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A Bill of Divorcement

  • 19321932
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 10m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
  • Drama
A man, Hilary Fairfield returns home after fifteen years in a mental asylum. However, he finds things are not the way they were when he left.A man, Hilary Fairfield returns home after fifteen years in a mental asylum. However, he finds things are not the way they were when he left.A man, Hilary Fairfield returns home after fifteen years in a mental asylum. However, he finds things are not the way they were when he left.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • George Cukor
  • Writers
    • Howard Estabrook(screen play)
    • Harry Wagstaff Gribble(screen play)
    • Clemence Dane(from the play by)
  • Stars
    • John Barrymore
    • Katharine Hepburn
    • Billie Burke
Top credits
  • Director
    • George Cukor
  • Writers
    • Howard Estabrook(screen play)
    • Harry Wagstaff Gribble(screen play)
    • Clemence Dane(from the play by)
  • Stars
    • John Barrymore
    • Katharine Hepburn
    • Billie Burke
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 37User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos73

    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn, Billie Burke, and Paul Cavanagh in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Paul Cavanagh and Gayle Evers in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
    Katharine Hepburn and David Manners in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Barrymore
    John Barrymore
    • Hilary Fairfieldas Hilary Fairfield
    Katharine Hepburn
    Katharine Hepburn
    • Sidneyas Sidney
    Billie Burke
    Billie Burke
    • Margaretas Margaret
    David Manners
    David Manners
    • Kitas Kit
    Paul Cavanagh
    Paul Cavanagh
    • Grayas Gray
    Henry Stephenson
    Henry Stephenson
    • Dr. Alliotas Dr. Alliot
    Gayle Evers
    • Bassettas Bassett
    Elizabeth Patterson
    Elizabeth Patterson
    • Hesteras Hester
    Bramwell Fletcher
    Bramwell Fletcher
    • Garethas Gareth
    • (uncredited)
    Dick French
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Julie Haydon
    Julie Haydon
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Irving
      Dennis O'Keefe
      Dennis O'Keefe
      • Party Guestas Party Guest
      • (uncredited)
      Mildred Shay
      Mildred Shay
      • Party Guestas Party Guest
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • George Cukor
      • Writers
        • Howard Estabrook(screen play)
        • Harry Wagstaff Gribble(screen play)
        • Clemence Dane(from the play by)
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
      • All cast & crew

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      Storyline

      Edit
      After spending fifteen years in an asylum, Hilary Fairfield escapes from the institution after regaining his sanity. He finds that things at home are different than when he left them. His wife has divorced him and is already planning her next marriage, and his daughter has grown up throughout the years and is planning to marry as well. —Pablo Garcia
      • christmas
      • party
      • divorce
      • clergy
      • insanity
      • 13 more
      • Plot summary
      • Add synopsis
      • Taglines
        • Only a few times in his career has S.L. Rothafel, "Roxy" stepped out into public print to praise a picture. Each year there is one "greatest" (Print Ad- New York Evening Post, ((New York NY)) 30 September 1932)
      • Genre
        • Drama
      • Certificate
        • Passed
      • Parents guide
        • Add content advisory

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        David O. Selznick and George Cukor disagreed about casting Katharine Hepburn. Cukor had seen Hepburn's screen test and was impressed by the 24-year-old, but Selznick did not like the way she looked and was afraid she would not be well received by audiences. Cukor cast her anyway (beginning what would be a lifelong professional and personal relationship between the two)
      • Goofs
        'Katharine Hepburn' is misspelled in the credits as 'Katherine Hepburn'.
      • Quotes

        Hilary Fairfield: Do you know what the dead do in Heaven? They sit on their golden chairs and sicken for home.

      • Crazy credits
        Sydney Fairfield is the name of Katharine Hepburn's character in the film, but ner name is spelled Sidney in the credits.
      • Connections
        Featured in David O. Selznick: 'Your New Producer' (1935)
      • Soundtracks
        Silent Night, Holy Night (1818)
        (uncredited)

        Music by Franz Xaver Gruber

        Lyrics by Joseph Mohr

        English lyrics anonymous

        Sung by carollers on Christmas Eve

      User reviews37

      Review
      Top review
      9/10
      Simply heartbreaking
      Unlike some other reviewers here, I did not find the acting stagy or over-the-top melodramatic. Then again, most of the movies I watch are from the 20s and 30s, so I am used to this style of acting.

      I was surprised by this movie. It breaks your heart, then never lets up. There's no light comedy to offset the drama, and there's no happy ending.

      John Barrymore was amazing. My favorite performances of his have for a long time been Dr Jekyll (1920) and Svengali (1931). I've seen many other films of his (including Counsellor at Law which many people claim to be one of his best performances), but after seeing Bill of Divorcement tonight, I think this might be my most favorite performance. Sure, it was hammy, but that doesn't make it bad. Barrymore emoted his heart out, and my heart did literally ache each time he expressed his own agony and pain on screen. I was shocked to find myself in tears over his character's pain.

      Billie Burke was a wonderment as well. I know her best from her slightly comic roles, such as the supercilious wife in Dinner at Eight, or her various Mrs. Topper roles (and, yes, of course Glinda the Good Witch). I didn't know she had it in her to do dramatic stuff, but she had me in tears as well on more than one occasion. She really made me feel the agony and conflict she was in, being in love with Paul Cavanagh and yet feeling pity and obligation to Barrymore.

      I found the writing and the direction to be superb. One particular scene was almost sublime in its pathos: Billie Burke sitting in a chair, John Barrymore on the floor with his arms wrapped around her, his head in her lap as he cries. He can't comprehend why she doesn't want him, he asks her didn't she vow to be with him through better and worse, through sickness and in health? He asked what he did that was wrong, other than to get sick? He reminds her of what a kind person she is, how he even noticed her once stepping around a "green crawling thing" so as to not harm the creature, and he wonders if she could show pity and compassion to the green crawling thing, then why couldn't she show the same kind of compassion to him? Three-hankie stuff for sure!
      helpful•37
      3
      • Ursula_Two_Point_Seven_T
      • Jan 28, 2007

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • September 30, 1932 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Doble sacrificio
      • Filming locations
        • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
      • Production company
        • RKO Radio Pictures
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Budget
        • $300,000 (estimated)
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 10 minutes
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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