A Bill of Divorcement (1932)

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.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Howard Estabrook (screen play), Harry Wagstaff Gribble (screen play)

Stars:

John Barrymore, Katharine Hepburn, Billie Burke

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Barrymore	...	Hilary Fairfield
Billie Burke	...	Margaret
David Manners	...	Kit
Katharine Hepburn	...	Sidney
Paul Cavanagh	...	Gray
Henry Stephenson	...	Dr. Alliot
Gayle Evers	...	Bassett
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Hester

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

party | christmas | divorce | clergy | insanity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Doble sacrificio

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Billie Burke's husband, Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., died during the film's production. Burke resumed filming shortly after his funeral.

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Goofs

Toward the end, when Sidney convinces her mother to leave, she reaches for her mother's coat, and someone off-camera hands it to her. The hands of the crew member are clearly visible. Correction: The maid hands Sidney her mother's coat. You can see the maid's apron when she steps into view. Several scenes earlier the maid told Gray she had the mother's bags packed.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

Sydney Fairfield is the name of Katharine Hepburn's character in the film, but ner name is spelled Sidney in the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in A Woman of Substance: Katharine Hepburn Remembered (2003)

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Soundtracks

Unfinished Sonata
(uncredited)
Music by Max Steiner
Played on piano by Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore

User Reviews

Miss Hepburn storms the screen

VERY stagy but interesting film served as Hepburn's screen bow. She's a trifle studied and Barrymore occasionally goes over the top but mixed in with that is some excellent acting by both. Billie Burke, more subdued than usual, delivers the film's best most consistent performance. She does a very fine job of showing the anguish of a life suddenly turned upside down. The three of them are really the whole show.

Considering the cast and the historical place in Kate's filmography as her debut the film is frustratingly difficult to see. Odd considering the relative availability of the rest of her canon, exempting the obscure Grace Quigley.

Some of the attitudes are dated but because of the star trio this is worth tracking down.