IMDb > Idiot's Delight (1939)

Idiot's Delight (1939) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 1 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   456 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Clarence Brown
Writers:
Robert E. Sherwood (play)
Robert E. Sherwood (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Idiot's Delight on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 January 1939 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Musical more
Tagline:
The Biggest Thrill They Ever Gave You! Norma and Clark together in the romance of a "ham" song-and-dance man and a "red-headed liar from Omaha." more
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
An idiotic stinkbomb with two gems inside... more (26 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Norma Shearer ... Irene Fellara

Clark Gable ... Harry Van
Edward Arnold ... Achille Weber
Charles Coburn ... Dr. Hugo Waldersee
Joseph Schildkraut ... Capt. Kirvline
Burgess Meredith ... Quillary
Laura Hope Crews ... Madame Zuleika
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher ... 'Don' Navadel (as Skeets Gallagher)
Peter Willes ... Mr. Jimmy Cherry
Pat Paterson ... Mrs. Cherry
William Edmunds ... Dumptsy
Fritz Feld ... Pittatek
Virginia Grey ... Shirley Laughlin
Virginia Dale ... Francine Merle
Paula Stone ... Beulah Tremayne
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Russian
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Clarence Brown Ranch - Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA more
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was the only film in which Clark Gable performed a dance number. He spent 6 weeks rehearsing the steps with the dance director, George King, and practicing at home with his wife, Carole Lombard. Because of his fear of messing it up during a take, the set was closed during the filming of this sequence. more
Quotes:
Harry Van: It's a pleasure to be entertaining, but you can't get away with it. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Starz Inside: Fashion in Film (2008) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile! more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
19 out of 30 people found the following comment useful.
An idiotic stinkbomb with two gems inside..., 28 June 2003
Author: Allan Small

The play was stagy and stilted to begin with; on screen it was all so much worse. There is virtually no directing, and of the principals, only Gable has a clue what he's doing. Poor Norma Shearer starts out fine as the ingenue, but with no notion of how to play the fake countess, she hams her way desperately through the rest of the picture like a high school thespian. It's embarrassing to watch. Just when you think nothing could be worse, Burgess Meredith bursts in like a misplaced character from another set, jumping around and shouting at the top of his lungs -- a hammy stage actor who seems not even to have been told there are microphones. The voice in your head keeps screaming "Cut! Cut! Cut!" for the missing director, who's evidently out to lunch.

That said, there ARE real merits in this movie. Gable is disarmingly charming as Harry Van. The play itself is an interesting period piece with a warning about fascism BEFORE we knew the worst. And then, there IS a kind of weird, whacky fascination in watching Norma Shearer taken over by that BIG platinum wig, which is almost a character in the play by itself.

Finally, there are two outstandingly memorable moments which for me make this movie well worth watching. Gable's witty, winking, sexy, song-and-dance version of "Puttin' on the Ritz" is something not to be forgotten -- AND, the man CAN sing and dance! The other sheer delight is watching the !GREAT! Laura Hope Crews in her brief but masterful portrayal of the tipsy Madame Zuleika, whose cheesy vaudeville mind reading act gets more hysterical with every furtive sip from her hip flask. I screamed with laughter, and you will, too. Laura Hope Crews should be declared a national treasure.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (26 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Idiot's Delight (1939)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The two endings ziegfeldgirl1941
Irene and Achille's relationship Tim-O-T
DVD now available directly from Warner's webpage! simonhowson
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Hair Thousands Cheer Gypsy Cuban Fireball Copacabana
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.