Private Lives

Released Dec 12, 1931

1h 24m

Comedy

List

80%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Amanda (Norma Shearer) and her new husband, Victor (Reginald Denny), are on their honeymoon in Switzerland. As luck would have it, in the same hotel in a nearby room, enjoying his honeymoon, is Elyot (Robert Montgomery), Amanda's ex-husband, who just married Sibyl (Una Merkel). When Amanda and Elyot cross paths they realize they still care for one another. They quietly rendezvous, only to start bickering, leaving them both to wonder if being apart is just as impossible as being together.

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Audience Member

It's a swift and witty film that is one of the most intelligent comedies I have seen. The direction is excellent and Norm Shearer gives an alert, sharp portrayal. Robert Montgomery struggles with matters at the outset but he soon succeeds in doing well enough with his role.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

'Private Lives' starts simply enough, with Norma Shearer together with her new husband after having been divorced from Robert Montgomery, and him together with his new wife. As fate (or playwright Noel Coward) would have it, they happen to end up spending their honeymoons in adjoining suites. I suppose you can imagine what comes next as their love is rekindled, but what happens beyond that is a little bit of a surprise. It feels like a 1931 version of 'Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', though without the same weight. Shearer is natural and plays 'exasperated' well, but she overacts at others times, and Montgomery is similarly uneven. They do have some level of chemistry, and the best scene that has them worked up to near violence (her hitting him over the head with a record, him slapping her, her running to the couch to bury her head and kicking her legs) is probably the best of the movie, but even that has an air or ridiculousness about it, meaning it hasn't aged terribly well. Their co-stars, Reginald Denny and Una Merkel are bland and unappealing. The theme is timeless, the difficulty of staying happy in relationships, and the danger of thinking the grass is always greener. There are some nice moments, such as when Shearer is expounding on the wonders of travel, saying she loves "arriving at strange places, meeting strange people, and eating strange food", and then Montgomery quips, "yes, and making strange noises afterwards". It is also risqué in some parts, such as this exchange early on: Denny: He struck you once, didn't he? Shearer (smiling): Oh, more than once. Denny (concerned): where? Shearer (smiling and raising an eyebrow): Several places... For every element I found I liked, there was an equally unappealing element, and in this case I suppose Montgomery's line that "certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs" later in the movie is that. It's not awful, but the movie gets tedious with all of the bickering, and I found myself happy when it was over.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Private Lives showcases the comedic skills of Shearer and Montgomery as well as their onscreen chemistry. I can see how some might not enjoy this film that revolves around pretty horrible people, but I love Noel Coward and fast paced comedies. It is definitely a product of its time, but for me that's the charm.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

another pre-code love triangle pic

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

I really liked the performances by Narma Shearer and Robert Montgomery, father of Elizabeth Montgomery...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

very good version of coward play-amazing cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Sidney Franklin

Director

Norma Shearer

Amanda "Mandy" Chase Prynne

Robert Montgomery

Elyot "Elly" Chase

Reginald Denny

Victor Prynne

Una Merkel

Sibyl Chase

Jean Hersholt

Oscar

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

An early talkie attempt at glittering theatrical sophistication-and, somehow, in its own terms, it works.

May 9, 2016

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 3/5

Apr 30, 2004

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 19, 2005

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Sarah Chauncey

Reel.com

Rated: 4/5

Jun 4, 2004

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TV Guide

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 30, 2003

Full Review

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Synopsis

Amanda (Norma Shearer) and her new husband, Victor (Reginald Denny), are on their honeymoon in Switzerland. As luck would have it, in the same hotel in a nearby room, enjoying his honeymoon, is Elyot (Robert Montgomery), Amanda's ex-husband, who just married Sibyl (Una Merkel). When Amanda and Elyot cross paths they realize they still care for one another. They quietly rendezvous, only to start bickering, leaving them both to wonder if being apart is just as impossible as being together.

Director: Sidney Franklin
Screenwriter: Noël Coward, Hanns Kräly, Richard Schayer
Distributor: Loew's Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 1931, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 26, 2017
Runtime: 1h 24m
Sound Mix: Mono

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