The Gay Divorcee (1934)

An American woman travels to England to seek a divorce from her absentee husband, where she meets - and falls for - a dashing performer.

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

Dwight Taylor (from the book by), Kenneth S. Webb (musical adaptation) (as Kenneth Webb)

Stars:

Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred Astaire	...	Guy Holden
Ginger Rogers	...	Mimi Glossop
Alice Brady	...	Aunt Hortense
Edward Everett Horton	...	Egbert 'Pinky' Fitzgerald
Erik Rhodes	...	Rodolfo Tonetti
Eric Blore	...	The Waiter
Lillian Miles	...	Singer - Continental Number
Charles Coleman	...	Guy's Valet
William Austin	...	Cyril Glossop
Betty Grable	...	Dance Specialty - Knock Knees

Storyline

Mimi Glossop wants a divorce so her Aunt Hortense hires a professional to play the correspondent in apparent infidelity. American dancer Guy Holden meets Mimi while visiting Brightbourne (Brighton) and she thinks he is the correspondent. The plot is really an excuse for song and dance. The movie won three Academy nominations and the first Oscar for Best Song: "The Continental", a twenty-two minute production number.

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | divorce | dancer | woman | password | 

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Taglines:

Introducing the new dance sensation "The Continental"

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

12 October 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Continental

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$520,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,418

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System) (as R C A Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Erik Rhodes, who plays Tonetti, repeats his stage role from the Broadway musical "Gay Divorce", on which this is based.

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Goofs

During the part of the film supposed to take place just outside of London, the car chase between Mimi and Guy occurs with them driving on the right side of the road. He passes her on the left at one point.

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Quotes

Waiter: Pardon, you, you uh rang sir?
Egbert Fitzgerald: Who me? Well, my dear fellow, what is there here to ring with?
Waiter: Pardon sir, that's just a figure of speech.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Oh, oh. Uhuh. Well, bring me a... let me have a... eh, there there. You see? Your figure of speech has made me forget entirely what I wanted.
Waiter: Could it have been that you require crumpets?
Egbert Fitzgerald: No no no, I never ring for crumpets.
Waiter: Would you be the kind of man who would ring for a toasted scone, sir?
Egbert Fitzgerald: Scone? Well, now uh, no. no. Try me again.
Waiter: Well, then could you, ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

In the version of The Gay Divorcee released in Brazil in the 1930s, the Brazilian actor Raul Roulien sang in the musical number "The Continental".

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Connections

Featured in Cocoon (1985)

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Soundtracks

The Continental
(1934)
Music and Lyrics by Con Conrad and Herb Magidson
Song performed by Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Erik Rhodes, Lillian Miles
Dance performed by Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, chorus

User Reviews

Sublime dancing, hilarious comedy, Art Deco time capsule

It's astounding that this all-time classic doesn't get a better average score.

Nureyev said Astaire was the greatest dancer in the world, and Astaire is at his best here with his best partner, Ginger Rogers. No need to elaborate, just watch them in action.

Erik Rhodes should have got Best Supporting Oscar. He was also wonderful in Top Hat, but it's here he gets to say the immortal line, "Your wife is safe with Tonetti, he prefers spaghetti."

The clothes and the decor evoke an ideal of courtship as aesthetic rather than as rutting, as it is today. Elegance, grace and wit give even the silliest scenes more dignity than anything, fatuous "talents" can concoct today.

Some call the plot banal, but I think it's funny and inventive. Sure it's mistaken identity, which is indeed a cliché, but so what? It's what they do with it that matters. A professional co-respondent??? Of course it's silly but Hey, that's what farce is. And this musical farce is one of the very best.