History Film / LibeledLady

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''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Creator/MyrnaLoy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hires ladies' man and former reporter Bill Chandler (Creator/WilliamPowell) to fix things. Chandler hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he'll enter into a ShamMarriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme, Haggerty supplies Chandler with a convenient wife--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hires ladies' man and former reporter Bill Chandler (Creator/WilliamPowell) to fix things. Chandler hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he'll enter into a ShamMarriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme, Haggerty supplies Chandler with a convenient wife--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

* MarriedToTheJob: Warren, much to Gladys' frustration.

* FollowThatCar: Gladys says this as Bill and Connie speed off from the party to go get married. (It actually sounds like she says "Follow that Volkswagen!", which is mystifying, as the Volkswagen was just then being designed in Hitler's Germany.)
** It's actually "Follow that Roadster."

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hires ladies' man and former reporter Bill Chandler (Creator/WilliamPowell) to fix things. Chandler hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he'll enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme, Haggerty supplies Chandler with a convenient wife--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

* GenreSavvy: Warren accuses Bill of stealing Gladys from him, and they get into a fistfight. When Bill hears Gladys calling out in concern for Warren from the next room, he says, "She'll much sorrier for you if I punch you in the nose" and does so.

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hires ladies' man and former reporter Bill Chandler (William Powell) to fix things. Chandler hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he'll enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme, Haggerty supplies Chandler with a convenient wife--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

* GenreSavvy: Warren accuses Bill of stealing Gladys from him, and they get into a fistfight. When Bill hears Gladys calling out in concern for Warren from the next room, he punches Warren in the nose to make sure Gladys feels sorry enough for him to reconcile with him. (He gives Warren a tiny bit of warning, but only a tiny bit.)

* CatchPhrase: "The things I do for that newspaper!" (and slight variations) from Gladys.

** Also from Warren, when he's trying to talk Gladys into going along with the scheme:
-->'''Warren:''' But darling, it's only for a month--maybe less! Then six weeks in Reno.

* GenreSavvy: Warren accuses Bill of stealing Gladys from him, and they get into a fistfight. When Bill hears Gladys calling out in concern for Warren from the next room, he punches Warren in the nose to make sure Gladys feels sorry enough for him to reconcile with him.

* OopsIForgotIWasMarried: When Gladys confronts Bill, he says that they aren't really married because her Mexican divorce from her previous husband was declared invalid. Gladys then subverts the trope by telling Bill that she went back and got a proper divorce in Reno.

* RunawayGroom: At the beginning of the film, Warren goes to deal with the libel suit emergency instead of showing up for his wedding. She storms into his office in her wedding dress to complain, and it's mentioned that this isn't the first time he's ducked out of marrying her.

* GenreSavvy: Warren accuses Bill of stealing Gladys from him, and they get into a fistfight. When Bill hears Gladys calling out in concern for Warren for the next room, he punches Warren in the nose to make sure Gladys feels sorry enough for him to reconcile with him.

* ServileSnarker: Gladys' maid, Tiny.

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he hires ladies' man and reporter Bill Chandler (William Powell) to enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme he gets Chandler to marry the nearest convenient woman--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

* InnocentCohabitation: Bill sleeps on the couch during his marriage to Gladys. This leads to some humorous moments trying to hide the fact that their cohabitation ''is'' innocent, as they're supposed to be madly-in-love newlyweds.

* RunawayGroom: At the beginning of the film, Warren goes to deal with the libel suit emergency instead of showing up for his wedding, and it's mentioned that this isn't the first time he's ducked out of marrying Gladys. She storms into his office in her wedding dress to complain.

* ZanyScheme: Warren's crackpot scheme to paint Connie as a hussy who breaks up marriages.

* RunawayGroom: At the beginning of the film, Warren goes to deal with the emergency libel suit instead of showing up for his wedding, and it's mentioned that this isn't the first time he's ducked out of marrying Gladys. She storms into his office in her wedding dress to complain.

* LiteralMetaphor: Warren sends off an angry Gladys to crash the Allenbury's big party, and says "There are gonna be fireworks there tonight!" Cut to actual fireworks at the Allenbury party.

* CrisisMakesPerfect: More through luck than skill, Bill manages to catch a legendary big trout.

* Otaku: Connie's father about fishing.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Bill's GenreSavvy plan to reunite Warren and Gladys succeeds, but backfires when [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale Gladys retaliates by punching Bill him the nose.]]

* LiteralMetaphor: Warren sends off an angry Gladys to crash the Allenbury's big party, and says "There are gonna be fireworks there tonight!". Cut to actual fireworks at the Allenbury party.

* IntrepidReporter: Warren at least is ''too'' intrepid, writing a story without proper verification and getting his newspaper in trouble.

One of fourteen, count 'em, [[ThoseTwoActors fourteen]] films that Powell and Loy starred in together. Nominated for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture, but lost to ''Film/TheGreatZiegfeld'', another Powell-and-Loy film.

* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: "Ching", Warren's very unfortunate stereotype of a manservant.
* BecomingTheMask: Bill falls in love with Connie for real while romancing her for the job.
* DescriptionCut: Warren hears that Bill is staying at a fancy hotel and says "He must be in the money." Cut to Bill reading a letter from the hotel demanding $743.60 in unpaid bills.

* FollowThatCar: Gwen says this as Bill and Connie speed off from the party to go get married. (It actually sounds like she says "Follow that Volkswagen!", which is mystifying, as the Volkswagen was just then being designed in Hitler's Germany.)

* OopsIForgotIWasMarried: When Gladys confronts Bill, he says that they aren't really married because Gwen's Mexican divorce was declared invalid. Gladys then subverts the trope by telling Bill that she went back and got a proper divorce in Reno.

* PrettyInMink: Both Connie and Gladys.

One of fourteen, count 'em, [[ThoseTwoActors fourteen]] films that Powell and Loy starred in together. Nominated for the AcademyAward for Best Picture, but lost to ''Film/TheGreatZiegfeld'', another Powell-and-Loy film.

''The Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he hires ladies' man and reporter Bill Chandler (William Powell) to enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme he gets Chandler to marry the nearest convenient woman--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he hires ladies' man and reporter Bill Chandler (William Powell) to enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme he gets Chandler to marry the nearest convenient woman--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (Creator/JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

''Libeled Lady'' is an MGM ScrewballComedy from 1936. Creator/SpencerTracy is Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor. His newspaper has just published a story about Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) a rich society lady who supposedly tried to break up the marriage of a British duke. Unfortunately the story turned out not to be true, and Connie is suing Warren's newspaper for a $5 million libel judgment. Haggerty hits on a scheme to discredit Connie's lawsuit: he hires ladies' man and reporter Bill Chandler (William Powell) to enter into a sham marriage, then seduce Connie so she can be portrayed as breaking up another marriage. To set up the scheme he gets Chandler to marry the nearest convenient woman--his fiancee, Gladys Benton (JeanHarlow), who is tired of Haggerty neglecting her and dodging marriage.

* LoveDodecahedron: Gwen-Warren and Bill-Connie, with Gwen starting to fall for Bill as Warren neglects her.

* OopsIForgotIWasMarried: When Gwen confronts Bill, he says that they aren't really married because Gwen's Mexican divorce was declared invalid. Gwen then subverts the trope by telling Bill that she went back and got a proper divorce in Reno.

* SexyBacklessDress: Both Harlow and Loy bring the sexy.