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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Easiest Way remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so The Easiest Way from 1931. Is it worth watching today? Yeah, absolutely, if you’re into classic cinema, especially those pre-Code gems that didn't pull punches. This one’s for folks who appreciate a quiet, emotionally heavy story about tough choices and the messy consequences that follow.
If you need fast pacing, clear-cut heroes and villains, or a neat, happy ending, you'll probably hate it. This isn't that kind of movie. It just *sits* with you.
Constance Bennett plays Laura, and wow, she carries this film. You see the weariness in her eyes right from the start. Not just physical tiredness, but a deep, almost spiritual exhaustion from simply existing in her situation. 😔
Her family, my goodness. The mother, played by Clara Blandick, just looks perpetually resigned. And the brother, he’s a piece of work, always needing money. It makes Laura’s initial choice, to go with the older, wealthy William Brockton (Adolphe Menjou), feel less like greed and more like a desperate grab for air.
Menjou’s Brockton is interesting. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain. He's just... a man who can afford things, including companionship. He’s smooth, elegant, but there's a certain detachment, a transactional air about him. He hands her money, buys her furs, but you never really feel warmth there. It's a business arrangement, unspoken.
Then Robert Montgomery shows up as Jack, the earnest young journalist. He’s all wide-eyed sincerity and honest affection. You almost want to yell at Laura, 'Don't ruin this for him!' But you also understand *why* she hesitates, why she can’t just tell him everything.
There's this one scene, after Laura leaves Brockton, and she’s trying to find work. She’s sitting in an office, just waiting. The silence, the way the camera just stays on her, it’s _agonizing_. You can almost feel the hours ticking by, the hope draining out of her. It’s a very quiet moment, but it hits hard. 💔
Clark Gable has a smaller role here as Nick, Laura’s old boyfriend from the poor neighborhood. He’s got that raw energy, even in this early performance. You see flashes of the star he’d become, but he feels a little stiff, a bit unpolished compared to his later work. He's almost like a ghost from her past, reminding her of what she left behind.
Marjorie Rambeau as Elspeth, Laura’s friend, is fantastic. She’s got this cynical, world-weary wisdom. Her advice to Laura is blunt, sometimes harsh, but it feels like it comes from a place of genuine, if tough, love. She’s seen it all, and she doesn't sugarcoat anything.
The film doesn't exactly condemn Laura for her choices. It just shows you the incredibly narrow path a woman like her had. The ease of material comfort, followed by the sheer *difficulty* of trying to claw her way back to respectability without it. It's a truly bleak cycle.
The ending isn't a neat bow. It's more of a sigh. A quiet acceptance of her fate, whatever that may be. You’re left thinking about her, long after the credits roll. It’s not happy, but it feels incredibly *real*. That’s the pre-Code era for you: no easy answers, just complicated people navigating a complicated world. ✨
IMDb —
1923
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