The New Pictures: Dec. 21, 1936

Love in Exile (Gaumont-British) would greatly interest England's onetime King Edward VIII, for it begins at the point which his career has just reached (see p. 15). Opening scene shows King Regis VI (Clive Brook) voluntarily abdicating the throne of an unnamed European nation because, 1) he is not allowed to marry a beautiful commoner named Madame Xandra St. Aurlon (Helen Vinson), and 2) because a powerful group wants to get its hands on the government. In this close parallel to the Simpson case, the powerful group is not a Cabinet, but two unscrupulous capitalists who covet oil concessions. They are busy installing a puppet dictator as Regis leaves for Zurich to meet Madame St. Aurlon. Feeling responsible for his loss of the throne, she goes into hiding. Regis then becomes a playboy. He cracks up in airplane races, drives a speedboat at Le Touquet, plays polo at Deauville. He takes up with women of the town, fends off U. S. debutantes, begs not to be addressed as "Your Majesty," is called that anyway. He broods: "It's strange . . . that one should learn how to rule after the chance of ruling has gone." Finally he arrives on the Riviera with only his faithful valet and a few jewels left. Sent to pawn the jewels, the valet goes to Madame St. Aurlon, sells them to her, begs her to come back. Simultaneously the two unscrupulous businessmen, having trouble with their dictator, ask Madame St. Aurlon to persuade Regis to return to the throne. She flies to him at Cannes. After various vicissitudes, Regis successfully stages a coup d'état. Final scene shows him and his commoner "friend" standing on the palace balcony wildly cheered by the throng below.

Gaumont-British stoutly maintains that Love in Exile was adapted from Gene Markey's story His Majesty's Pyjamas, was made long before the producers heard of Mrs. Simpson. Aside from its topical interest, it is merely a mediocre melodrama.

Three Smart Girls (Universal). Under Carl Laemmle Sr., Universal Pictures Corp. made a specialty of horror pictures. Last spring when benign old "Uncle Carl," who had generously padded his staff with relatives, sold the company he had founded, Banker John Cheever Cowdin and his associates, who bought it, promised profound changes. As an example of what to expect from an alert group of hard-boiled banker-showmen, Three Smart Girls should interest exhibitors. Universal's most ballyhooed 1936 release is the daintiest, quaintest, most hygienic little musicomedy of the season, written, directed and performed with such evident sincerity that it may well be one of the box-office surprises of the year.