Real or Imagined?

[Leslie Howard with Archie Mayo
on the set of It's Love I'm After, 1937]

Leslie Howard's son, Ronald "Wink" Howard, talks about his father's shyness:

"As far as living in Hollywood was concerned Leslie had always kept a pretty low profile, not from any innate hostility to the place, but simply because he was not a very social animal. He was rarely seen 'around and

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland in It's Love I'm After, 1937]

It's Love I'm After to air on TCM this Sunday, August 21, 7:30 AM EST, 4:30 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

If you missed the chance last month to see Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland in this 1937 "rippling farce, brightly written and deftly directed," you have another chance this Sunday. It's Bette Davis Day on TCM.

Says Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times review of 11 November 1937: "Mr. Howard's Basil Underwood is a gem of conceit, self-delusion and calculated posturing, but he shyly confesses in every bit of character shading that there is a very human chap beneath the veneer." "This [farce] spins delightfully." "Mr. Howard and Miss Davis must give us other farces and Archie Mayo must direct them again. It's good to find a comedy with people in it instead of whimsies."

In the vernacular of today—It's funny! It's a delight! Watch it!

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email • And don't forget to respond to the verification email!

Progamming Note

[Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and
Bette Davis in It's Love I'm After, 1937]

It's Love I'm After to air on TCM on Sunday, August 21, at 4:30 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

Produced by Warner Brothers and directed by Archie Mayo, It's Love I'm After is a comedy which brings together Leslie Howard and Bette Davis for the third time. They appeared together previously in Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936).

The film is about a pair of egotistical actors (Howard and Davis) who are in love but who have delayed their marriage over and over again throughout the years, mainly due to their heated arguments off stage. But the two finally agree that tonight is the night, until a young heiress (Olivia de Havilland) shows up and becomes totally infatuated with Leslie Howard. (I know that feeling.) Her fiancé (Henry Grant) pleads with Howard to discourage de Havilland and the wedding is delayed once again as Howard barges in at de Havilland's country home to show her just how obnoxious he can be.

The movie received good reviews and classic movie reviewers have come to recognize the film as undervalued and neglected.

Howard Meets Davis - Part Three

After months away from his children and his home, both in England, and the purchase of five polo ponies to alleviate his boredom and irritation, Leslie Howard finally began filming for Of Human Bondage (1934) in February, 1934.

The entire cast was English except for Bette Davis and Howard thought an English actress should have been cast as Mildred Rogers. Even though Davis had hired a British maid in an effort to learn the accent, Howard was not impressed. Davis was aware of Howard's feelings that she was ridiculous for the part. To observers Howard was polite but to Davis Howard was unsupportive, reading a book off stage while throwing her

It's Love I'm After

It's Love I'm After is a 1937 film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland. It will be shown this weekend on TCM. [See your local listings]

Howard chose this film at the time because he thought it would be a break from stress. He had just finished his tour of Hamlet which he produced, directed and starred in. Although Howard decided to close the show on Broadway after only 39 performances, the tour was very successful. But Howard was tired. He thought a comedy would be just the thing to bring in some cash and relax with his family. Howard had already worked with Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936) and he was comfortable with her. He already has his mind on his next film, Pygmalion (1938), and was excited that he would be able to direct.

Here is the trailer for It's Love I'm After.

It's Love I'm After Trailer

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email

Programming Note

[Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and
Bette Davis in It's Love I'm After, 1937]

It's Love I'm After to air on TCM on Saturday, July 9, at 3:15 AM PST [Please check your local listings]

Produced by Warner Brothers and directed by Archie Mayo, It's Love I'm After is a comedy which brings together Leslie Howard and Bette Davis for the third time. They appeared together previously in Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936).

The film is about a pair of egotistical actors (Howard and Davis) who are in love but who have delayed their marriage over and over again throughout the years, mainly due to their heated arguments off stage. But the two finally agree that tonight is the night, until a young heiress (Olivia de Havilland) shows up and becomes totally infatuated with Leslie Howard. (I know that feeling.) Her fiancé (Henry Grant) pleads with Howard to discourage de Havilland and the wedding is delayed once again as Howard barges in at de Havilland's country home to show her just how obnoxious he can be.

The movie received good reviews and classic movie reviewers have come to recognize the film as undervalued and neglected.

Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email