SimonJack As with so many other early talking pictures, "The Naughty Flirt" is only interesting for its look at an up and coming star. In this case, that's Myrna Loy. She doesn't have the female lead, but the top supporting female role. Yet, of the more than dozen actors in this film, Loy is the only one movie fans would be able to recall in just 20 more years. Alice White has the lead as the wealthy socialite, Kay Elliott. Her character is quite flighty, which doesn't seem to enhance the comedy or romance in this film. It's a typical plot, and not much of a story. The film flopped with the critics and the Depression era audience of the day. All the rest of the roles are forgettable except for Loy's. In this film, she shows a side of acting that could be more serious and cunning. As one watches many films of the first few years of talkies, it seems apparent that the pre-code era (from 1928 to 1934) just happened also to be the flushing out time. That's when many silent era performers saw their careers take a nose dive while a smaller number not only survived but were catapulted into major film careers. Myrna Loy was in the latter category while everyone else in this film was in the first group. Alice White had just started in silent films in 1927. She was making five or more films a year, but by the mid-1930s, her roles dwindled and her film career ended in 1942.

Irene Hervey This is a small film and isn't really about much more than a bunch of spoiled rich kids finding out that there is more to life than just being minor league juvenile delinquents. But there are a number of things that make this charming and fun and it's under an hour long so there's not much to lose. First of all, as many have said, Alice White is such a quintessential flapper that it's no wonder she didn't last beyond the Clara Bow years. Her New Joisey oops Jersey accent is a hoot and different from that of the great prima donna actresses of the era. There is a sequence early in the film where she bats her eyes at Paul Page while riding in a car and she more than bats them. Her eyes are so enormous and dominant that they practically do cartwheels flirting with him. In short, as a male, I find her irresistibly cute and delightful and her firm, clear delivery of lines (essential in early talkies for theaters with not so great sound systems) stands out with the sharpness of a female Eddie Cantor. Watch also for the barely seen singing group at the big party where microphones are not yet de rigeur and the ensemble sings through megaphones! The flapper clothes are all wonderful and so are the beautiful cars so if you like period fun this is a delight. Myrna Loy is still in her bad girl period here and makes a nasty femme fatale. Paul Page is a Frederic March clone as a leading man and shows naturalness and real talent. Too bad his career simply faded away after 1934. There's nothing super spectacular here but either you find Alice White doing her naughty flirting is as they used to say "the bee's knees" or you don't. It's easy to underestimate the way she uses her eyes, her body language and her desire to get the most out of every scrap of dialogue she gets. I'm so sorry she had such a fall from grace and a difficult later life but she has become a cult figure for movie buffs who love the early talkies.

kidboots Alice White was an adorable flapper, whose career was over before it started. She was First National's answer to Clara Bow but she didn't have the longevity of the red headed "It" girl. 1931 started with "The Naughty Flirt", one of her best films and ended with "Murder at Midnight", in which, although billed prominently, she was only given about two decent scenes.The plot is 60 minutes of frivolous fun with White doing what she does best - being adorably flirty and making every man her slave. When Kay (Alice White) and her gang are hauled into night court for disorderly conduct, she meets Alan Ward (Paul Page) an associate with her father's law firm and it doesn't take him long to fall under her spell. She already has a persistent suitor in Jack Gregory (Douglas Gilmore) who is always asking Kay to marry him. He, along with his scheming sister, Linda (Myrna Loy) have ulterior motives - they have been wiped out in the stock market crash and hope that if Jack can marry Kay their financial worries will be at an end.The "Cinderella Dance" is one of the film's highlights - all the girls take off one of their shoes, put it in the middle of the ballroom and then the boys have to pick one and dance with it's owner. White, who made her name with a couple of excellent musicals from the early talkie era ("Broadway Babies" (1929) and "Show Girl in Hollywood" (1930)) is not asked to sing or dance here which is a pity. She also gets a run for her money from Myrna Loy as the sultry Linda. Why it took so long for Loy to "make it" (1933's "Animal Kingdom" was her big break) is one of Hollywood's real mysteries. However White's cutie pie acting wins through - she is impossible to resist.Although she had a very hectic private life, maybe what happened to Alice White were films like "The Naughty Flirt". 1931 was one of the worst years of the depression and with a title like "The Naughty Flirt", reminiscent of a jazzy, carefree past, the movie going public may have been turned off. In this year of unemployment and breadlines, if films started out with scenes of high living ("Bad Company" and "Dance Fools, Dance") audiences wanted to see stars really suffer before realising that the simple life was the best.Highly Recommended.

blondami2 .... that showcases her comedic skills and vibrant personality is eventually sunk by poor script and blah costar Paul Page (who resembles Fredric March). Miss White and Myrna Loy, however, are fun. White was saddled with lousy scripts in her brief starring career. She could have and should have been a rival to Clara Bow or Jean Harlow. She was terrific in Employees' Entrance but continued to slide anyway. Such is Hollywood. Catch her in Show Girl in Hollywood---she's good in that one too!!