mark.waltz "Love is a rare thing. You throw it away, it may never come again." So says Kay Francis to her favorite cousin (Kay Johnson), a sweet, rich girl who has fallen in love with chauffeur Charles Bickford and plans to marry him against the wishes of her obstinate father (Winter Hall) who threatens to disown her. Bickford and Johnson marry, and move into an apartment building owned by the frenetic Zasu Pitts who always has a word of doom every time she stops into visit. Francis is married to the older Lewis Stone who allows her to have affairs but steps in when they get too intense. At first, Francis is her cousin's confidante, but as the marriage between Bickford and Johnson begins to suffer, Bickford confides to Francis whom he found at first to be pretentious and snobby. In the meantime, Johnson struggles to raise their child (Dickie Moore) while Bickford plays around with Francis. Eventually guilt takes over the two, and Francis begs Johnson to forgive her even as she plans to marry Bickford who has convinced Johnson to divorce him. But will a final meeting between Bickford, Johnson and Moore bring him to his senses about what he really wants? Not if Francis gets her way!This pre-code drama shows its vixen (Francis) in a rather sympathetic light as the affair between her and Bickford doesn't simply happen out of nowhere and her devotion to her cousin brings on a reluctance to go forward with it. Of course, once she's involved, she's not willing to let go, and a confrontation between her and husband Stone (seen only briefly) makes her determination all the more to get Bickford down the aisle. Bickford, on his part, is obviously not content to become Francis's "fancy man", being much more independent and masculine than the stuffy members of Francis's social scene. Johnson never makes her plight turn her into a sob sister, being more intent on remaining strong for her son (an excellent Dickie Moore) and doing what she needs to do to survive. Of course, Pitts steals every scene she is in, whether talking about a spouse that ran off on her, a tenant who can't speak anymore because they are dead, or the little boy who lived in the building who was killed after being hit by a car. Only Pitts could deliver such tragic news and make the viewer laugh because of her dead-pan manner. This is one "Debbie Downer" type character that is actually amusing.

Rama Rao When MGM started casting for this movie, its own stars were on other assignments and hence Kay Frances was borrowed from Paramount studios to play the leading role. This movie is one for the ladies, a typical Kathleen Norris romantic novel scripted to fit into a typical Kay Frances movie. Dulce (Kay Frances) falls in love with Dan Wallace (Charles Bickford), the family chauffeur against her father's wishes. When Dan is about to divorce his wife (played by Kay Johnson), he will receive a letter form his wife and have a change of heart. Hit by the memories of his loving wife and family, he goes home for a happy ending. Dulce is heartbroken under several yards of mink. William De Mille directed this drama with Martin Flavin, Laurence Johnson and Edith Fitzgerald screenplay. Lewis Stone and Zasu Pitts are outstanding in supporting roles

ScenicRoute I just reviewed "The Show-Off" which has a similar - Irish vs. WASP thing going. In Passion Flower it is a bit more subtle, but Kay Francis is still most definitely the other - liberal, louche, a free-thinker.In reading the other reviews, I note the historical value mentioned about the depression. This movie scores an 8 for me because of the priceless line about the battle of the sexes.And of course it is Zazu delivering it - I think someone should gather her speaking roles in all her bit parts and string 'em together, end-to-end.As I recall (I saw the move several years ago, but believe I watched this scene several times, I was so wowed by it), Zazu is mopping the floor and chatting "men trouble" with Kay Johnson. "I don't know about men," says Zazu. "They can be handy during the day and entertaining at night, but that's about it. I don't know about men." HANDY DURING THE DAY and ENTERTAINTING AT NIGHT? Now don't that just sum up the plight of 21st century manhood? And Zazu figured it out in 1930! Evewryone should watch this movie for that one scene. It is one of the best.

laurielouwho67 I really liked this movie. I thought it was an interesting study of human nature. You never know what someone is thinking or who will betray you no matter how well you think you know them. As for the comment about the performances being "wooden" you have to think about the time in which it was made. They were just coming out of silent films where they acted on a different level than with "talkies". It was a relatively new era in film. I thought that Kay Francis was lovely in this and that she was a truly beautiful woman. I don't know a great deal about her personal life but as for her movies I have become a dedicated fan. I'm in no way a film expert or aficionado but I know what I like and can move past certain elements to see the nuances of the story and characters. I don't think this was rubbish at all.