Working girl Abby Fane feigns contentment in holy matrimony to Rodney, the son of a wealthy businessman who has never know the nine-to-five grind, only the $4,000 month allowance. David Burton’s direction is rather mundane but passable and DP Ted Tetzlaff is solid in his framing, montage and soft-filtered close-ups. The fault lies in the story itself as it’s not very suspenseful and Abby’s expectations are just not realistic.
Abby (Carole Lombard) and Playboy Rodney Deane fall in love and marry against the wishes of his stuck-up family. After a jaunt through Europe which includes a nice jump-cut to the Eiffel Tower (the phallic symbolism justified since it’s their honeymoon! Ha!) they’re back home in New York City in a fully furnished apartment with a sliding entry door (WTF?). Rodney’s sniveling-little-rat-faced-git buddy Sigrift fixed it up for them as he fixes Rodney up every night! Soon Abby is lost in ennui while Rodney drinks and gambles his way through life. She wants him to become a better man by earning his (and her's) keep, to get a job and give up his party-clown lifestyle. Here’s where I depart from my suspension of disbelief: her expectations are totally unrealistic. The story fails to give us any indication that Rodney has a skill or talent or even interest in anything but drinking with his rat-faced pal. It’s obvious he adores Abby and I’m sympathetic with her desire but truly, what can he do? If the story revealed some suppressed artistic talent or dream of starting his own business, then there would be suspense in achieving his goal. But he just answers random want-adds and finally gets a job doing something for $30 week. Though they’re reconciled it’s not a happy ending because it’s not sustainable: he still has his family’s fortune to fall back on. Now make him a Black Sheep that becomes an avant-garde painter or sculptor, something that brings shame upon the family name (more than Abby can) and we have a noble sacrifice and moral achievement. But here at the end of this film, once the headlines shout their reunion his nom-de-plume will be revealed, and he’ll never get drudge work again.
Something must be said for Abby’s friend Steve, her boss and a man who honestly loves her. Though spurned in the kindest way, he supports his friend and actually works to bring her and Rodney back together. It refreshing to see a man put his friendship with a woman above his own selfish sexual desire. He states his case that people should marry within their own social strata but when denounced again (kindly) he still continues to offer emotional support and advice. BRIEF MOMENT is but an insubstantial celebration of unrealistic expectations.
Final Grade: (C)