Zeus

Expensive Women (1931)

• Director
  • Hobart Henley
• Writers
  • Wilson Collison(by)
  • Harvey F. Thew(adaptation)
  • Raymond Griffith(adaptation)
• Stars
  • Dolores Costello
  • H.B. Warner
  • Warren William

  Dolores Costello spent the twilight months of her Warner Bros. contract in such trifles as Expensive Women. The star is cast as wealthy society girl Constance Newton, a "girl of whims" who flits from one man to the next like a butterfly. After a couple of desultory affairs with Bobby Brandon (Joe Donahue) and Neil Hartley (Warren William), she finds true love in the form of Arthur Raymond (Anthony Bushell). Even so, she's hesitant about making a lifetime commitment -- and besides, Arthur is already married. A few days later, Constance is back with the reckless Bobby, a reunion that ends in disaster when Arthur kills Bobby in a fight. Not wishing to ruin two lives, Constance takes the blame for the killing, which is ruled by the jury as a suicide. Having learned her lesson, Constance is consoled by Neil Hartley, who returns from nowhere to make her his wife. It was supposed to be a heavy drama, but audiences tended to laugh in the wrong places.