joan crawford in do the last of mrs. cheyney have to stand comparison with not one and but two previous actress who essay the part of a crooked adventuress who discover she have a chance at love . the last of mrs. cheyney be first present on broadway a a play by frederick lonsdale in the 1925 1926 season and it run 385 performance with ina claire in the lead . then it be do a an early sound feature film for norma shearer who get rave review . not have see claire or shearer in the part i only have crawford to judge and she doesn not do badly at all in the part . of course she and the film be help greatly by the fact william powell and robert montgomery be in the film and both can and have play this kind of light comedy in their sleep . crawford be the shill and the come on and for a gang of thief of which william powell be one of the member . she take on the identity of wealthy sophisticated american widow faye cheyney who ingratiate herself with the rich and famous and get in their home to rob them . we find her first work her wile on shipboard with frank morgan and play the usual befuddle frank morgan part . powell serve a her butler . but she also meet wealthy young lord and robert montgomery and through him get invite to old dowager duchess jessie ralph for the weekend . jessie get a big rock there that the gang would like to get a hold of . but montgomery be offer crawford a chance to break away from that life and it put her in a dilemma . since powell kind of stuck on her too and she get another problem . i think crawford carry off the part quite well . but the best one in the film be jessie ralph . seem a though the old duchess marry into the aristocracy and she spot that crawford be not all she claim she be . but she like her nonetheless . very similar to the part florence bat play in saratoga trunk with ingrid bergman . ralph steal every scene she in . one of these day i meet get to see the shearer version . till then i will recommend this version of the last of mrs. cheyney without hesitation .