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Expensive Husbands

Expensive Husbands

1937

Approved

Director

Bobby Connolly

Runtime

62 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Unable to get work in her home country, Laurine Lynne (Beverly Roberts) travels to Vienna where her press agent, Joe Craig (Allyn Joslyn), convinces her to marry royalty. The lucky fellow is Prince Rupert (Patric Knowles), an impoverished nobleman now working as a waiter. Do the two of them fall in love despite this marriage of convenience?

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

2.7/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film follows a strictly heteronormative romantic structure. The plot focuses entirely on the central pairing of Laurine Lynne and Prince Rupert.

Gender Representation

Limited

The female protagonist's agency is tied to her professional struggles and marital status. Her resolution relies on a romantic union with a male figure.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The production reflects the homogeneous casting norms of 1937. Despite the Viennese setting, the characters appear to follow conventional Western casting patterns.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

Vienna serves as a backdrop for romantic escapism. The story prioritizes individual romantic fulfillment and class mobility through marriage over systemic critique.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities within the narrative.

Strengths

  • The film utilizes an interesting class-shift trope involving an impoverished nobleman working as a waiter.
  • The Viennese setting provides a classic backdrop for romantic escapism.

Areas for Improvement

  • The narrative relies on traditional gendered trajectories and domestic resolutions.
  • The casting appears to follow the homogeneous, Western-centric norms of the period.
  • The story lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities.

AI Analysis

Expensive Husbands is a quintessential 1930s romantic comedy that adheres to the standard Hollywood studio system tropes. The narrative relies on the 'marriage of convenience' framework, using a class-based premise to drive a traditional romantic arc. The film reinforces established social hierarchies rather than challenging them. While it utilizes a European setting, the story remains focused on individual romantic success and conventional gender roles typical of the era. Ultimately, the film functions as a genre piece designed for escapism, lacking the intersectional complexity or subversive elements required for a higher diversity rating.

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