vert001 Burdened with a less than exciting script, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell ended their twelve film partnership with the undistinguished CHANGE OF HEART. Four recent college graduates (Gaynor, Farrell, Ginger Rogers and James Dunn) travel together to New York to make their fortunes. You would think that the travails of young friends trying to make their ways in the big city would make for compelling drama, but it rarely does.Gaynor plays a saintly soul with the patience of Job, and it's a testament to her skill as an actress that she makes so treacly a role thoroughly likable. Poor Farrell acts well enough but, as became customary for him in these talkie pairings with Gaynor, is stuck playing a dumbbell who actually falls sick unto death simply because Rogers has married somebody else! Gaynor finally wins her true love by nursing him back to health. This happens in a long, long scene during which she shaves him! I don't want to blame filmmakers for taking chances, but this was one chance that didn't pay off.Ginger Rogers was in the interregnum between FLYING DOWN TO RIO and THE GAY Divorcée, meaning that she was a rather hot property but not yet a true star. This role, commonplace in thirties' cinema (heck, Claire Dodd made a career playing it), is unique in her own career and one of the few unsympathetic characters that she ever played. She probably performed it better than the film deserved, something you could say for its entire excellent cast.

Michael_Elliott Change of Heart (1934)** (out of 4) Four friends (Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, James Dunn, Ginger Rogers) graduate college and decide to move from California to New York City so that they can make their dreams come true. At first the four stay together but soon personal relationships start to tear them apart. CHANGE OF HEART has pretty much been forgotten by everyone except for fans of Gaynor and Farrell as this here would be their final film together. They did a total of twelve together and I think it's easy to say that this one here isn't among their best. There are many problems with this film but I think it's rather obvious that the screenplay is simply tired and it doesn't give us anything fresh or original. If you've ever seen a romantic-drama-comedy then you're going to see every twist and turn coming. Even by 1934 standards this thing is pretty cliché ridden and even worse is that it's all too predictable. As you'd expect, along the way there are crossed romances going on. Person A loves person B but person B is in love with person C who in returns is in love with person A. The only thing that keeps this film remotely entertaining is the terrific cast led by Gaynor who is always bright enough to light up any film no matter how routine it is. She's certainly the stand-out here but Rogers is also very good in her role of the not-so-nice girl trying to become a rich actress. Both Farrell and Dunn are good as well and we've even got Dick Foran in his first role. Fans of Shirley Temple will find her here playing a girl named Shirley. CHANGE OF HEART has been forgotten over the years and it's easy to see why. The only ones needing to check this out are fans of the actors.

blanche-2 Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, James Dunn, and Ginger Rogers all experience a "Change of Heart" in this 1934 film about college graduates moving to New York City to "make it." It's the last of 12 pairings of Gaynor and Farrell.I love old films because of what they tell us about the past - you could read it in a history book, but somehow, it's not the same. It took FIFTEEN HOURS to fly coast to coast in 1934. And I complain that it takes five now. Outrageous. If you look really fast when they're on the plane, you'll see Shirley Temple getting a paper airplane. Those curls are unmistakable.Gaynor is in love with Farrell, Farrell is in love with Rogers, Dunn is in love with Gaynor. Rogers is a golddigger and takes off early on to be with rich and important people who can further her acting career. You can guess all of the rest.Rogers is beautiful and vivacious in her role, Gaynor is sweet and likable, Dunn is charming and cuddly, and Farrell is mysterious and handsome. It's really a lovely movie with an attractive cast that captures the excitement of young people starting out in the big city.

edwagreen Very dated 1934 with Janet Gaynor again playing a sweet, loving girl who with 3 friends come to N.Y. to find fame and fortune after graduation from college. The 3 friends are James Dunn, Charles Farrell and a spunky, but nasty Ginger Rogers.Basically, a love quadrangle soon develops. Farrell loves Rogers, Gaynor loves Farrell and Dunn loves Gaynor. Of course, a selfish Rogers, runs off with a wealthy guy and soon realizes he is not for her. In the interim, being nursed back to health after falling ill, Farrell realizes that Gaynor is for him and the two wed and live in a 4th floor walk-up. Is this almost "Seventh Heaven" again?At least, this film ends happily.