Hollywood in 1936 was a strange, frantic place. Studios were desperately trying to replicate the lightning-in-a-bottle success of The Thin Man, which had turned Nick and Nora Charles into the gold standard for sophisticated, scotch-drinking detectives. Enter RKO Pictures with a script about a surgeon, his mystery-writing ex-wife, and a string of suspicious deaths involving a jockey. It sounds like a bit of a mess on paper. But when you look at the cast of The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, you start to see why this film didn't just fade into the background of 1930s "B" movies. It worked.
It worked because of the people.
William Powell was already the king of the "debonair sleuth" archetype. Pairing him with Jean Arthur was a stroke of genius, or maybe just lucky timing. Most people remember Powell for his work at MGM, but his brief detour to RKO for this film proved he could carry that same effortless charm anywhere. Jean Arthur, meanwhile, was right on the cusp of becoming the quintessential screwball comedy heroine.
William Powell as Dr. Lawrence Bradford
William Powell didn't just act; he leaned into scenes. In this film, he plays Dr. Lawrence Bradford, a man who just wants to practice medicine and maybe enjoy his divorce in peace. Of course, he gets neither. Powell was 43 when this came out. He was at the absolute peak of his suave, mustachioed powers.
What’s interesting about his performance here is how it differs—subtly—from Nick Charles. Dr. Bradford is more annoyed. He’s a professional man being dragged into chaos by a woman he clearly still adores but can’t quite handle. Powell had this incredible ability to look genuinely exhausted by the plot while still being the most charismatic person in the room. He brings a rhythmic, staccato delivery to the dialogue that makes even the most dated jokes land with a bit of a punch.
He wasn't the first choice for everything in town, but by 1936, he was the only choice for this specific vibe. You've got to wonder if the movie would even be remembered today if a more "stiff" leading man had taken the role. Honestly, probably not.
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Jean Arthur: The Secret Weapon
If Powell provided the steady beat, Jean Arthur provided the melody. She plays Paula Bradford, the ex-wife who keeps inserting herself into her former husband’s life because she’s convinced she’s found a "real-life" murder mystery.
Arthur’s voice is the thing everyone talks about. It had that famous break in it—a sort of squeak that made her sound perpetually surprised or slightly breathless. It was perfect for Paula. Paula isn't a "femme fatale." She’s a nuisance. But she’s a charming nuisance.
- The Chemistry Factor: While Myrna Loy and Powell had a "settled" chemistry, Arthur and Powell had a "combative" chemistry. It felt fresh.
- Physical Comedy: Keep an eye on the scene where she’s trying to hide or maneuver around the doctor’s office. She’s way more athletic in her comedy than people give her credit for.
- The Career Pivot: This was the same year Arthur did Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. She was basically becoming a superstar in real-time while filming this.
The Supporting Cast of The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
A movie like this lives or dies by its character actors. The 1930s were the golden age of "That Guy" actors—people whose names you might not know, but whose faces were everywhere.
James Gleason plays Inspector Corrigan. Gleason was born to play cynical cops. He spent his entire career looking like he just smelled something bad, which is the exact energy needed for a police inspector dealing with amateur sleuths. He’s the perfect foil for Powell’s high-society doctor.
Then there’s Eric Blore. If you’ve seen any Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, you know Blore. He plays Stokes, the butler. Blore was the master of the "haughty yet incompetent" servant role. In this film, he provides the bridge between the mystery and the comedy. His facial expressions during the more absurd moments of the plot are worth the price of admission alone.
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You also have Robert Armstrong as Nick, a bookie. It’s a bit of a trip to see Armstrong here, considering most people know him as Carl Denham from King Kong (1933). Here, he’s much more grounded, playing a part of the "racing world" that the plot centers on.
The Gritty Details of the Roster
- Lila Lee: She plays Miss Summers. Lee was a silent film veteran who made the transition to talkies but was seeing her roles get smaller by the mid-30s.
- Grant Mitchell: Plays John Summers. He was one of those dependable actors who could play a banker or a villain with the exact same level of dry professionalism.
- Erin O'Brien-Moore: As Mrs. Summers. She brings a bit of the "straight" drama to a film that is otherwise leaning heavily into laughs.
Why This Specific Cast Mattered for RKO
RKO wasn't MGM. They didn't have the same massive budgets or the "more stars than there are in the heavens" roster. They had to be scrappy. By hiring Powell on loan, they were essentially buying an audience. But by surrounding him with Jean Arthur and top-tier character actors like Blore and Gleason, they created a film that felt "prestige" even if it was shot relatively quickly.
The director, Stephen Roberts, died shortly after the film was completed. It’s a bit of a somber footnote to a movie that is so inherently lighthearted. You can see his touch in the pacing—the movie moves fast. At 80 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome.
The Mystery at the Center
While we’re talking about the performers, we have to mention the "macguffin." The plot involves a jockey who dies during a race, which leads to a web of gambling and gelatin capsules. It’s a bit convoluted. Sorta ridiculous, actually.
But the cast treats it with just enough seriousness to keep the stakes real. When Powell’s Dr. Bradford is examining the medical evidence, he plays it straight. That’s the secret to good screwball mystery: the mystery has to actually be dangerous, otherwise the comedy has no "edge" to bounce off of.
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Common Misconceptions About the Film
A lot of modern viewers get The Ex-Mrs. Bradford confused with The Thin Man sequels. It's an easy mistake. Powell is wearing essentially the same suits. He has the same mustache. He’s solving a crime with a witty woman.
However, the dynamic is fundamentally different. In The Thin Man, Nick and Nora are a team. In The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, the characters are at odds. They are divorced for a reason. Paula is constantly putting Lawrence in legal and physical danger. She almost gets him killed several times. This creates a different kind of tension that Jean Arthur plays beautifully. She’s not his partner; she’s his "problem."
How to Watch It Today
If you’re looking to dive into this era of cinema, this film is a great entry point. It’s widely available on classic film streaming services like Criterion Channel or occasionally on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
When you watch it, don't just focus on the lead stars. Watch Eric Blore in the background. Look at how James Gleason reacts when Powell explains a complex medical theory. That’s where the real craft is. The 1930s studio system was a machine, but it was a machine built on the backs of incredibly talented, highly trained actors who could deliver a line while walking through a doorway and make it look like the most natural thing in the world.
Key Takeaways for the Classic Film Buff
- Appreciate the Loan-Out: This was a rare chance to see William Powell outside of the MGM polished environment.
- Jean Arthur's Rise: Notice how she holds her own against Powell. Many actresses were intimidated by his timing, but she matches him beat for beat.
- Genre Blending: This film is a perfect example of the "Comedy-Mystery" hybrid that dominated the mid-30s.
- The Butler Did It (Or Did He?): Eric Blore’s performance is a masterclass in supporting character work.
To truly understand the cast of The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, you have to see them in motion. The dialogue is fast, the physical gags are precise, and the chemistry is palpable. It’s a snapshot of a very specific moment in Hollywood history when everyone was trying to be Nick and Nora, but only a few had the talent to actually pull it off.
For those interested in exploring more of William Powell's filmography beyond the obvious hits, your next step should be seeking out My Man Godfrey (released the same year, 1936). It offers a different look at his comedic range and features another powerhouse female lead in Carole Lombard, providing a fascinating comparison to his work with Jean Arthur. Looking into the filmography of director Stephen Roberts also provides context on how this film fit into the RKO production style of the mid-thirties before his untimely passing.