The Bride Walks Out (1936)

The Bride Walks Out - 1936

Coming up next is 1936's "The Bride Walks Out", starring Barbara Stanwyck.  A working man and woman get married.  When the bride wants to return to work to help with finances, the groom refuses.  She does goes to work on the sly, and when he finds out, he's furious.  When he protests, she walks out.  Will they get back together?

The film's supporting cast includes Gene Raymond, Robert Young, Ned Sparks, Helen Broderick, Hattie McDaniel, Irving Bacon, and Charles Lane.

At the beginning of the film, we meet Michael Martin (Raymond) and his friend Paul.  Paul wants to get married to a lady named Carolyn (Stanwyck).  She wants him to make more than $30 a week.  He's fixed it so he now makes $35 a week as a surveyor.

Carolyn is a model in a dress shop.  Michael goes there to tell her the good news.  He's making more, so now they can be married.

When Carolyn sees Michael and Paul in her dress shop, she's very surprised.  She also refuses to marry Michael, because he insists she quit her job so that he can support her alone.  They get in a big fight, which results in the guys getting thrown out of the shop.

Eventually, Michael wears her down and she agrees to get married.  Unfortunately, they get in a big fight right after the ceremony.  The judge asks Michael to settle down.  Michael gets mad and punches the judge, which results in Michael's getting arrested.

At the courthouse, wealthy and drunk Hugh McKenzie is also appearing before the judge.  He's convicted of the crime he committed, pays the fine, and is set free.

He sees Carolyn sitting in the gallery, and he is immediately attracted to her.  He sits next to her in order to get to know her better.  She resists all his advances.

When Michael's case comes up, the judge tells him he owes $50 or face jail time.  Hugh comes to their rescue and offers to pay the fine.  Michael tells him they'll pay him back.

He even sees them home.  After giving Michael some pointers on how to carry a bride across a threshold, Hugh leaves.  Michael and Carolyn are finally alone.  However, they have to be alone in the dark as the electricity has been turned off due to lack of money.

Three months later, things still aren't any better.  Michael and Carolyn owe money on everything: the milkman, the grocer, the furniture store.  They just can't seem to get ahead.

Their finances aren't helped by the fact that Carolyn likes to shop.  She goes with Paul's wife Mattie to a "dollar day" at a local store.  She also happens to buy a fifty dollar dress.

After going to bed that night, Michael and Carolyn are awakened by a loud noise coming from the street.  It turns out to be a drunk Hugh making a nuisance of himself and annoying the neighbors.

They get him up to their apartment and attempt to sober him up.  When Michael tries to take him home, he finds that Hugh has fallen asleep on their couch.  They let him stay the night.

The next morning, Carolyn helps him with an ice pack for his hangover.  He's grateful to her for letting him stay the night.  As a thank you, he helps her with the day's housework before going home.

Carolyn and Michael still can't scrape together the necessary money to keep their furniture from being repossessed.  On New Year's Eve, the furniture store sends some workmen to collect the furniture, leaving their apartment empty.  Carolyn has kept the fact that they are behind in their bills from Michael, who thinks she's managing splendidly on $35 a week.

Who should come to the apartment as it is being emptied but Hugh, bringing two very large bottles of champagne.

Carolyn and Mattie invite him to stay for a drink.  While there, Hugh quietly surmises what's going on.  He tells Carolyn he has a hugely successful store and wishes he could give money away.  She asks him if he's offering her money, and tells him not to do it again.

They get a bit drunk and even have a sing-a-long session with the furniture movers.  It doesn't last long, though, as Carolyn and Mattie have to meet their husbands for a New Year's Eve celebration.  Carolyn isn't looking forward to it, as she has to break the news about their furniture situation.

At dinner that night, Carolyn brings up the possibility of her returning to work.  Michael very emphatically says no.  They argue and Michael leaves before the clock strikes twelve.  Carolyn didn't even have a chance to talk to him about the furniture or their bills.

She catches him before he can get into their apartment.  They kiss and make up, then make their way to their door.

When they walk in, Carolyn is shocked to see that all their furniture has been returned.  Michael finds a bottle of champagne with a note attached.  It's from Hugh, who stopped by and felt that the place was a little empty, so he left something to make it a little more homey.  Later on, Carolyn decides to go to work for Hugh's company so she won't have to live in fear of bill collectors again.

She does so well that she hires a cook/maid.  The maid cooks the dinners before Michael gets home so Carolyn can present them as her own home-cooked meals.  One day, Carolyn runs late and Michael gets home before her.  Finding the maid and not knowing how they can afford her, Michael starts asking questions.

When Carolyn does make it home, Michael confronts her.  She tells him how hard it was living on $35 a week when it took $85 a week.  He asks her if she intends to go on working.  When she says yes, he packs a bag and starts to leave.  She grabs her hat and coat and says she's walking out on him instead.

After he gets a summons for divorce, Michael goes to confront Hugh, whom he assumes is dating Carolyn.  Hugh says yes he does love her, but he had nothing to do with the divorce papers.  Michael decides to let her go.

Hugh introduces Carolyn to his father, who is very grateful to Carolyn for getting his son to stop drinking and getting him back on track.  He advises Hugh to marry her just as soon as he can.

Michael decides to go to South America on a dangerous surveying job.  Paul tells him not to do it, but Michael ignores him.  The job pays very well, and he wants Carolyn to have it.  It's more than likely that he will be killed there, but that doesn't stop him from accepting the job.

Paul and Mattie track down Carolyn and tell her what's going on.  She realizes she still has feelings for Michael, and she asks Hugh to lend him his car so they can get to him before his boat sails.  Knowing he will lose her if he goes along with it, Hugh gallantly agrees.

Once they see Michael, they do their best to get him to stay.  They even tell the police some phony stories about him just so they can stop him from getting on the boat.  They are successful, but Michael is very angry.

When Carolyn tells the police she made up the stories, they let Michael go and arrest her instead.  As they are taking her away in the police wagon, she tells Michael that she wants to quit her job to help him start his own surveyor's business.  He kisses her as the wagon makes its way to the police station.

Cast rundown:

   Barbara Stanwyck...................................Carolyn Martin

   Gene Raymond.......................................Michael Martin

   Robert Young..........................................M. Hugh McKenzie

   Ned Sparks............................................Paul Dodson

   Helen Broderick......................................Mattie Dodson

   Hattie McDaniel......................................Mamie

   Irving Bacon...........................................Chauffeur

   Charles Lane..........................................Judge

And that's all for The Bride Walks Out.  An interesting note: the dress in the window that Carolyn buys for $49.50 in 1936 would cost her $918.67 in 2020.  Also, Ned Sparks and Helen Broderick are absolutely hilarious and not to be missed as a verbally sparring couple who continue to spat to show their love to one another.

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