The Gilded Lily (1935)

Director:

Wesley Ruggles

Writers:

Melville Baker (story)
Claude Binyon (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A stenographer becomes a famed entertainer, courted by an English nobleman and an informal American reporter.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Popcorn | Singer | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Marilyn David
Fred MacMurray	...	Peter Dawes
Ray Milland	...	Charles Gray (Lord Granton)
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Lloyd Granton, Duke of Loamshire
Luis Alberni	...	Nate Porcopolis
Eddie Craven	...	Eddie, Photographer
Donald Meek	...	Hankerson
Charles Irwin	...	Oscar, Orchestra Leader
Forrester Harvey	...	Hugo / Innkeeper
Grace Bradley	...	Daisy
Claude King	...	Boat Captain
Charles C. Wilson	...	Managing Editor
Edward Gargan	...	Subway Guard
Pat Somerset	...	Man in London Club
Georgie Billings	...	Guard's Son (as George Billings)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #475)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: Characters played by Ray Milland and C. Aubrey Smith are clearly identified in plot as "Charles Gray, Lord Granton" and the "Duke of Loamshire" respectively, but in the closing credits they are listed as "Charles Gray [Granville]" and "Lloyd Granville."

Quotes:

Marilyn David: I'm just a freak!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974)

Soundtrack:

Restless

30's Love Triangle

Entertaining romantic comedy starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray as a pair who have a "date" each Thursday meeting on a city bench to eat popcorn together, sans shoes. He seems to be in love with her, but she longs to meet her dream man for her idea of an ideal romance. And she does - in the form of handsome Ray Milland, who assists her in a crowd situation on the subway. They have a fun date together at Coney Island where the camera takes us on a wild ride on the roller coaster with them; they fall in love instantly. She thinks he's out of a job - he doesn't tell her he is a Lord (and has a fiancée back home in England!). But when she sees his picture in the paper (coincidentally attached to a story done by MacMurray, a reporter) she believes she's been duped. Follows a series of publicity newspaper stories, out of her control, which causes her to become famous as "The No Girl" for saying "no" to a lord. Then he thinks she was just in the whole relationship with him for the publicity. Well, based on her huge public fame, she is amazingly hired to sing and dance in her own solo nightclub act - even though, as seen in a quite amusing performance scene, she has zero talent!

This is a fun, enjoyable romp - a little frustrating in the way of many romantic comedies in which you feel like you know a couple should be together, but misunderstandings have caused them to remain apart. The ending of this was not particularly what I hoped to see either. But - Claudette Colbert sparkles as always, she's great. Fred MacMurray also does a fine job in his part, Ray Milland looks very young, handsome and, well, rather dashing! One thing I wondered about in this film - why are the Colbert and MacMurray characters so satisfied with just a date on a bench once a week, how come they never desire to get together for a dinner out, go to a movie, or any other normal type activity?! Seemed a bit odd to me. All in all, a quite enjoyable film.