Mordaunt Hall in the New York Times

September 7, 1931

A flaxen-haired Joan Crawford is the principal figure in "This Modern Age," a pictorial attraction now at the Capitol. It is a film story which glides along merrily most of the time, but now and again it has its off moments.

The main reason for the title is a carefree young man named Tony, who is given to reckless driving and drinking. In fact he is never actually sober, and occasionally he is beheld in his evening clothes at high noon making a call on his friends. Apparently he would sooner give a bottle of wine to a girl than a bouquet of flowers. Monroe Owsley does exceedingly well by the part of Tony.

As for Miss Crawford, she gives a better portrayal here than she has in any of her previous talking pictures. As Valentine Winters she succeeds in being quite convincing in cheery and serious moments. A further asset to this production is Pauline Frederick, who figures as Diane, Valentine's divorced mother, who until the closing scenes is the mistress of a Frenchman named André de Graignon.

Valentine turns up in Paris to see her mother, after being for many years in the custody of her father. It is not until the climax is reached that she learns of her mother's relations with de Graignon.

An instance of implausibility is where Valentine first meets Bob, a Harvard football player and the son of well-to-do, conservative parents. Tony and Valentine are in an automobile which turns turtle after a crash. Bob, who is in another car, helps Valentine to crawl out of the wrecked conveyance. She talks to Bob as though nothing untoward had happened and a few moments later she thinks of Tony. No sooner is his name mentioned than the inebriated young man extricates himself from the overturned automobile. All thought of the accident is quickly dismissed, as neither Tony nor Valentine is hurt. But it is quite plain that cupid has scored, for from then on the narrative is chiefly concerned with the love affair between Valentine and Bob.

When Bob and his father and mother go to see Valentine and Diane, their quiet game of bridge is rudely interrupted by Tony bursting into the house. He is followed by a group of friends, all presumably the worse for wine. Then there is trouble from de Graignon and the truth comes out concerning Diane. But the shadow-story tellers, as might be surmised, find a way to end matters satisfactorily.

Neil Hamilton does very well as the noble Bob and Albert Conti rises to what is demanded of him as de Graignon.

Nicholas Grinde, director of this picture, has done splendid work by his comedy, but his serious interludes might have been handled more effectively.

Chester Hale's stage contribution, "Going! Going! Gone!" has some glamorous scenes and several good numbers.

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Online Reviews (2004):

    ...A romantic melodrama aimed at a female audience. It played to audiences of shop women of that era who fantasize that their lives could suddenly become glamorous....Its tame soap opera morality tale belies its title as something modern. The acting was high-strung on all fronts, with Joan Crawford offering a particularly high-handed performance. The melodrama is an attempt to explore the modern age's new morality and the ensuing social conflicts that arise. It can be enjoyed for many of the wrong reasons such as by its campy unintentional comedic moments and its hollow dialogue that caused more giggles than sober reflection. Complete review.

The only reason you need to watch 1931’s This Modern Age is for the beautiful cinematography. That’s it. The first thing to strike my eye was how beautiful Joan looked with the blonde hair and dark tan. Charles Rosher, the cameraman, did an excellent job filming Joan’s face.

Stephanie Jones (December 2005)

Rating: of 5

In 1931's This Modern Age, Joan reprises a by-this-time (for her) rather tired "good egg" character fond of "smiling bravely through her tears." Here, she's Valentine Winters, a 20-something child of divorce who, after her father dies, comes to Paris to live with her mother Diane (veteran stage actress Pauline Frederick).

Diane lives a mildly louche life as the longtime mistress of a Frenchman (a fact she hides from Valentine) and enjoys entertaining a mildly fast crowd that, as in many early Joan-movies, enjoys tipsy pool parties, dancing, and world-wearily "witty" conversation 'til the breakfast-hours. (The partiers are all harmless, of course, despite being late risers.)

Valentine and Diane bond immediately and Val fits right in with the crowd, led by the boozy, lightweight Tony (Monroe Owsley). Val and Tony are amused by each other and flirt a bit. When Tony blearily runs his car off the road one evening, though, Val is rescued by the stalwart, rather stiff Bob (Neil Hamilton), and Val's real romance begins. Bob comes from a conservative, wealthy family and he and Val almost immediately become engaged, despite his stodgy parents' disapproval. Bob soon becomes disturbed by Valentine's "rowdy" gang. After he overhears Diane's lover giving her an ultimatum about telling Valentine the truth about their "illicit" relationship, Bob demands that Val leave her mother's and friends' bad influence immediately. Val is indignant at Bob's condescension and breaks up with him, then goes on to demand that her mother leave her lover and become an honest woman!

The thin plot of This Modern Age is unredeemed by any interesting characters and is hampered by a "moral message" that's rather nonsensical. First of all, all of the supposedly shady, decadent characters aren't that shady or decadent. Diane, the mother, is nice; her French lover is nice; the dissolute Tony is nice enough. It's hard to see what Bob needs to rescue Valentine from. If the film's conflict were that Bob was an insufferable prig who needed comeuppance, that would be one thing; but Valentine, despite her telling Bob off, actually agrees with him---demanding that her middle-aged mother not live with anyone outside of matrimony and instead set up housekeeping in a tiny apartment with her daughter!

I realize that the Code was newly in effect at this time, but even so---for plot's (and pete's) sake, at least Tony and the Frenchman could have been a bit more sinister, and the mother's and Val's "plights" more dire if the viewer is to get any sense of real conflict, or sense of who to logically root for, especially since the seemingly open-minded Valentine winds up being as priggish as Bob.

Joan here is in her by-now usual late-1920s/'30/'31 form: a bit self-consciously spunky, both her gaiety and her seriousness rather forced at times. Her scenes with Pauline Frederick fall into the same pattern; for the most part, the two emote at each other rather than engage in any subtle interplay. Neither is bad; they're just not especially moving or convincing together as newly-bonded mother and daughter.

Joan's acting style underwent a major transformation beginning with the film immediately succeeding this one---1931's Possessed, followed by equally natural performances in 1932's Grand Hotel, Letty Lynton, and Rain. This Modern Age is a welcome farewell to the stilted style prevalent in many of Joan's early films and in her early film performances.