First a Girl (1935)

Elizabeth, a delivery girl, dreams of being a music-hall singer but she is refused at the first casting she takes part in. A bit depressed, she gets to know Victor, a would-be Shakespearean... See full summary »

Director:

Victor Saville

Writer:

Marjorie Gaffney (scenario)

Stars:

Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale, Anna Lee

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jessie Matthews	...	Elizabeth
Sonnie Hale	...	Victor
Anna Lee	...	Princess Mironoff
Griffith Jones	...	Robert
Alfred Drayton	...	Mr. McLintock
Constance Godridge	...	Beryl
Eddie Gray	...	Goose Trainer
Martita Hunt	...	Madame Seraphina
Donald Stewart	...	Singer

Storyline

Elizabeth, a delivery girl, dreams of being a music-hall singer but she is refused at the first casting she takes part in. A bit depressed, she gets to know Victor, a would-be Shakespearean actor and another audition victim. When Victor quite unexpectedly gets a female part in a music-hall number he unfortunately finds himself voiceless. Why wouldn't Elizabeth replace it? His new friend hesitates but finally makes her debut as ... a man posing for a woman! She is noticed by McLintock, an influential talent agent who hires Mr. Victoria (Elizabeth's stage name) and launches his/her brilliant international career. One day, Robert, a handsome young man engaged to Princess Mironoff, makes friends with this young man posing as a woman posing as a man ...

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Plot Keywords:

audition | remake | woman dressed as man | water skiing | remake of german film | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 December 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mulher Antes de Tudo

Filming Locations:

French Riviera, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont British Picture Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Full Range Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The long scarf worn prominently by Sonnie Hale during the early scenes had been knitted for him by Jessie Matthews on the set of her previous film, Evergreen.

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Goofs

Elizabeth's hands pose differently between shots when Victor brings medicine to her.

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Quotes

Elizabeth: [Of Victor, who is busy dancing with Robert's fiancée] He's quite harmless - he's Shakespearing her to death.

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Connections

Remade as Viktor and Viktoria (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Rosen und Liebe"
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Doelle
Lyrics by Bruno Balz

User Reviews

A hysterical classic musical which became "Victor/Victoria"

This rarely seen British musical stars the now almost forgotten Queen of the British movie musical, Jessie Matthews. During the 1930's, Matthews was seen in about a dozen Busby Berkley like British musicals which are rarely seen in the U.S. today. "Evergreen" is probably the best known of these as it was released on video in the U.S. about 10 years ago and was the most critically acclaimed of her films at the time of its original release. "First a Girl" is a remake of a German film called "Victor und Victoria", and was later remade as the Julie Andrews screen and stage success. Matthews is totally charming as the young girl who is desperate to make it in show business, and finds success when she poses as a man posing as a woman in order to make it in show business. Matthew's real-life husband Sonnie Hale portrays the role later made famous in the movie by Robert Preston. Anna Lee ("General Hospital's" kind-hearted Lila Quartermain) plays a snobby British socialite whose fiancee (Griffin Jones) finds himself attracted to Victor/Victoria in spite of her supposed "male gender". There are a series of campy over-the-top musical numbers later spoofed by Blake Edwards in his smash hit remake. And of course at the end we see Hale taking over for Matthews in a production number like Preston's reprise of "The Shady Dame From Seville" in which everything goes hysterically wrong. There are enough differences between this and the Julie Andrews version to make them both unique. It is a shame Matthews is almost forgotten as she has a bright personality which makes her most likable and is a talented singer and dancer. There are also some risque moments which probably would not have made it past the American censors of 1936 when it was released in the U.S.