
The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932)
Reference View | Change View
- Passed
- 1h 19min
- Comedy
- 13 Feb 1932 (USA)
- Movie
- 2 wins.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
Joan Blondell | ... |
Schatzi Sutro
|
|
Madge Evans | ... |
Polaire Quinn
|
|
Ina Claire | ... |
Jean Lawrence
|
|
David Manners | ... |
Dey Emery
|
|
Lowell Sherman | ... |
Boris Feldman
|
|
Phillips Smalley | ... |
Justin Emery
|
|
Sidney Bracey | ... |
The Waiter
|
|
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Louise Beavers | ... |
Beautician (uncredited)
|
|
Wilson Benge | ... |
Bellings - the Butler (uncredited)
|
|
Ward Bond | ... |
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
|
|
Harry Bowen | ... |
Schatze's Cabby (uncredited)
|
|
![]() |
Jack Byron | ... |
Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
|
Charles Coleman | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
|
|
Albert Conti | ... |
Frenchman on Liner (uncredited)
|
|
![]() |
Patrick Cunning | ... |
Men's Room Patron (uncredited)
|
Jay Eaton | ... |
Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
|
|
Bill Elliott | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
|
|
![]() |
Budd Fine | ... |
Cop at Accident (uncredited)
|
Betty Grable | ... |
Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
|
|
Creighton Hale | ... |
Wedding Supervisor (uncredited)
|
|
Arthur Housman | ... |
Drunk (uncredited)
|
|
Arthur Millett | ... |
Baggageman, Ile de France (uncredited)
|
|
Larry Steers | ... |
Man at Bar (uncredited)
|
|
Henry Taylor | ... |
Garrett Law Secretary (uncredited)
|
|
Harry Tenbrook | ... |
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
|
|
Ellinor Vanderveer | ... |
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
|
|
![]() |
Walter Walker | ... |
Pop's Voice on Record (uncredited)
|
Barbara Weeks | ... |
Beautician (uncredited)
|
Directed by
Lowell Sherman |
Written by
Zoe Akins | ... | (play "The Greeks Had a Word for It") |
Sidney Howard | ... | (adapted for the screen by) |
Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn | ... | producer |
Music by
Alfred Newman | ... | (music score by) |
Cinematography by
George Barnes | ... | (photography by) |
Editing by
Stuart Heisler | ... | (film edited by) |
Set Decoration by
Richard Day |
Costume Design by
Coco Chanel | ... | (as Chanel of Paris) |
Sound Department
Frank Maher | ... | sound technician |
Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Alexander | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweler (uncredited) |
Music Department
Ray Heindorf | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Alfred Newman | ... | musical director (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- United Artists (1932) (United States) (theatrical)
- Artistas Unidos (1932) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Los Artistas Unidos de América del Sur (1932) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- United Artists (Australasia) (1932) (Australia) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1932) (Canada) (theatrical) (as United Artists Corporation, Ltd.)
- United Artists (1932) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as United Artists Corporation, Ltd.)
- Atlantic Pictures Corporation (1938) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (re-titled)
- Astor Pictures Corporation (1947) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (re-titled)
- Reel Media International (2004) (World-wide) (video)
- Reel Media International (2005) (World-wide) (tv)
- Reel Media International (2007) (World-wide)
- Alpha Video Distributors (United States) (DVD) (as 'Three Broadway Girls')
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
Plot Summary |
Ex-showgirls and roommates Polaire Gwynn (Madge Evans) and Schatze Citroux (Joan Blondell) are reunited with their sometime friend and former co-worker, Jean Lawrence (Ina Claire), when she returns from France. Jean, a hard-boiled gold digger, asks the honest Polaire and loyal Schatze to introduce her to a new man, and Polaire calls her boyfriend, playboy Dey Emery (David Manners), for help. The girls meet Dey and his friend, pianist Boris Feldman (the film's director Lowell Sherman), at a speakeasy, where Boris bets Jean that if his piano playing does not induce her to love him, he will give her $5,000. Later, at Boris' apartment, Jean pretends to sleep through Boris' concert. Polaire then plays, and Boris, impressed with her talent, offers to be her teacher. He implies that she will have to be his lover as well as his student, however, and Polaire becomes upset when Dey does not protest. Dey mistakenly assumes that an exhibition of jealousy would be unwelcome, and his inaction results in Polaire's acceptance of Boris' proposition. After Polaire leaves to collect her things, Schatze and the heartbroken Dey also leave, but Jean stays to seduce Boris. Jean's calculated exhibitionism is successful, and Boris does not answer the door when Polaire returns. After she leaves, Polaire is hurt in an automobile accident and is hospitalized. Sometime later, Jean tires of Boris and breaks up with him, then pursues Dey. Dey welcomes Jean's attentions until Schatze tells him that Polaire has been in the hospital since their parting. Dey immediately goes to Polaire and proposes to her, and they reconcile. Later, Jean makes an unwelcome appearance at Polaire and Schatze's apartment while Polaire is waiting to meet Dey's father Justin (Phillips Smalley) for the first time. When Dey arrives and Jean learns that Polaire is to meet Justin at the Emery house, she slips a pearl necklace into Polaire's pocket so that she will have an excuse to follow. Polaire's interview with Justin is going splendidly until Jean arrives and intimates that Polaire stole the necklace. Indignant that Dey believes Jean, Polaire storms out, while Jean stays to flirt with Justin. Later, on the day of Jean and Justin's wedding, Schatze and Polaire arrive to retrieve a bracelet that Polaire loaned Jean. Jean returns the jewelry and miserably contemplates her future of wedded boredom as Schatze and Polaire brag about the fun they will have when they sail for France that afternoon. The trio are soon drunk, and Jean decides that she cannot exchange her freedom for Justin's fortune. She sneaks out of the house with Schatze, but Polaire is caught by Dey. Dey apologizes to Polaire for misjudging her, but Polaire leaves anyway. The determined Dey follows her onto the ocean liner, where Polaire consents to marry him when he states that he is certain of her virtue. The couple then cuddles happily as Jean flirts with Schatze's male traveling companion. |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | THEY CAME TO BROADWAY TO HAVE THEIR "BREAKS" RE-LINED - WITH GOLD! See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
Certification |
|
Additional Details
Also Known As |
|
Runtime |
|
Country | |
Language | |
Color | |
Aspect Ratio |
|
Sound Mix | |
Filming Locations |
Did You Know?
Trivia | In her December 1972 interview with Leonard Maltin in "Film Fan Monthly," Madge Evans gave the following testimony on the atmosphere on the set during filming: "That was a rather hectic picture, with him [Lowell Sherman] not taking the directing seriously, George Barnes falling madly in love with Joan [Joan Blondell] so he could hardly see anybody but [her]. Ina Claire was very much in love with John Gilbert (this was before they were married) and every time she got into a costume that she thought she looked well in, particularly the bridal costume at the end of the film, she disappeared from the lot, because she had driven off to Metro to show [John] how enchanting she looked. I went into that film very quickly, because Carole Lombard was supposed to do the part I played, but she became ill and I replaced her." See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Why Be Good? Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema (2007). See more » |
Quotes |
Jean Lawrence:
A speakeasy that closes at two o'clock is practically a tea room! See more » |