Libeled Lady

Connie Allenbury, a glamorous socialite, finds her reputation under attack when a sensational newspaper accuses her of wrecking marriages, prompting a multi million libel suit. Warren Haggerty, the paper's frazzled editor, is determined to turn the tables and preserve the paper's power and his own future. He ropes in his restless fiancée Gladys Benton and his dashing friend Bill Chandler to help stage a counter move that will expose Connie to public scandal in a controlled way. What follows is a rapid volley of schemes, mistaken identities, and witty one liners as the trio tries to manipulate perceptions without fully unraveling their own plans. The result is a lively clash of romance and satire.

Directed by Jack Conway, Libeled Lady is built from an original screenplay by Howard Emmett Rogers, Maurine Dallas Watkins, and George Oppenheimer. MGM released the comedy in 1936, starring its famous quartet.

The film gives Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy a chance to spark with rapid back and forth exchanges that define late 1930s screwball. Its blend of flirtation and farce helped set a standard for studio comedies that mix romance with sharp wit. Its star quartet helped inspire later ensembles and shaped how studios built humorous but sharp exchanges into a film's backbone. The movie also demonstrates MGM's talent for balancing multiple stars without sidelining any performer, a feat that kept energy high from start to finish.

Critics of the era praised Libeled Lady for its sparkling dialogue, well-timed physical comedy, and breezy pace. Beyond laughs it probes media sensationalism and the delicate balance between public image and private desire, while keeping each character's ambitions clearly in view. The result is light yet perceptive, with a buoyant mood that still feels contemporary.

Box office figures for Libeled Lady are not provided in the available data. The film was released by MGM in 1936 and remains a touchstone of the studio's screwball line.