Cavalcade (1933)

The triumphs and tragedies of two English families, the upper-crust Marryots and the working-class Bridges, from 1899 to 1933 are portrayed.

Director:

Frank Lloyd

Writers:

Reginald Berkeley (screen play), Sonya Levien (continuity)

Stars:

Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook, Una O'Connor

Won 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diana Wynyard	...	Jane Marryot
Clive Brook	...	Robert Marryot
Una O'Connor	...	Ellen Bridges
Herbert Mundin	...	Alfred Bridges
Beryl Mercer	...	Cook
Irene Browne	...	Margaret Harris
Tempe Pigott	...	Mrs. Snapper
Merle Tottenham	...	Annie
Frank Lawton	...	Joe Marryot
Ursula Jeans	...	Fanny Bridges
Margaret Lindsay	...	Edith Harris
John Warburton	...	Edward Marryot
Billy Bevan	...	George Grainger
Desmond Roberts	...	Ronnie James
Dickie Henderson	...	Master Edward (as Dick Henderson Jr.)

Storyline

A cavalcade of English life from New Year's Eve 1899 until 1933 seen through the eyes of well-to-do Londoners Jane and Robert Marryot. Amongst events touching their family are the Boer War, the death of Queen Victoria, the sinking of the Titanic and the Great War.

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Plot Keywords:

mother daughter relationship | dysfunctional marriage | manipulative mother | manipulative wife | homosexual subtext | 

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Taglines:

THE PICTURE OF THE GENERATION! (original print ad-all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cabalgata

Filming Locations:

Fox Movietone City, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,180,280 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,630,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,440,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place from December 31, 1899 to January 1, 1933.

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Goofs

The Titanic's port of registry was Liverpool, not Southampton.

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Quotes

Jane Marryot: There should never be any good reason for neglecting someone that you love.

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Alternate Versions

As the film was originally released, the "Twentieth Century Blues" cabaret scene featured both a gay male couple and a lesbian couple. For the 1935 reissue after the coming of the Production Code, Fox was forced to delete the lesbians. Although the gay men can still be seen (one is putting a bracelet on the other), the lesbian pair (one in black, the other in white) can be glimpsed only in a quick flash.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night to Remember (1958)

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Soundtracks

It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary
(1912) (uncredited)
Music by Jack Judge
Lyrics by Harry Williams
Sung by the marching soldiers

User Reviews

A fascinating period piece

If you want to know what the twentieth century looked like to people in the early thirties, this is the film to watch. Two families - upstairs and downstairs - go through the events of the Boer War, the Edwardian age, the First World War and its aftermath, ending in the "chaos and confusion" of the depression. The film seems to be fairly closely based on the original Drury Lane theatre production (many of the cast are the same). So when Binnie Barnes delivers "Twentieth Century Blues" (excellently) this is presumably how Coward wanted it sung. Noel Coward's clipped dialogue can't always carry the weight of the themes, and the nobility of the upper-class couple gets a bit wearing, but there are fascinating glimpses of a music hall performance and an Edwardian seaside concert party. The film races through thirty eventful years, and one or two of the tragedies are predictable, but the period detail is terrific. The film is well worth catching.