The Cat and the Fiddle (1934)

A romance between a struggling composer and an American singer.

Directors:

William K. Howard, Sam Wood (uncredited)

Writers:

Bella Spewack (screen play), Sam Spewack (screen play) (as Samuel Spewack)

Stars:

Ramon Novarro, Jeanette MacDonald, Frank Morgan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ramon Novarro	...	Victor
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Shirley
Frank Morgan	...	Daudet
Charles Butterworth	...	Charles
Jean Hersholt	...	Professor
Vivienne Segal	...	Odette
Frank Conroy	...	Theatre Owner
Henry Armetta	...	Taxi Driver
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Concierge
Joseph Cawthorn	...	Rudy

Storyline

Victor Florescu is a talented, Brussels-based composer of serious music under the tutelage of respected Professor Bertier at the Music Conservatory. He is hoping to have his yet uncompleted operetta, "The Cat and the Fiddle", produced by famed impresario, Jules Daudet. Victor's focus in life changes when he meets Shirley Sheridan, a New Yorker just arrived in Brussels, she who moves into the pensione next to his own. He falls in love at first sight with her. She is also a composer - of the type of music more often heard in Tin Pan Alley - and is hoping to study with Professor Bertier. But it is Victor who helps her with her music. She also catches the attention of Daudet, who publishes her music although he is more interested in her as a woman. Regardless, she becomes rich and famous, and is required to move to Paris. In the short term, Victor, who moves to Paris with her, is more than willing to forgo his own musical aspirations to help her. But Victor is forced to choose between ...

---

Plot Keywords:

composer | operetta | singer | animal in title | violinist | 

---

Taglines:

THEIR NIGHT WAS MADE FOR LOVE. THE DAWN CAME TOO SOON (Print Ad- Border Cities Star, ((Windsor, PO)) 2 April 1934)

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance | Drama

---

Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the insistence of Jeanette MacDonald, the once substantial supporting role of soprano Vivienne Segal was reduced until it was almost non-existent.

---

Quotes

Victor: Every morning you and I will ride Teresa through the park. The sun will shine, the birds will sing, the flowers will bloom...
Shirley: And I'll yell for the police!

---

Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Party (1934)

---

Soundtracks

The Night Was Made for Love
(1931) (uncredited)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Otto A. Harbach
Played on piano and sung by Jeanette MacDonald
Reprised by Jeanette MacDonald and Ramon Novarro
Played on a music box

User Reviews

Ramon and Jeanette, an unlikely team

Silent screen star Ramon Novarro teams up with Jeanette MacDonald in "The Cat and the Fiddle," a 1934 musical film. The film also stars Jean Hersholt, Frank Morgan, and Vivienne Segal.

The story concerns two songwriters, one from a classical background, Victor Florescu (Novarro, and one assumes from that last name, he's from Roumania), and Shirley Sheridan (MacDonald) a young woman from a popular songwriting background who meet. He falls madly in love with her, even turning down a major opportunity with an impresario (Morgan) who turns out to be more interested in Jeanette as a girlfriend.

Eventually Victor wins over Shirley, and the two move in together. Now, I thought the code came in earlier than this, but it appears I'm wrong. I was very surprised when later in the movie, she suggests that they get married because I thought they already were.

Her song becomes a huge hit. Eventually he succumbs to the impresario's pressure to get him out of the picture by breaking up with Shirley. He is convinced that he is holding her back. Victor then gets a big opportunity when a star (Segal) agrees to appear in his operetta. When he refuses to be seduced by her, her husband gives her a choice, the operetta or him, Mr. Money Bags, and she leaves with her husband. Now he's stuck, and he owes money to boot.

This film ran something like one hour and thirty minutes and seemed longer than Battleship Potemkin. This mainly had to do with the casting of Navarro who could just about carry a tune, and when he did, his voice had a tremelo faster than a butterfly's wings.

Jeanette MacDonald, of course, is luminous - beautiful, charming, and in great voice. Navarro did just not have what it took to be her leading man. As stiff as Nelson Eddy was, there was something about the two of them together that had real chemistry. No such thing here.

This is a movie, as someone said here, for Jeanette MacDonald fans only. She's always worth watching, and someone here also mentioned seeing her do King & I. I'm envious.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Gato e o Violino

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$843,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1