Grade: D-
Synopsis: A man (Wayne Morris) become jealous of his wife’s (Priscilla Lane) career and her relationship with an advertising executive (Humphrey Bogart).
There is one, and only one, reason to endure Men Are Such Fools: to see Humphrey Bogart look utterly ridiculous in his unitard swimsuit. A fast-forward button can make this a much more pleasant endeavor, as the rest of the film is awful.
Neither of the leads is remotely likable. Priscilla Lane starts out okay, but as soon as Wayne Morris makes his entrance, she goes downhill. The problem is that Morris’ character is a total ass. He bullies Lane’s character at every turn, sabotages her career, and disregards her hopes and dreams. Thus, when Lane’s character suddenly goes giddy and agrees to marry him, you can’t help but hate her too for being such an idiot.
Things get better, briefly, when Bogart shows up. You’re practically screaming at Lane to go for him, but instead she only uses him to get back with the lunky Morris.
Despite the title, the film’s moral seems to be that women are pests to be dealt with, not equals to be respected. Just put all your needs first and bully your woman until she eventually gives in. It would actually be funny if it weren’t so annoying.
