Interesting! The only production of Shrew that's worked for me is one where they played it as if Kate and Petruchio were in cahoots and this was all a game they were playing for appearances sake - I believe they did cut some of the text and also added some extra-textual business to support that reading. I don't really believe you can get that from the text as it stands, unfortunately. It's probably the only Shakespeare that I'd flat our refuse to direct. . .

It does sound like the 30's film studio take was fun. Years ago I saw a production of Much Ado in London that was set during WWII - the messenger at the beginning roared on stage in a vintage motorcycle!