Doughnuts and Society: A Messy Slice of High Society

Is it worth your time?

Honestly? Maybe. If you have a soft spot for 1930s bickering matches, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. If you’re allergic to melodrama or plots that feel like they were written on the back of a napkin, you should stay far away. It’s light, it’s loud, and it’s very much a product of its time.

Kate and Belle spend the first ten minutes just arguing over doughnuts. It’s the kind of loud, fast-talking back-and-forth that makes you wish you were actually eating a doughnut instead of listening to them. Louise Fazenda and Maude Eburne are clearly having a blast, though. You can tell they’re trying to squeeze every bit of life out of a pretty thin script.

The Wealthy Turn

Everything changes when Belle gets her hands on a pile of money. Suddenly, it’s all about high society and fancy dresses. It feels a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion. You know exactly where it’s going, and yet you can’t look away because the costumes are just so loud.

The rift between the two friends feels earned, I guess. Kate’s stubbornness is a bit much sometimes. She’s so proud it hurts to watch. It reminded me a little of the small-town tensions in The Big Palooka, where everyone has something to prove.

There is a subplot about their kids, Joan and Jerry, being in love. It’s the standard star-crossed lover stuff. It honestly feels like the movie is just marking time until the next big argument happens. The chemistry between them is... fine. It’s not going to win any awards, but it does the job.

• The dialogue is faster than a runaway train.
• Hedda Hopper shows up and steals every scene she is in. Obviously.
• The set design for the high society mansion is hilariously over-the-top.

I found myself zoning out during the scenes where they talk about débutante balls. It’s all very fancy-pants and boring. But then they’d cut back to the doughnut shop, and I’d perk up again. There is something grounded about the shop that the rest of the film lacks.

It’s not as chaotic as The Knockout, but it has that same feeling of people running around doing very little. Still, if you want something to put on while you fold laundry, you could do a lot worse. Just don't go looking for deep life lessons here. It’s just doughnuts and drama. 🍩