AllMovie

Although in mystery films William Powell never had as fine a love interest as when he was paired with Myrna Loy, that doesn't mean his non-Loy pairings are without interest, as The Ex-Mrs. Bradford indicates. While it would have been interesting to see the multi-talented Loy take on the title role, it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better than the unique and lovely Jean Arthur. Arthur brings her special charm to the part, playing a dizzy blonde that of course really isn't so dizzy and winning hearts in the process as usual. She and Powell work quite well together; the chemistry is of a different sort than the Powell-Loy pairings, lacking some of the sexual undertones, but it still is definitely chemistry and definitely potent. As for Powell, he flies through the part with that singular ease of his, tossing off a line with an effortlessness that belies the skill involved. And it's a good thing that both the stars are in such fine form, for it must be said that the screenplay for Bradford, while more than acceptable, is less than sterling. The same can be said for Stephen R. Roberts' direction. Fortunately, the stars and such stalwart supporting players as Eric Blore (whose part is practically as large as Powell's and Arthur's) and James Gleason more than make up for Bradford's shortcomings.