Enchanted April (1935)

Mrs. Lotty Wilkins is an unhappily wife whom's life husband and romance have departed. In order to possibly salvage some of the missing elements in her life she rents an old Italian mansion... See full summary »

Director:

Harry Beaumont

Writers:

Elizabeth von Arnim (novel), Kane Campbell (dramatisation),

Stars:

Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Katharine Alexander

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ann Harding	...	Mrs. Lotty Wilkins
Frank Morgan	...	Mellersh Wilkins
Katharine Alexander	...	Mrs. Rose Arbuthnot
Reginald Owen	...	Henry Arbuthnot
Jane Baxter	...	Lady Caroline Dester
Ralph Forbes	...	Peppo Briggs
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Phoebe Fisher
Charles Judels	...	Domenico
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Francesca

Storyline

Mrs. Lotty Wilkins is an unhappily wife whom's life husband and romance have departed. In order to possibly salvage some of the missing elements in her life she rents an old Italian mansion and sharing it with three women. Here the four women plan to spend the month of April away from the cares of home, husbands and the everyday monotony.

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Plot Keywords:

nobility | london england | vacation | neglected wife | housewife | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

1 February 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un Abril encantado

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was one of RKO's biggest failures of 1935. This flop hastened Ann Harding's end as a top RKO star.

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Quotes

Henry Arbuthnot: [after explosion] I am convinced that a bath in Italy is somewhere between a public function and an eruption of Vesuvius.

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Connections

Version of Enchanted April (1991)

User Reviews

Ann Harding "radiant" in this first film adaptation.

The 1935 RKO release (you can catch it on AMC cable) is adapted from the stage play, not the original novel. It runs a brief 67 minutes and is not in any way as satisfying as the remake of the early nineties, which derives from the novel itself. The only real reason for seeing this early version is the radiant Ann Harding, who plays Lotty with such emotional joy, confidence in goodness and just plain effervescence, that it would be a crime to miss. She was a great star of the early talkies and you can see why here. She is unforgettable - the film sadly is quite forgettable, especially Reginald Denny's ridiculous performance as her friend's husband.