Five months later after "The Wild Party," in her second talkie, Clara Bow plays alongside Jean Arthur in October 1929's "The Saturday Night Kid." The Edward Sutherland-directed film, from the 1926 play 'Love 'Em and Leave 'Em,' shows the pair as sisters living together in New York City. Friction develops when Janie (Arthur) displays her unethical, jealous behavior. The rather stagey film contains a brief appearance of Jean Harlow in her first speaking role. Bow had gained weight after "The Wild Party" and couldn't fit into the dress costume designer Edith Head had tailored for her. Bow gave the slim dress to Harlow, who never forgot the actress' gesture.
Bow was unhappy with the direction movies was going and missed the days where physicality meant more than verbal jousting. Her weeks proceeding "The Wild Party" involved some heavy drinking and sedatives to calm her nerves. She was sensitive to the negative reviews she received from her first speaking role. Arthur, who took a brief hiatus to act on the stage as well as take voice lessons, bonded with Bow during "The Saturday Night Kid." "She was so generous, no snootiness or anything," Arthur said of Bow. "She was wonderful to me." Bow locked horns with the film's director, Sutherland. Soon after a divorce from actress Louise Brooks, Sutherland was immediately at loggerheads with Bow. The actress recalled being snubbed by him at an earlier social gathering. Sutherland, realizing this was a Bow film, admired Arthur's acting. "Arthur was so good that we had to cut and cut to keep her from stealing the picture" from Clara, said the director. The New York Times even complimented Arthur's performance, saying the movie would have been "merely commonplace, were it not for Jean Arthur, who plays the catty sister with a great deal of skill." For Bow, her future in Hollywood looked indeed perilous.
Bow was unhappy with the direction movies was going and missed the days where physicality meant more than verbal jousting. Her weeks proceeding "The Wild Party" involved some heavy drinking and sedatives to calm her nerves. She was sensitive to the negative reviews she received from her first speaking role. Arthur, who took a brief hiatus to act on the stage as well as take voice lessons, bonded with Bow during "The Saturday Night Kid." "She was so generous, no snootiness or anything," Arthur said of Bow. "She was wonderful to me." Bow locked horns with the film's director, Sutherland. Soon after a divorce from actress Louise Brooks, Sutherland was immediately at loggerheads with Bow. The actress recalled being snubbed by him at an earlier social gathering. Sutherland, realizing this was a Bow film, admired Arthur's acting. "Arthur was so good that we had to cut and cut to keep her from stealing the picture" from Clara, said the director. The New York Times even complimented Arthur's performance, saying the movie would have been "merely commonplace, were it not for Jean Arthur, who plays the catty sister with a great deal of skill." For Bow, her future in Hollywood looked indeed perilous.