Dinner at Eight (1933)

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Frances Marion (screenplay) and
Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 January 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Social climbing Millicent and Oliver Jordan throw a dinner for a bunch of New York society types, each of whom has much to reveal.

Plot Keywords:

Dinner | New York | Dinner Party | Blonde | Housekeeper

Cast

Marie Dressler	...	Carlotta Vance
John Barrymore	...	Larry Renault
Wallace Beery	...	Dan Packard
Jean Harlow	...	Kitty Packard
Lionel Barrymore	...	Oliver Jordan
Lee Tracy	...	Max Kane
Edmund Lowe	...	Dr. Wayne Talbot
Billie Burke	...	Millicent Jordan
Madge Evans	...	Paula Jordan
Jean Hersholt	...	Jo Stengel
Karen Morley	...	Mrs. Lucy Talbot
Louise Closser Hale	...	Hattie Loomis
Phillips Holmes	...	Ernest DeGraff
May Robson	...	Mrs. Wendel
Grant Mitchell	...	Ed Loomis
Phoebe Foster	...	Miss Alden
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Miss Copeland
Hilda Vaughn	...	Tina
Harry Beresford	...	Fosdick
Edwin Maxwell	...	Mr. Fitch
John Davidson	...	Mr. Hatfield
Edward Woods	...	Eddie
Anna Duncan	...	Dora
Herman Bing	...	Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Arnold	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
George Baxter	...	Gustave (uncredited)
Mary Dees	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits
Frances Marion		(screenplay) and
Herman J. Mankiewicz		(screenplay)
George S. Kaufman		(from the stage play by) and
Edna Ferber		(from the stage play by)
Donald Ogden Stewart		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Axt		(as Dr. William Axt)

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(photographed by) (as William Daniels)

Film Editing by
Ben Lewis

Art Direction by
Hobe Erwin
Fredric Hope		(as Fred Hope)

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph M. Newman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Cullen Tate	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Charles E. Wallace	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Tanner	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harvey White	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Chester W. Schaeffer	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Sam Harris	....	producer: stage play (as Sam H. Harris)
Howard Dietz	....	general press agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (David O. Selznick's Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1933) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #2284-R: 15 May 1936 for re-release) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1934)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Herbert Bunston and May Beatty are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie.

Goofs:

Plot holes: In the opening scene, Millicent tells Oliver, "I see your precious Carlotta Vance arrived yesterday on the Europa." Later, that same day during Carlotta's visit to Oliver's office, she says'"I've been in New York four days and I'm lost."

Quotes:

Kitty:I was reading a book the other day.
Carlotta:Reading a book?
Kitty:Yes. It's all about civilization or something. A nutty kind of a book. Do you know that the guy says that machinery is going to take the place of every profession?
Carlotta:Oh, my dear, that's something you need never worry about.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Loved You Then As I Love You Now

An All-Star Classic

A flamboyant old actress with memories of lovers long dead. An alcoholic actor desperate for one more chance on the stage. An Oklahoma tycoon and his below-the-tracks, tough as nails wife. A philandering doctor and his faithful wife. They're all invited to meet tonight at the mansion home of a dying industrialist and his flighty, society-obsessed wife for DINNER AT EIGHT.

Following the great success of GRAND HOTEL in 1932, MGM & producer David O. Selznick embarked on producing an even greater all-star triumph. They succeeded. DINNER AT EIGHT takes a first class list of performers at the top of their form (Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Billie Burke) and seamlessly, if a bit implausibly, weaves a plot full of comedy & tragedy which allows each star to strut their stuff.

Dressler was Hollywood's top star at this time and she is wonderful, fingering her jewelry - each piece a remembrance of an ancient romance. She has only one scene with gorgeous Harlow and that comes at the very end of the film, but it's a classic.

The rest of the cast is a wonderful grab bag of talent: peppery Lee Tracy, elderly Louise Closser Hale, gentle Jean Hersholt, as well as Phillips Holmes, Edmund Lowe, Karen Morley, Madge Evans, Grant Mitchell, Elizabeth Patterson, May Robson, Herman Bing.

Take a moment to consider Edward Woods, playing Eddie the bell boy. The year before at Warner Brothers he had traded roles with James Cagney in a little picture called PUBLIC ENEMY. Cagney became an instant, huge celebrity. Woods continued to play bell boy roles...