A Damsel in Distress (1937)

Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on "Mr. X." After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau... See full summary »

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

P.G. Wodehouse (screen play), Ernest Pagano (screen play),

Stars:

Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred Astaire	...	Jerry Halliday
George Burns	...	George
Gracie Allen	...	Gracie
Joan Fontaine	...	Lady Alyce Marshmorton
Reginald Gardiner	...	Keggs
Ray Noble	...	Reggie Byng
Constance Collier	...	Lady Caroline Marshmorton
Montagu Love	...	Lord John Marshmorton
Harry Watson	...	Albert
Jan Duggan	...	Miss Ruggles

Storyline

Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on "Mr. X." After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau (bumping into dancer Jerry Halliday, instead), she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to "protect his investment."

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Plot Keywords:

class differences | secretary | daughter | aristocrat | press agent | 

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Taglines:

It's Smooth! It's Smart! It's Snappy! New Songs! New Steps! New Laughs!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Demoiselle en détresse

Box Office

Budget:

$1,035,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After learning that Fred Astaire wanted Burns and Allen to audition for him, George Burns hired a vaudeville dancer he knew to choreograph a complex routine with whisk brooms. Astaire enjoyed the performance by George and Gracie so much that he insisted on working it into the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Damsels in Distress (2011)

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Soundtracks

"I Can't Be Bothered Now"
(1937) (uncredited)
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
Song and dance performed by Fred Astaire

User Reviews

Silly plot frames fine musical numbers

Disregard the plot and enjoy Fred Astaire doing A Foggy Day and several other dances, one a duo with a hapless Joan Fontaine. Here we see Astaire doing what are essentially "stage" dances in a purer form than in his films with Ginger Rogers, and before he learned how to take full advantage of the potential of film. Best of all: the fact that we see Burns and Allen before their radio/TV husband-wife comedy career, doing the kind of dancing they must have done in vaudeville and did not have a chance to do in their Paramount college films from the 30s. (George was once a tap dance instructor). Their two numbers with Fred are high points of the film, and worth waiting for. The first soft shoe trio is a warm-up for the "Chin up" exhilarating carnival number, in which the three of them sing and dance through the rides and other attractions. It almost seems spontaneous. Fan of Fred Astaire and Burns & Allen will find it worth bearing up under the "plot". I've seen this one 4 or 5 times, and find the fast forward button helpful.