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Private Lives (1931)

Passed  -  Comedy | Drama  -  12 December 1931 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 514 users  
Reviews: 20 user | 8 critic

Elyot and Sibyl are being married in a big church ceremony. Amanda and Victor are being married by a French Justice of the Peace. Both couples go to a hotel on the same day and are put in ... See full summary »

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(play), (scenario), 2 more credits »
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Title: Private Lives (1931)

Private Lives (1931) on IMDb 6.8/10

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
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...
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Una Merkel ...
...
Oscar
George Davis ...
Bell Hop
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Storyline

Elyot and Sibyl are being married in a big church ceremony. Amanda and Victor are being married by a French Justice of the Peace. Both couples go to a hotel on the same day and are put in adjoining rooms with adjoining terraces. Things go fine until Amanda sees her former husband Elyot on the adjacent terrace. While they both pretend to be happy, both make plans to leave, but their spouses do not want to leave as it is their respective honeymoons. So the other spouses each go down to the bar. This leaves Elyot and Amanda together and they reminisce. Before long, the sparks again fly and they both decide to leave together to the Mountains of Switzerland. They love, they bicker, they fight, they stop. Then it begins over and over. Then Victor and Sibyl show up at their chalet. Written by Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

honeymoon | hotel | chalet | church | fight | See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

Passed | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

12 December 1931 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Intimitäten  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Oddly, for so elegant an English character as Amanda, both times she smokes in the film she drops her cigarette in a glass to extinguish it. See more »

Goofs

When Elyot, Amanda and Oscar are riding on the gondola, Elyot and Amanda begin to argue. As their argument escalates, the two of them stand up and Oscar, listening quietly, stands up with them. Their is a cut to a medium shot of Oscar which shows him still seated. Then a return to the shot of the three of them which shows Oscar standing again. See more »

Quotes

Amanda: Have you known her long?
Elyot: About four months, we met in a house party in Norfolk.
Amanda: Very flat, Norfolk.
See more »

Connections

Version of Private Lives (1976) See more »

Soundtracks

"Chansonette (The Donkey Serenade)"
(1923) (uncredited)
Music by Rudolf Friml
Played by an offscreen hotel orchestra
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
One of Shearer's best!
7 May 2011 | by (Chicago, Illinois) – See all my reviews

I've lost count of the number of times I have seen this first-rate movie, and it makes me laugh every time. The plot and dialog are outstanding, and Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery are excellent. Reginald Denny and Una Merkel are a delight as well. In one of the film's many excellent scenes, Shearer shows off the acting skills she honed during her silent screen days -- hearing the musical strains of a song once dear to her and her ex-husband in happier days, her expression goes from recognition to fond remembrance to regret to resignation, all in the span of a few seconds. Although she is best known for her dramatic gifts, Norma is top-notch throughout this film, displaying an excellent flair for comedy. I've often read her performance being unfavorably compared to that of Gertrude Lawrence, but I thought Shearer was a wonder. It's hard for me to conceive that this movie was released 80 years ago -- it is still fresh, funny, and worth every moment of your time.


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