review for Hearts Divided on AllMovie

As history, Hearts Divided is totally useless, playing extremely fast and loose with historical fact at just about every turn. But as film, Divided is a passable little fluff of romantic melodrama. It could never be much more than that, not with the trite, manipulative screenplay which is its basis. However, having two more appropriate leads would have improved things considerably. Of the two, the bigger problem is surprisingly NOT Marion Davies. Oh, she's too old for the part (although quite attractive), and her dramatic performance is only adequate, but she does get through it and hits the right notes in an acceptable, if unexceptional, way. But Dick Powell, except when he is singing, is totally miscast. Visibly uncomfortable in the period costumes and looking ridiculous in a wig, Powell simply is not believable for one moment in the film. He could certainly play a romantic lead, but not this one, and as a result comes across as stiff and unconvincing. He delivers a couple of genial Harry Warren-Al Dubin songs with considerable skill, and one is relieved to see him in his element for at least a few minutes. The supporting cast is much better than the leads, with Claude Rains subtlty playing Napoleon for all he's worth, and wonderful comic moments from Arthur Treacher, Charlie Ruggles and Edward Everett Horton. Frank Borzage's direction is not his best, but he brings his singular belief in the power of romance to the film, to its benefit.