The Palm Beach Story (1942)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges (writer)

Release Date:

7 November 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy

Plot:

An inventor needs cash to develop his big idea. His wife, who loves him, decides to raise it for him by divorcing him and marrying a millionaire.

Plot Keywords:

Money | Divorce | Millionaire | Architect | Inventor

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Jeffers
Joel McCrea	...	Tom Jeffers ('Capt. McGlew')
Mary Astor	...	The Princess Centimillia
Rudy Vallee	...	John D. Hackensacker III
Sig Arno	...	Toto
Robert Warwick	...	Mr. Hinch, Ale and Quail Club
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Mr. Osmond
Torben Meyer	...	Dr. Kluck
Jimmy Conlin	...	Mr. Asweld, Ale and Quail Club
Victor Potel	...	Mr. McKeewie
William Demarest	...	First Member Ale and Quail Club
Jack Norton	...	Second Member Ale and Quail Club
Robert Greig	...	Third Member Ale and Quail Club
Roscoe Ates	...	Fourth Member Ale and Quail Club
Dewey Robinson	...	Fifth Member Ale and Quail Club

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Penn Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The original title of this film was Is Marriage Necessary?, but this was deemed to contravene the Production Code.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Gerry (Claudette Colbert) is referred to as "tall," "dark-haired," and "long-legged." She is in fact short, blonde, and rather shorter-than-average of leg.

Quotes:

Tom Jeffers: Why is your breath coming faster?
Gerry Jeffers: Because you're squeezing me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Isn't It Romantic

Besides being one of the funniest ever movies, Rudy Vallee should've won an Oscar!

Simply stated...one of the funniest, craziest and most brilliant comedies of all-time....for shear laughs....it's Preston Sturges' funniest movies.

You can easily read the plot-line from the other reviewers, but I want to make a point about some of the performances.

Rudy Vallee, previously rather stiff on film, is simply hysterical in this movie. For my money, he should have at least been nominated for the Best Supporting Actor category for the Academy Awards. One of the most brilliant supporting comedy roles I've ever seen.

Mary Astor and Sig Arno are brilliant as well.

It's also amazing that those idiots at Paramount allowed Sturges to slip through their fingers....not long after this film was finished.

It's now available on DVD....a strip-down edition with no features whatsoever...and also part of the Preston Sturges boxset.

By the way, if the frantic opening over the credit are confusing, just note that both of them are identical twins!