The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

A doctor (William Powell) solves a murder with his mystery writer ex-wife (Jean Arthur).

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford is a poor-man’s Thin Man that fails on almost every level. In trying to ape the latter’s success, the filmmakers overlooked all the little things that made it work.

First and foremost, Jean Arthur is no Myrna Loy. She struggles with the forced comedy and fails to charm the audience, leaving you wondering just what William Powell’s character sees in her. Further, her box office stature demanded a larger role, which, in turn, cuts into Powell’s, who’s the film’s lone strong suit. Finally, Powell and Arthur simply don’t have the chemistry that Powell and Loy shared.

Then there’s the script, which manages to be both convoluted and predictable. It’s a labyrinthine mystery with more names than you can count, but you’ll have trouble caring, as almost none of the supporting players register.

At the same time, you know as soon as William Powell starts to grapple with someone on the floor, Jean Arthur’s gonna conk him over the head with something after mistaking him for the other man. Even if the other man is bald and the room is brightly lit. Further, Powell’s character is positively flat, lacking any of the charm and idiosyncrasies of The Thin Man’s Nick Charles. Granted, they couldn’t do a carbon copy, but couldn’t the writers have made him slightly interesting?

The only thing The Ex-Mrs. Bradford got right is the casting of William Powell and James Gleason. Powell makes the whole mess watchable, albeit barely, and Gleason adds some welcome color to the supporting cast.