The Cat and the Fiddle (1934)

Director:

William K. Howard
(more)

Writers:

Otto A. Harbach (book)
Bella Spewack (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Jeanette MacDonald's MGM Debut!

Plot:

A romance between a struggling composer and an American singer.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Composer | Violinist | Show Business | Engagement

Cast

Ramon Novarro	...	Victor Florescu
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Shirley Sheridan
Frank Morgan	...	Jules Daudet
Charles Butterworth	...	Charles
Jean Hersholt	...	Professor Bertier
Vivienne Segal	...	Odette Brieux
Frank Conroy	...	Theatre Owner
Henry Armetta	...	Taxi Driver
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Concierge
Joseph Cawthorn	...	Rodolphe 'Rudy' Brieux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Adams	...	Musician (uncredited)
Polly Bailey	...	Ballet Mistress (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	King's Aide in Show (uncredited)
Herman Bing	...	Fireman's Band Leader (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Alice Carlisle	...	Vegetable Seller (uncredited)
Charles Crockett	...	Rudy's Secretary (uncredited)
Yola d'Avril	...	Maid in House (uncredited)
Max Davidson	...	Dried Up Old Man (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Henri, Conservatory Trombonist (uncredited)
Germaine De Neel	...	Maid (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Lotte Lengel's Husband (uncredited)
Billy Dooley	...	Electrician (uncredited)
Freddie Ford	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Irene Franklin	...	Opera Singer Lotte Lengel (uncredited)
Otto Fries	...	Piano Mover (uncredited)
Sumner Getchell	...	Conservatory Trumpeter (uncredited)
Robert Graves	...	Diner Praising Victor (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Lettuce (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway	...	Flower Messenger (uncredited)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Meek and Humble Man Knocked Down by Lady (uncredited)
Armand Kaliz	...	King in Show (uncredited)
Leonid Kinskey	...	Hans, Conservatory Violinist (uncredited)
Henry Kolker	...	Theatre Manager (uncredited)
George LeGuere	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Harold Minjir	...	Travel Bureau Manager (uncredited)
George Nardelli	...	Singer's Assistant (uncredited)
Earl Oxford	...	Leading Man (uncredited)
J.H. Peters	...	Store Manager (uncredited)
Paul Porcasi	...	Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
David Reese	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Andre Renaud	...	Student (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Arabian Singer (uncredited)
Christian Rub	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Harry Swailes	...	Student (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ludovico Tomarchio	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jacques Vanaire	...	Singer (uncredited)
E. Alyn Warren	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Prompter (uncredited)
Geneva Williams	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
William K. Howard
Sam Wood		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Otto A. Harbach		(book) (as Otto Harbach)
Bella Spewack		(screenplay) &
Sam Spewack		(screenplay) (as Samuel Spewack)
James Kevin McGuinness		(screenplay contributor) uncredited and
Anita Loos		(screenplay contributor) uncredited and
Zelda Sears		(screenplay contributor) uncredited and
Eve Greene		(screenplay contributor) uncredited

Produced by
Bernard H. Hyman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles G. Clarke		(as Charles Clarke)
Ray Rennahan
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Frank E. Hull		(as Frank Hull)

Art Direction by
Alexander Toluboff

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lesley Selander	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Natalie Kalmus	....	art director: Technicolor
Edwin B. Willis	....	interior decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Paul Neal	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Music Department
Herbert Stothart	....	musical director
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Dulcie Day	....	stand-in: Jeanette MacDonald (uncredited)
Bernard H. Hyman	....	supervisor: retakes (uncredited)
Enrico Ricardi	....	stand-in: Ramon Novarro (uncredited)
Sam Wood	....	director: re-takes (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Inc.)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• ClassicLine (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Sam Wood shot retakes after William K. Howard left the picture.

Quotes:

Victor:Every morning you and I will ride Teresa through the park. The sun will shine, the birds will sing, the flowers will bloom...
Shirley:And I'll yell for the police!

Soundtrack:

The Breeze Kissed Your Hair

Not A Team That Scored A Success

Between her first film at MGM which was her last with Maurice Chevalier, Merry Widow, and Naughty Marietta which was the debut film of her partnership with Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald did a film adaption of Jerome Kern's and Otto Harbach's Broadway show The Cat and the Fiddle. She co-starred with Ramon Novarro and while the results were interesting and entertaining there was no demand for more MacDonald/Novarro screen pairings.

The Cat and the Fiddle ran for 365 performances during the 1931-1932 season, something of a miracle for a show to run that long. Most of the score remained intact from the Broadway show. Some big hits for the Kern-Harbach team that came out of that show were She Didn't Say Yes, The Night Was Made for Love, I Like to Watch the Love Parade, and Try to Forget all sung nicely enough by Jeanette and/or Ramon.

While Jeanette's career was on the rise, Ramon was on the downhill slide being propelled like a toboggan by Louis B. Mayer. He was living as openly gay a life as a star could back in the day. Right around this time another gay star William Haines was being given the heave ho by MGM and the Code was on the horizon. Novarro would soon be leaving the USA for Europe and his native Mexico.

The plot concerns two music students in Brussels, American Shirley Sheridan and Victor Florescu presumably Rumanian. Like the usual awkward beginning associated with MacDonald/Eddy movies they are soon at work and in love. However producer/impresario Frank Morgan has designs on Jeanette and Ramon has caught the eye of former diva Vivienne Segal.

This was Vivienne Segal's last film in an otherwise disastrous fling in Hollywood. Making her debut in 1915 she was a leading musical comedy star of Broadway and like a whole lot of Broadway players went to Hollywood when pictures began to talk. She didn't fare well at all in her films and in this last film she's supporting Jeanette. But she sings New Love is Old and Well and being The Cat and the Fiddle is out on at least VHS, it is the only way today's fans can see one of Broadway's leading stars.

Funny how situations can be played for either drama or comedy. A bum check is played for laughs in the Marx Brothers film Room Service. Here in The Cat and the Fiddle the plot calls for Novarro to write a bum check in order to keep his show going for five days after Segal's husband pulls her out of the show. That could have been real serious.

Are you curious as to what happens?