By Your Leave: A dusty look at mid-life, for better or worse

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school Hollywood stage-plays-turned-movies, you might get a kick out of this. If you need pacing that doesn't feel like a slow Sunday afternoon drive, maybe skip it. People who love classic character actors will have fun spotting folks like Margaret Hamilton, but everyone else might find the whole thing a bit dusty.

The premise is simple: couple hits a wall, couple separates for a week, hilarity (or mild regret) ensues. It’s the kind of plot that’s been done a thousand times since, but seeing it in 1934 has a weird, stiff charm.

The Middle-Aged Itch

Henry is clearly having a rough time. He’s looking for adventure, but the movie makes it pretty clear he’s not exactly built for it. Watching him try to navigate the world of show girls and escorts is like watching a cat try to learn how to swim. It’s awkward, kind of sad, and surprisingly funny in a way that feels unintentional.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of By Your Leave (1934) through its definitive frames.

Ellen’s side of the story is a bit more grounded, but only just. She reconnects with an old flame who’s an explorer, which is a classic trope. It’s all very polite. Nobody ever really yells, and the stakes feel like they exist entirely inside their own heads.

A Mixed Bag of Moments

There is a scene involving a hotel lobby that just goes on forever. It’s not necessarily bad, but it feels like the director forgot to yell cut. You can almost see the actors wondering if they should keep standing there or just walk off.

I couldn't help but think about Rockabye while watching this. They share that same weird, stagey energy where the dialogue matters more than the actual movement of the camera. It’s like watching a theater production that accidentally wandered onto a film set.

• The dialogue is peak 1930s snappy, though it loses steam halfway through.
• The lighting makes everyone look like they’re being interviewed for a passport.
• I’m still not sure what the deal was with that one waiter. He just kept appearing in the background of every shot.

It’s not a movie that will change your life. It’s not even a movie you’ll remember in a month. But for an hour or so, it’s a perfectly fine way to see how people in the 30s thought about marriage, cheating, and the general feeling of being 'too old' at forty. It’s a bit like watching a dusty relic in a glass case. You appreciate it, but you definitely don't want to live inside it. 🕰️