he has a job. Besides that, Connie starts to get suspicious of Jerry's game nights.


Há poucos filmes pre-Code mais ousados que “Casar por Azar”. Neste filme, temos tanto Dorothy Mackaill quanto Carole Lombard se despindo – e Lombard correndo de lingerie para atender ao telefone e depois colocando pijamas de seda quase transparente -, o peito nu de Gable no chuveiro, muita paquera e referências nem um pouco veladas ao ato de “fazer amor”. E é tudo deliciosamente libertador!

There are few pre-Codes naughtier than “No Man of Her Own”. In this film, we have gratuitous undressing scenes featuring both Mackaill and Lombard – and Lombard running in her underwear to answer a phone and then changing to almost transparent silk pajamas –, Gable's naked torso in the shower, a lot of flirting and unapologetic references to making love. And it's all a delight and so freeing!


O director Wesley Ruggles é um mestre do pre-Code. Além de “Casar por Azar”, ele dirigiu “Santa Não Sou” (1933), com Mae West, e trabalhou sem ser creditado em “Cimarron” (1931) - nos créditos ele não aparece como diretor, mas sim como "uma produção Wesley Ruggles". Ele também fez “Luar, Música e Amor” (1925), no qual tanto Gable quanto Lombard trabalharam como figurantes, sem fazerem cenas juntos. E se você está se perguntando: sim, Wesley é parente do conhecido ator coadjuvante Charles Ruggles – eles são irmãos.

Director Wesley Ruggles is a pre-Code master. Besides “No Man of Her Own”, he directed Mae West’s “I’m No Angel” (1933) and did uncredited work in “Cimarron” (1931) - he doesn't appear as the director in the credits, it's only "a Wesley Ruggles production". He also did “The Plastic Age” (1925), in which both Gable and Lombard appeared as extras, sharing no scenes. And if you’re wondering: yes, Wesley is related to beloved character actor Charles Ruggles – they are brothers.


Tanto Gable quanto Lombard estavam casados quando filmaram “Casar por Azar”. Gable era casado com Rhea Langham, sua segunda esposa. Lombard era casada com o ator William Powell, de quem ela continuou amiga após o divórcio. De acordo com o IMDb, Gable e Lombard se mostraram indiferentes em relação um ao outro durante as filmagens, embora seus personagens tenham muita química.

Both Gable and Lombard were married when they made “No Man of Her Own”. Gable was then married to Rhea Langham, his second wife. Lombard was married to fellow actor William Powell, with whom she remained friends after the divorce. According to IMDb, Gable and Lombard were indifferent at each other while shooting the film, although the two characters have immense chemistry.


Carole Lombard não foi a primeira opção para interpretar Connie – foi Miriam Hopkins. Curiosamente, aqui Carole se parece um pouco com Jean Harlow, que começou uma bem-sucedida parceria com Gable em 1932. Tanto a persona cinematográfica de Harlow quanto a personagem de Carole têm cabelo claro, grande elegância, otimismo e alegria contagiante.

Carole Lombard wasn't the first choice to play Connie – it was Miriam Hopkins. Curiously, here Carole looks a little like Jean Harlow, who started her successful partnership with Gable in 1932. Both Harlow's screen persona and Lombard's character have light hair, a great fashion sense and a contagious joy and optimism.


“Casar por Azar” não é uma screwball comedy. Ao misturar crime e romance, o filme se parece mais com outras produções estreladas por Clark Gable no período pre-Code – em especial “Possuída”, de 1931 – e ele desafia qualquer tipo de classificação em gêneros e subgêneros. Com 81 minutos, é um filme rápido e divertido – e que mostra tudo o que os cineastas podiam fazer antes de a censura chegar.

“No Man of Her Own” isn’t a screwball comedy. Mixing crime and romance, it looks more like other Clark Gable pre-Codes – 1931’s “Possessed” comes to my mind – and it defies all kinds of classification in genres and subgenres. Clocking in at 81 minutes, it’s a quick, enjoyable movie – and it shows the wonders filmmakers could accomplish before censorship came.

This is my contribution to the Second Clark Gable blogathon, hosted by Michaela at Love Letters to Old Hollywood.


3 comments:

  1. I know I haven't seen this picture, and I know that I definitely will the next time the opportunity arises. You make it seem like a genuine pre-code delight.

    PS: As a fan of Wesley Ruggles I don't believe he was uncredited on Cimarron. In fact, he was nominated for the Oscar. I am perfectly willing to stand corrected. Despite what the hubby says, I know I don't know everything.

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  2. I've always found it rather fascinating seeing Gable and Lombard on screen together during a time before there was any real attraction between them. Since their film chemistry is strong, it makes me wonder what changed between them to generate a real physical attraction.

    I'm glad you shared a bit about the director Wesley Ruggles. Many times when I watch a pre-code I enjoy, I'll notice Ruggles is the director, but I never really realized how many great films he was a part of.

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  3. This film looks so great! I had heard about it before, but I wasn't really intrigued until I read your wonderful review. I also agree with Brittaney -- it's fascinating that Gable and Lombard didn't come together until some years after the film.

    Thanks for contributing to my blogathon!

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