MovieChat Forums > Our Betters (1933) Discussion > Forgive me for asking the obvious.....

Forgive me for asking the obvious.....

posted 11 years ago by calvinnme
9 replies | jump to latest

but why didn't Pearl just annul her marriage after she found out on her wedding day that her vile new husband defrauded her, already had a lover and intended to keep her, and just married her for her money? Couldn't she see she'd wind up with no money AND no love? Just asking.

[–] darogr 11 years ago

I think we are to fill in for ourselves that she was very young, inexperienced, and unable to deal with the situation. A good point though, a line or two of an explanation would have made a lot of difference.

[–] bijou-2 11 years ago

She wanted the title and was just as manipulative as he was.

[–] calvinnme 11 years ago

Yes, she did say things that indicated she was impressed by the title, but in the scene where she catches her new husband talking frankly to his mistress you can see Pearl is genuinely shocked and distressed by the situation.

[–] prtfvr 10 years ago

Can you imagine the scandal of a woman running out on her wedding day - in the 30's? Unthinkable!

prtfvr

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

calvinnme says > why didn't Pearl just annul her marriage after she found out on her wedding day that her vile new husband defrauded her, already had a lover and intended to keep her, and just married her for her money? Couldn't she see she'd wind up with no money AND no love? Just asking.

Asking those questions shows you failed to understand the movie. Pearl married her husband for his title and he married her for her money. She wanted not only the title but all that went with it. It was her ticket into high society; the lifestyle; the people. She wasn't about to give it up for any reason.

That world she desperately wants to belong to is full of phonies all putting up facades. It's all about appearances; not what actually is; it's how things seem to be to others. Getting an annulment or divorce would be scandalous. It would give people something to talk about and a way of ridiculing her.

Pearl often made herself the object of conversation but she controlled it; a skill she learned as she went along. Early on, she didn't know the 'rules'. Finding out her husband had a mistress and intended to continue with that relationship was a bit of a wake up call. Later, when she figured out how things work, she stayed married even though her husband was never around. He went through her money but she did nothing. She had a man keeping her and supplementing her income. All her friends except the princess had lovers on the side and practiced the art of deception even among their 'friends'. And love, you ask? Love is not a factor. It's what Pearl didn't realize at first and the reason she worked to get her sister out; to move back to the U.S.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] tony45 (4) 4 years ago

You understand so well the mindset of the wealthy. By the way, didn't Pepe play Minnie? He played her like a violin.

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 9 years ago

I think that a lot of people forget how recently womens' rights have progressed. In the 1930s, it wasn't possible for a woman to demand an annulment, or sue for divorce.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] BelleCBelle 8 years ago

In my opinion, the most obvious answer is there wouldn't have been a movie or play.

"Wow. Our town has only had a Whole Foods for three weeks and we already have our first gay kids."

[–] tony45 (4) 4 years ago

The rich are different. Appearance is EVERYTHING !!!!