The Marrying Kind (1952)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Ruth Gordon (writer)
Garson Kanin (writer)

Release Date:

February 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

"Shaddup!"

Plot:

Florence and Chet Keefer have had a troublesome marriage. Whilst in the middle of a divorce hearing...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Judge | Flashback | Postal Worker | Courtroom

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Judy Holliday	...	'Florrie' Keefer
Aldo Ray	...	'Chet' Keefer
Madge Kennedy	...	Judge Anne B. Carroll
Sheila Bond	...	Joan Shipley
John Alexander	...	Howard Shipley
Rex Williams	...	George Bastian
Phyllis Povah	...	Mrs. Derringer
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Pat Bundy
Griff Barnett	...	Charley

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Debut of Peggy Cass.

Quotes:

Chester 'Chet' Keefer: I'm not crazy! You may be driving me, but I'm not there yet!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Step by Step: The Marrying Dude (#3.9)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Dolores

Drastic turns

Chet marries Florence and for a while all is swell. But due to personal tragedy and Chet's inability to hold on to a job, they find themselves in divorce court.

Time has completely forgotten this truly masterful piece of cinema art. 'Marrying Kind' starts out as a screwball comedy, evolves into gentle and then starker realism, takes a drastic turn towards tragedy, only to try and find its way back. Veteran director Cukor invited all sorts of trouble with this extremely challenging format, with a drama very obviously inspired by King Vidor's ground-breaking late silent 'The Crowd'.

It is a virtuosic and deeply, deeply affecting film, as written by Garson Kanin, directed with an almost uncanny ear for dialogue by the underrated Cukor, and acted by newcomer Aldo Ray and the ever-brilliant Judy Holliday. The ending to this film testifies to an unexpected emotional maturity in Hollywood in the early 50's, and the transfer is perfect.

I daresay nobody with an open mind is ever liable to forgot this film, and remember, before you start moaning about the mixing of genres, Life does its own mixing of tears and laughter every day to every single one of us. In that respect no film ever was more organic than this one!