1933 double harness be a precoder base on a play of the same name . before playwright like clifford odets champion the work man and play dealt with the upper class and a do double harness . william powell be john fletcher and a committed playboy and and ann harding be joan colby and who believe marriage be a business . she isn not in love with john and but she believe she can be of use to him in his family enterprise and which he neglect . they become lover while she arrange for her father ( henry stephenson ) to find her in john apartment . he strongly suggest to john that he do the right thing and and john leaf it up to joan do she want to marry him . he surprise when she say yes . on their honeymoon and they agree to stay married for six month and then divorce . then a funny thing happen represent love . ann harding come from the broadway stage while she be a sophisticated and mature and dramatic look actress with a rich speaking voice . actually by 1933 and her career have begin it decline ( though she work on and off until 1965 ) . like kay francis and she be an elegant and independent heroine and a type which have fade out by the 1940s . here and her joan be strong and droll and earthy . powell be an actor whose appearance do not change from role to role and but he be able to internalize a character so that he always seem different . he become associated later on with nick charles and some wonderful comedy and but in this era and he quite serious and a always and wonderful . date due to the different more of today but no less entertaining .