Dinner at Eight (1933)

Affluent Millicent and Oliver Jordan throw a dinner for a handful of wealthy and/or well-born acquaintances, each of whom has much to reveal.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Frances Marion (screen play), Herman J. Mankiewicz (screen play)

Stars:

Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marie Dressler	...	Carlotta Vance
John Barrymore	...	Larry Renault
Wallace Beery	...	Dan Packard
Jean Harlow	...	Kitty Packard
Lionel Barrymore	...	Oliver Jordan
Lee Tracy	...	Max Kane
Edmund Lowe	...	Dr. Wayne Talbot
Billie Burke	...	Millicent Jordan
Madge Evans	...	Paula Jordan
Jean Hersholt	...	Jo Stengel
Karen Morley	...	Mrs. Lucy Talbot
Louise Closser Hale	...	Hattie Loomis
Phillips Holmes	...	Ernest DeGraff
May Robson	...	Mrs. Wendel
Grant Mitchell	...	Ed Loomis

Storyline

Millicent Jordan is pre-occupied with the plans she is making for a high-class dinner party. Her husband Oliver is in failing health, and he is also worried because someone is trying to buy up the stock in his shipping business - even his old friend Carlotta wants to sell her stock. Hoping to get help from businessman Dan Packard, he persuades Millicent, against her wishes, to invite Packard and his wife to the dinner. As Oliver's problems get worse, Millicent is increasingly quick-tempered because the plans for the party are not going smoothly. As the time for the dinner approaches, it appears that the hosts and the guests will all have plenty on their minds.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to crabmeat | reference to washington d.c. | reference to the daughters of the american revolution | reference to the u.s. cabinet | reference to montana | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dinner at 8

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$435,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Kane's line, "How's the great profile." is an inside joke. John Barrymore was known on stage as "The great profile." Hattie also remarks, "He has the most heavenly profile."

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Goofs

In the opening scene, Millicent tells Oliver, "I see your precious Carlotta Vance arrived yesterday on the Europa." Later, that same day during Carlotta's visit to Oliver's office, she says'"I've been in New York four days and I'm lost."

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Quotes

Dr. Wayne Talbot: Oh, she's not really sick, you know, woman with a lot of time on her hands, I prescribed a sedative, but she doesn't really need anything.
Mrs. Lucy Talbot: How about an apple a day?

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001)

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Soundtracks

I Loved You Then As I Love You Now
(1927) (uncredited)
(From Our Dancing Daughters (1928))
Music by William Axt and David Mendoza
Played during the opening credits

User Reviews

a golden oldie

What a cast - MGM's finest in a series of vignettes leading up to Mrs Jordan's dinner party (which we never actually see). Jean Harlow is at her wisecracking best and her most stunning; Marie Dressler and John Barrymore are terrific as washed-up actors; everyone is just excellent. Everything that can possibly go wrong does - you can't help but sympathise as Billie Burke's Mrs Jordan gradually gets more and more ruffled by the day's events. Some great one liners and yet another excellent entry on Cukor's CV.