Al Westerfield The dichotomy in reviewer assessments of Lovers Courageous has, I fear, more to do with the reviewers' life experiences than the film. Those that waited for that special someone, knew almost immediately that he or she was the one, spent their whole life thinking of no one but that person and that total commitment was reciprocated, arguing only over "gift of the magi" details, surmounting family difficulties through togetherness and basically living a wonderful life, know this film is true and expresses itself beautifully. If this is corny, well, life can sometimes be corny if you're very, very lucky.Montgomery and Evans are perfectly matched and show true love seldom achieved in film. Young's portrayal is subtle and effective until the final resolution. For once Kerr isn't his usual bumbling good heart mumbling inanities under his breath; he's a perfect nasty. With few exceptions the rest of the cast performs well. The dialog is exceptionally crisp. I had wished that the depths of despair weren't quite so deep; it descended into unfortunate melodrama, making the end too pat. All the same, it brought back memories of finding true love. For that I'll always be thankful.

piccadillyjim-1 This adaptation of a Frederick Lonsdale play is ground in the social mores of the very early twentieth century wherein a quite poor working young man meets a charming, beautiful and wealthy admiral's daughter. Stories of poor men meeting and wooing wealthy women are difficult to write convincingly for the simple fact that such pairings are unlikely at best. This adaptation succeeds quite admirably because the two principals, played by Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans, are both likable and charming. Evans and Montgomery reveal every nuance of two people who meet and fall deeply in love. This is easily one of Madge's finest acting efforts, and certainly the best of the five films in which she appeared with Montgomery. The screen simply lights up when she and Montgomery are seen cautiously pursuing one another. Their romantic moments are so real that one has to remind oneself that they are acting. It is a fact that, in their private lives, they remained close friends until their death.LOVERS COURAGEOUS has one serious flaw... the selection of Reginald Owen to play Madge's fiancée. He is far too old for the part. Worst yet, he plays the role much too broadly. Whether this is the director's fault (Robert Z. Leonard) or Owen's fault is difficult to fathom. I tend to see more of the director's hand in this, although Pop Leonard, as his casts fondly nicknamed him, may have left Owen to his own acting instincts. Whatever, it is a stretch to think that Evans would be engaged to him.If Owen seems off-key, Roland Young more than makes up for it. His is a refreshingly light-hearted interpretation of his role of the Admiral's aide. His scenes with Evans are a delight. It might have proved better to have him play Owen's role.Frederick Kerr plays the crusty old Admiral who judges people by their social class. His character is really an indictment of the social upper classes who displayed their utter disdain for the working class. Kerr plays it to the hilt.His social counterpart, Montgomery's father, played by Halliwell Hobbes, is a classic example of some members of the working class who felt it improper to try to mix with the upper class. Hobbes is also well cast. His scenes where he tries to convince his young boy that he should work hard to become a postal worker and not advance his station in life are all too real when one remembers social customs and beliefs through World War 1. It was the time when ocean liners held rigid to the class system, mirroring their passengers beliefs. In wiping out a good portion of the upper class, the war also wiped out the lingering Victorian beliefs and customs.LOVERS COURAGEOUS runs a little over just 76 minutes, short for an "A" production. It is not an important film. With a little more development effort it could have been... but it is easily one of the most romantic films ever produced in Hollywood and well worth the time to watch.

David (Handlinghandel) It's very stagy. Clearly, it was a play. Though opened up, with flashbacks and scenes on lakes, it is like a play -- and a very stodgy one, at that. Indeed, it's like what we imagine the Robert Montgomery character's play would be, based on the few lines we hear.Montgomery is supposed to be English. His American accent is explained by his going to Canada and then South Africa -- if one views that as an explanation. Madge Evans was a charming performer but one wouldn't know that from her performance here. Beryl Mercer comes through well, as Montgomery's mother. And Roland Young, in a minor role, is good. Was he ever not good? The problem with this is that it's hard to believe the trajectory of Montgomery's life as it's portrayed. It's hard to believe he suddenly became a fine playwright. And it's quite difficult indeed to care about the romance between him and Evans. When many people think of early sound movies, they think of grandiose fluff like this. And that's a shame, since there are so many gems to be mined.

boblipton This screen adaptation of a play by Frederick Lonsdale about a young man who has spent his life wandering about the globe, collecting experience so he can become a playwright -- Robert Montgomery -- and the young aristocrat who marries him and is disinherited for her taking up with a wastrel - Madge Evans -- creaks pretty badly as it goes through its predictable plot twists. Director Robert Z. Leonard and the unnamed screenwriters make some effort at opening up the script, but still wind up having the leads conduct most of their earnest dialogue in two-shots. Also, frankly, Robert Montgomery is miscast. He never quite managed to do accents convincingly and he seems overwhelmed, although he carries out his self-effacing courtship of Miss Evans most charmingly.Nor do most of the other actors manage to be more than straw men. The two exceptions are -- unsurprisingly -- Beryl Mercer, who made a specialty in kindly, clueless mothers -- her best known role was Lew Ayres' mother in ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT -- and the always delightful Roland Young, who gets to play someone with brains and heart, who comes up with most of the plot twists here.All in all, not a movie to search out unless you are a fanatic for any of the personnel involved.