Going from famous, Oscar-winning films to something a bit more out-of-the-way. Like today, there was no shortage of cinematically pedestrian movies produced in the '30s. The studio system churned out film after film, and not all of them were destined for greatness, a fact the studios were well aware of. Fortunately, even these films were not lacking in the wardrobe department, like Love is News.
Love Is News – The Film
To demonstrate how otherwise unnoticeable this film was, it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page of its own. In 1937's Love is News, Loretta Young stars as Toni Gaston, one of the cinema's most reliable creations for extensive fur wardrobes: an heiress. Pursued by reporter Steve Layton (Tyrone Power), Toni decides to strike back by announcing the two are engaged to be married and giving the “scoop” to everyone but Layton. Toni and Steve, naturally, end up falling in love and living happily ever after around 60 minutes later.
Love Is News – The Furs
Though the plot and film aren't particularly noteworthy, the furs of the 30's heiress Toni Gaston are. She doesn't entirely give Miss Manton a run for her foxes, but she nonetheless puts in a reasonable effort.
Steve Layton opens hostilities by tricking Toni into an interview upon arrival at the airport. She and gal pal Lois Westcott (Pauline Moore) both wear furs. Toni starts off slow in a conservative mink, while Lois gets the signature high lynx collar.
Lois uses her collar as a somewhat effective face mask to fool the rest of the press until she's found out when almost to the waiting taxi.
Layton gets the interview with Toni on the plane, who smokes elegantly in her mink.
In enacting her revenge for the airport deception, Lois announces their fake marriage in a silver fox-trimmed wrap.
A car chase and jail time ensues, during which the multi-tiered silver fox trimmed wrap is filmed nicely. Here Miss Young speaks to her arresting officer, unable to convince him to let her go. Stern guy.
The back of the silver fox fur-trimmed wrap shows off the high collar and middle tier of fur while Toni appeals to the judge.
Lovely closeup of Loretta Young framed by the silver fox collar on the wrap. She is unable to convince the judge to let her go. Stern judge, too.
Later in the film, Toni turns up in the best fur of the film, a sumptuously full white fox coat. Not quite The Awful Truth, but a lovely white fox coat nonetheless.
The white fox fur lacks a collar worthy of the massive frame, but still, it is a beautiful, full coat that looks lovely on Miss Young.
With a white fox coat like that, she has reason to smile.
Finally, during the inevitable break-up phase before the inevitable reconciliation, Loretta catches Steve making a movie of their sordid non-affair. She storms onto the set in a coat with a vast fox collar, one that would have been perfect for the white fox before it.
Again, framed by fox fur, Loretta Young sparkles. Strange headgear, though.
Though she storms off the set, she does so in high style thanks to the full, broad fox collar.
Love is News may never be considered a particularly noteworthy contribution to cinematic history, but the furs within are undoubtedly worthy of appreciation. Loretta Young is beautiful in the mink and fox coats, with an able, if brief, assist by Pauline Moore and her oversized lynx collar. Sadly, the size of the white fox coat and the later fox collar weren't combined, but otherwise, Love is News is a solid way to appreciate fur fashion in film.