Nathanael West, the first son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, was born Nathan Weinstein in New York City . Although he never graduated from high school, he manipulated transcripts that eventually led to his admission to Brown University from which he graduated in 1924. When he died at the age of 37, he had written four books, two of which, Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939), are regarded as American classics.
In Miss Lonelyhearts , an un-named male newspaper columist writes an advice column, which others on the staff see as a joke. But as Miss Lonelyhearts reads the letters from the desperate writers, he finds himself drawn into lives full of pain and heartache, and he falls into a cycle of deep depression.
Miss Lonelyhearts tries to escape this depression through religion and sex, but he becomes more confused. Eventually he corresponds with a reader unhappily married to a man with a slight physical disability. He has an affair with the woman. After having a religious experience, he confronts her husband, who believes Miss Lonelyhearts is attacking him. The husband pulls a gun and shoots Miss Lonelyhearts. They both fall down a flight of stairs and die.
"Somehow or other I seem to have slipped in between all the 'schools,' " observed Nathanael West the year before his death in 1940. "My books meet no needs except my own, their circulation is practically private, and I'm lucky to be published." Today, however, critics recognize West as a prophetic writer whose disturbing and comic vision reflect a dark side of to American life. Author Budd Schulberg said of West: "The work of Nathanael West, savagely, comically, tragically original, has come into its own. A new public has discovered in the writings of West a brilliant reflection of its own sense of chaos and helplessness in a world running more to madness than to reason."
The news that 20th Century Fox planned to produce a film based on Wes'st novel caused considerable concern to moralists. James Wingate, Director of the Studio Relations Department of the AMPP, called the novel "about the vilest thing that I have read." Publisher P. S. Harrison wrote that the novel "is so obscene that I am surprised that its publication should have been permitted, particularly because of its implications of degeneracy. It cannot be defended on the grounds of art; it has none: it is just low and vulgar, put out undoubtedly to appeal to moronic natures." He then mailed to every daily newspaper in the country and to more than fifty newspaper associations a synopsis of the book and urging them to protest to Darryl Zanuck.
Attempting to quell the protests, Zanuck stated, "The film version of Miss Lonelyhearts is in no way neurotic, nor has it any psychopathic implication. All that remains of the book is the title and the basic situation of a reporter who unwillingly writes an Advice-to-the-Lovelorn column. The scenario, wholly conceived in the mind of Leonard Praskins, is bright, sparkling and harmless, full of humor rather than pornographic, and is typical of the kind of stories in which Lee Tracy has been appearing." Later Zanuck changed the title of the film "so that the public will not be misled into believing that our original story has anything to do with the 'Lonelyhearts' novel."
 Paul Harvey accepts the resignation of May Boley,
the original Miss Lonelyhearts, in Advice to the Lovelorn
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The title thus became Advice to the Lovelorn, and West's novel disappeared under a barrage of comedy and romance. In this case, Zanuck proved correct---no one could believe West and his novel had anything to do with the film except on the most superficial terms.
The film opens as an earthquake shakes Los Angeles, awakening reporter Toby Prentiss from a drunken slumber. Angry that Toby failed get the story, managing editor Edward J. Gaskell replaces the retiring "Miss Lonelyhearts" with Toby. Toby tries to quit, but he is bound by his contract. In an effort to get Gaskell to fire him, Toby writes advice intended to offend conventional morality. Instead his columns attract new subscribers and advertisers, and Gaskell forces Toby to stay.
 Isabel Jewell threatens Lee Tracy
in Advice to the Lovelorn
As Toby's column is syndicated throughout the country, Kranz, the owner of, "Kranz's Half-Price Druggee-Shoppee," makes a deal to pay Toby $1,100 a week to advertize his store. As Toby and Loise celebrate their engagement with Toby's mother, the old lady suffers a heart attack. Toby purchases medicine from one of Kranz's Druggee-Shoppees. but his mother dies because the potion is diluted. Toby then sets out to bring down Kranz by using the Miss Lonelyhearts column.
One afternoon when Toby shows up at Louise's apartment, Krantz and his men are waiting. Just as they are about to do in Toby, federal men arrive and take the gangster and his men away. Krantz is wanted for tax evasion. In the meantime, Benny. Toby's close friend, believing Krantz still in the apartment, brings the police who mistake Toby for a wife beater and jump jim. The final scene shows Toby completely wrapped in bandages marrying his sweetheart.
 C. Henry Gordon (right) spies on Lee Tracy
in Advice to the Lovelorn
As the New York Times (Dec. 14, 1933) reviewer pointed out, when the film "stays within the realm of comedy, it affords no little amusement, but when it skips from jesting to melodramatics its entertainment value becomes sorely diluted....The first half of the film, however, is good fun, even though it has its exaggerated turns....The efforts to drum up laughter and excitement in the latter episodes are somewhat clumsy...." The reviewer singled out Lee Tracy for special praise: "Mr. Tracy...misses no opportunity to make things hum."
For those who are looking for the Nathaniel West novel, this film will dissapoint. Just as Zanuck said, the writers used only the basic idea of the novel---an editor forces a male reporter to take over the Miss Lonelyhearts column---but after that, the film and novel have nothing in common. What shows up on the screen turns out to be more comedy than drama. The early scenes that include an earthquake and a horsewhipping of the editor prove amusing, and Lee Tracy comes off well as the flippant reporter who wants to be fired. Only when he faces his mother's death does the picture falter.
In 1958, United Artists released Lonelyhearts , this time a bit closer in tone to West's novel, which starred Montgomery Clift, Robert Ryan and Myrna Loy. In 1983, American Playhouse broadcasted Miss Lonelyhearts in association with the American Film Institute.
Print quality: A little light on contrast. Still a very nice print.
Sound quality : Acceptable
Extras : Paired with You Belong to Me starring Lee Tracy
Summery: No Nathaniel West here, although Lee Tracy provides some good comedic moments. Worth a look.
Rating: C
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