Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)

A drunken newspaperman is rescued from his alcoholic haze by an heiress whose love sobers him up and encourages him to write a play, but he lapses back into dipsomania.

Director:

Dorothy Arzner

Writers:

Cleo Lucas (novel), Edwin Justus Mayer (screenplay)

Stars:

Sylvia Sidney, Fredric March, Adrianne Allen

Cast

Credited cast:
Sylvia Sidney	...	Joan Prentice
Fredric March	...	Jerry Corbett
Adrianne Allen	...	Claire Hempstead
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher	...	Buck (as Skeets Gallagher)
George Irving	...	Mr. Prentice
Esther Howard	...	Vi
Florence Britton	...	Charlcie
Charles Coleman	...	Richard Damery
Cary Grant	...	Charlie Baxter
Kent Taylor	...	Gregory 'Greg' Boleslavsky
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adrienne Ames	...	Minor Role (unconfirmed)

Storyline

Nere-do-well Jerry Corbett finally meets and marries the right girl, Joan Prentiss. Unfortunately their wedded bliss is interrupted when Jerry's play becomes a hit and he hooks up with the wrong woman from his past. Joan decides that turn-about is fair play and she picks another man to escort her around to various parties around New York. Eventually Jerry quits drinking and sends his girlfriend packing, just in time for Joan to take him back.

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Plot Keywords:

dipsomania | heiress | newspaper | title directed by female | triple f rated | 

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Taglines:

In her innocence she expected days and nights of tender love. What she got was a Bitter Shock!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

I, Jerry, Take Thee, Joan

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An early example of product placement uses a close-up of a bottle of Henessey Brandy as a punch line.

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Quotes

Jerry Corbett: [Drunk and slurring] I don't believe we've met. My name's Corbett, what's yours?
Gregory 'Greg' Boleslavsky: Gregory Boleslavsky.
Jerry Corbett: [Taking affront] Hey, now, wait a minute. I asked you a simple question and I expect a simple answer!
[Bewildered, he puts his hands in his pockets]
Jerry Corbett: Want a drink?

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Soundtracks

On the banks of the Wabash Far Away
(uncredited)
Words and Music by Paul Dresser

User Reviews

A bit melodramatic

It's pretty funny to think that in the span of seven years, one movie could have "hell" in the title, and another broke barriers by having an actor say, "damn." In this pre-Code drama, Fredric March is an alcoholic who tends to toast his drinks by uttering the title of the movie. Sylvia Sidney, a good girl who loves him in spite of his behavior, doesn't quite get that he actually means his toast. It isn't long before he does drag her down with him. . .

How many times has Fredric March played in a movie with a drunk scene? I can come up with seven, off the top of my head. The point is, he's had tons of experience, and he does it very well, so if you like to see him in these types of roles, you can give this one a whirl. Merrily We Go to Hell is a very nasty pre-Code movie, with an enormous amount of suggestive dialogue, and situations that, two years later, would never have been filmed. Open marriages, promiscuity, and orgies are made pretty clear, even though nothing is showed. To me, this was a pretty black-and-white film. Bad guy, good girl, bad behavior, good heart. I'd recommend watching My Sin or Call Her Savage instead if you want some pre-Code fun.