Lady Pluck

There's probably not a comic actress working today who couldn't learn a trick or two from Lombard's smart, fearless snap. Too bad, then, that only two of the six new-to-DVD films in Carole Lombard: The Glamour Collection match the comedian's timeless talent. The Princess Comes Across (1936), with Lombard affecting a Garbo-esque accent as phony royalty, deftly weds laughs and murder aboard a cruise ship, while 1935's Hands Across the Table features the star as a manicurist whose plans to marry rich are muddled when she falls for Fred MacMurray's down-and-out charmer. Directed by the reliable Mitchell Leisen, it's one of the great romantic comedies from any period, full of palpable erotic longing and jaw-droppingly beautiful close-ups. (And who knew that MacMurray, with tousled hair and wearing an undershirt, could actually be sexy?)

As for Mae West: The Glamour Collection, call me a Commie but compared with Lombard's quicksilver wit, West's ribald shtick feels dated. 1933's I'm No Angel benefits from a young Cary Grant and the occasional funny epigram and quip, but Night After Night, Goin' to Town, and Go West Young Man are awfully sluggish. The grand standout: My Little Chickadee (1940), with W.C. Fields picking up the slack with hilarious scattershot banter, visual gags, and a farewell entreaty that turns West's famous ''Come up and see me sometime'' into something just short of sweet.

Lombard: B+ West: B