To Please a Lady Reviews

Fast cars and romance mix in this yarn which stars Clark Gable as a notorious midget race car driver. On the track, Mike Brannan (Gable) draws more boos than cheers from the crowds, who won't forgive him for a crash he once caused that resulted in another driver's death. Hard-edged columnist Regina Forbes (Barbara Stanwyck) decides to give Mike a fair shake and interview him. Mike, however, wants nothing to do with her. Regina witnesses another fatal crash caused by Mike and, convinced that he is a callous individual with no respect for life, condemns him in her column. She wields enough power to get him barred from the race circuit, thereby forcing him to take up stunt-car performing in a sideshow until he manages to save enough cash to buy a full-sized racer. Before the next big race, Mike and Regina meet, but instead of despising each other, they fall in love. Although the title is TO PLEASE A LADY, the most memorable moments of the film occur on the race-track. Photographed at the Indianapolis Speedway, the 12-minute finale brims with excitement, which is unfortunately missing from the dialog. Gable and Stanwyck do their best, but most of their interchanges fall flat, the most electric moment between them occurring when Gable, by now attracted to Stanwyck, slaps her face. Instead of running off, Stanwyck stays, proving both her love for Gable and her ability to take what he dishes out. MGM re-released TO PLEASE A LADY under the more graphic title RED HOT WHEELS.