There Goes the Bride (1932) review: Jessie Matthews is a total riot

If you have seventy minutes to spare and want to see a girl with eyes the size of dinner plates run around Paris in a stolen dress, then yes, There Goes the Bride is absolutely worth your time today. But if you cannot stand high-society British accents from 1932 where everyone sounds like they are talking with a mouthful of marbles, you will probably hate this with a passion.

It is a total relic, but a very sweet one.

The whole thing hinges on Jessie Matthews, who was apparently a massive star back then. I can see why. She has this weird, bouncy energy that makes her look like she is constantly about to jump over the furniture. 🏃‍♀️

She plays Annette, who runs away from her wedding because her dad is forcing her to marry some boring guy. She hops on a train, gets her purse stolen, and somehow ends up being accused of theft by this random rich bloke named Max.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of There Goes the Bride (1932) through its definitive frames.

Instead of calling the police like a normal human, Max decides to take her back to his flat to keep an eye on her. Yes, it is basically kidnapping, but because its a 1930s comedy, it is supposed to be romantic.

The plot is so thin you could poke a finger through it. Unlike some serious dramas from the era like What's Wrong with the Women?, this movie does not have a single serious thought in its head.

My favorite part is when Max’s fiancée turns up unexpectedly. The sheer panic on everyone's faces is hilarious, even if the acting is incredibly theatrical.

There is some moments where Jessie Matthews tries to hide behind a curtain and her feet are just sticking out. It goes on for about twenty seconds too long. It is so dumb, but I laughed anyway.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of There Goes the Bride (1932) through its definitive frames.

Also, there is a random musical number because of course there is. The transition into the song is so clunky it made me jump. One second they are arguing, and the next, a full jazz band is playing in the corner of the room.

Where did the band come from? Nobody knows. They just exist now. 🎺

The movie gets much better once the misunderstandings pile up so high that nobody even remembers why they started lying in the first place.

It is not a masterpiece, and some of the jokes are older than the hills. But it has this cozy, dusty charm that you just do not get with modern stuff.

Random things I scribbled down:

• The train conductor’s mustache deserves its own spin-off movie.
• Seriously, how did she get that dress through the window?
• Max's apartment is bigger than my entire neighborhood.
• The way people drink champagne in these old movies is so aggressive. They just gulp it down like water.

If you are looking for deep cinema, go watch something else. But if you want some harmless fun with great music and a lot of door slamming, give this one a spin.