The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

J. Hartley Manners (unproduced play)
Dwight Taylor (musical play "Gay Divorce") ...

Release Date:

12 October 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The King and Queen of 'Carioca'

Plot:

Mimi Glossop wants a divorce so her Aunt Hortense hires a professional to play the correspondent in apparent infidelity...

Plot Keywords:

Mistaken Identity | Ballroom Dancing | Tap Dancing | Dance | Attorney

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Guy Holden
Ginger Rogers	...	Mimi Glossop
Alice Brady	...	Aunt Hortense
Edward Everett Horton	...	Egbert 'Pinky' Fitzgerald
Erik Rhodes	...	Rodolfo Tonetti
Eric Blore	...	The waiter
Lillian Miles	...	Singer, Continental Number
Charles Coleman	...	Guy's Valet
William Austin	...	Cyril Glossop
Betty Grable	...	Dance Specialty

Also Known As:

The Gay Divorce (UK)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #282)

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Helen Broderick was asked to play the role of Hortense but was unavailable.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After the car chase when Fred catches Ginger, the sound of someone coughing can be heard.

Quotes:

Tonetti: Rodolfo Tonetti at your service.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Yes... well, I am Mr. Fitzgerald.
Tonetti: Mr. Fitzgerald?
[shaking hands]
Tonetti: Oh, I'm delightful!
Egbert Fitzgerald: Oh, I shouldn't doubt it, old man, I shouldn't doubt it. But, don't you think that a corespondent ought to come to work quieter? Let's have more repose and less Rigoletto.
Tonetti: Ha, I am ready for action, and I will do a first-class job.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Well, don't be too determined about it. Remember, the lady in question is very sensitive, and you must treat her accordingly.
Tonetti: Bene, whichever way the wind she is blowing, that is the way I sail.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Biography: Betty Grable: Behind the Pin-up" (1995)

Not their best but still a bit of light family fun that is easy to enjoy

Traveling to the UK from Paris, famous dancer Guy Holden meets a young lady in peril in a train station and helps her out – even if Mimi doesn't appreciate it one little bit. Smitten by her after this slightest of encounters, Guy is upset when she returns his coat to him without a note and sets out to drive the streets until he can find her. Literally bumping into her only makes matter worse for him as he feels even more in love and, against a backdrop of an English holiday, decides to win her over.

Nowadays such a title would suggest a 'Will & Grace' style comedy with flaming homosexual clichés that offer an offensive to the gay community and an easy, non-threatening character for straight audiences but, given that we are in 1934 here, it is actually the first film that featured Astaire and Rogers in equal billing and is quite an enjoyable little affair despite sharing only one song in common with its source material. The film also features an extra 'e' because censors of the time insisted that divorce could never be seen as gay or cheerful and I suppose it was a concession on their part to allow the idea that a divorcée could be! The basic plot is very thin and involves the usual boy meets girls but don't get on, boys falls for girl and hunts for her before gradually winning her over but this is carried by some good song and dance numbers which, in fairness, is probably why we are all watching this film anyway!

The crisp black and white seems a bit cold when the material is so colourful but it also helped to make me feel like I had been transported back to another time and I enjoyed the film on its terms. Although it doesn't really get to the heights of some of the more elaborate routines, those in this film are still quite fun and the mostly new songs are catchy and fun, although the fact that 'night & day' was the standout song made me wonder why the others were replaced. Astaire has great presence and is such a light touch and an enjoyable actor – he seems to be the complete opposite of what modern cinema deems a 'man' to be – although to be fair he plays in a genre that doesn't exist any more. Rogers is as good but I was never as taken by her as I was by Astaire but she has a feisty presence even if her character makes her hard to get into (I mean as a character and not the way Astaire's character was trying to!). Support is good from Brady, Horton, Rhodes and Grable – all of whom are given minor funny moments of genuine wit.

The script throws up some funny moments but the overall plot is very thin and I found it hard to really care about the film when it had long dialogue driven scenes. However when the song and dance moments come into it the film is much better – light and enjoyable and easy to watch. Not the best example of Astaire & Rogers but a fun little piece of light family entertainment nonetheless.