magnate, Helen Hale (Googie Withers). George's best friend, Richard Halton (Roland Culver), lacks not only money but also title. Together the two of them wander about London sponging off anyone they can, until Richard falls in love with Maria Wislack (Beatrice Lilly), a widow whom George despises. The feeling is mutual. Richard wants to marry Maria, but she'll only marry him if he agrees to spend every day with her for three weeks on a deserted island off the Scottish coast - at night he must agree to row back to the mainland and stay in a hotel. Richard agrees to give it a try. Meanwhile, George and Helen, who are also flirting with the idea of marriage, decide to accompany Richard and Maria, much to the latter's dismay. When they arrive, they discover that all of the hotels on the mainland are booked up, so Richard and George are forced to stay at Maria's chateau on the island. Then all of the servants pack up and leave, mistakenly believing that the two couples are living in sin. The quartet is left to cook and clean for themselves, something that Helen and Richard do admirably but that both Maria and George refuse to do. After three weeks, Helen has realized what a lazy cad George is and what a thoroughly nice man Richard is. Likewise Richard has figured out that Maria is a whining, complaining, hyper-critical woman, and that Helen is something of a sweetheart. I'll leave it up to you to decide where everything goes from there. Clive Brooks' On Approval is a great little movie that has slid under the radar for many decades, and it's one that is worthy of a complete restoration. The story is clever, the characters are unique, and the dialogue is fast and witty. There's a great prologue narrated by E. V. H. Emmet, a British producer, writer and actor who enjoyed a film career spanning over forty years. Anyone looking for a little clean, light-hearted entertainment will enjoy On Approval.
On approval is rated G and is available in black and white on Netflix and DVD from Amazon.
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