Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Harry Leon Wilson (novel)
Humphrey Pearson (adaptation)

Release Date:

8 March 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

SH-H-H-H! TONIGHT'S YOUR NIGHT TO HOWL! And howl you will at this funniest of all comedies...

Plot:

An English valet brought to the American west assimilates into the American way of life.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | English | Widow | Gettysburg Address | Saloon

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Charles Laughton	...	Marmaduke Ruggles
Mary Boland	...	Effie Floud
Charles Ruggles	...	Egbert Floud (as Charlie Ruggles)
Zasu Pitts	...	Prunella Judson (as ZaSu Pitts)
Roland Young	...	George Vane Bassingwell, the Earl of Burnstead
Leila Hyams	...	Nell Kenner
Maude Eburne	...	'Ma' Pettingill
Lucien Littlefield	...	Charles Belknap-Jackson
Leota Lorraine	...	Mrs. Charles Belknap-Jackson
James Burke	...	Jeff Tuttle
Dell Henderson	...	Sam, bartender (as Del Henderson)
Clarence Wilson	...	Jake Henshaw, reporter

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 (re-release) | USA:Approved (PCA #537)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Nazi Germany banned the release of any German-dubbed version of this film because of the Gettysburg Address speech.

Quotes:

Earl of Burnstead, aka George: I say, do you believe in love at first sight?
Nell Kenner: No. Do you?
Earl of Burnstead, aka George: No. That's why I'd like to stay for a while, if I may.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Pretty Baby

Stoic British dignity versus the rambunctious Old West

This certainly is a hilarious study of opposites -- staid British decorum transplanted to America's rough and tumble Old West. Laughton's excursion into comedy is along the buffoonery line at times (said with all due respect, of course) and anyone can see his true talent lies in drama. I'd say the real scene stealer is Charles Ruggles as Egbert who displays a wry wit all his own as he endures his wife's determined efforts to remodel him. His choice of words are so amusing: "Hey cab, give us one with a horse on it," and, to his wife when dining, "Effie, what you need is some of this imprisoned laughter of the pleasant maids of France." Also, it brought back memories to hear the old song, "By the Light of the Silver Moon" sung by Nell in the movie. A very comical film that's enjoyed more each time you see it.