The Palm Beach Story (1942)

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.

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges

Stars:

Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claudette Colbert	...	Gerry Jeffers
Joel McCrea	...	Tom Jeffers
Mary Astor	...	The Princess Centimillia
Rudy Vallee	...	J.D. Hackensacker III
Sig Arno	...	Toto
Robert Warwick	...	Mr. Hinch
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Mr. Osmond
Torben Meyer	...	Dr. Kluck
Jimmy Conlin	...	Mr. Asweld
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 (as Rosco Ates)
Dewey Robinson	...	Fifth Member Ale and Quail Club

Storyline

Gerry and Tom Jeffers are finding married life hard. Tom is an inventor/ architect and there is little money for them to live on. They are about to be thrown out of their apartment when Gerry meets rich businessman being shown around as a prospective tenant. He gives Gerry $700 to start life afresh but Tom refuses to believe her story and they quarrel. Gerry decides the marriage is over and heads to Palm Beach for a quick divorce but Tom has plans to stop her.

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Plot Keywords:

money | divorce | florida | love | marriage | 

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Genres:

Romance | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Palm Beach történet

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was to be Carole Lombard's role after she completed "They All Kissed the Bride" but her death in a plane crash had her replaced by Colbert in this film and Joan Crawford in the other.

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Goofs

On the train: the men with the shotguns shoot out the glass of the same window several times.

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Quotes

J. D. Hackensacker III: Chivalry is not only dead, it's decomposed.

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Connections

Referenced in Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Merrily We Roll Along"
(uncredited)
Traditional
A song loosely based on 'Good Night Ladies' (1847) by Edwin P. Christy
Sung the Ale and Quail Club members

User Reviews

Zany Classic

Far fetched, but very humorous story of a wife Gerry, who decides to divorce her husband, Tom and go seduce & marry a rich man/widow, but she is only going to use the man to get the money to finance Tom's invention. Gerry does meet a man, one of the richest men in the world, and when Tom confronts the man down in Palm Beach, Tom is immediately introduced to the man's chatterbox, & man obsessed sister, who decides Tom is to be husband number 6 for her. How to get out of this one. Only Preston Sturges could have come up with this one and gotten away with it. Colbert is delightful as Gerry, McCrea as well as her bewildered husband, but Vallee and Astor really steal the show as the eccentric Hackensacker and his sister. Also enjoyable to watch are the Ale & Quail club, with Demarest & Horton's little skeet shooting bet in the pullman car, and Dudley as the old, but delightful Weinie King. The ending though seemed like a plot contrivance to make the film end smoothly, and appease the censors. Rating, 9.