Easy Living (1937)

A wealthy banker throws his wife's expensive fur coat off the roof of a building; it lands on the head of a stenographer, leading to everyone assuming she is his mistress and has access to his millions.

Director:

Mitchell Leisen

Writers:

Preston Sturges (screenplay), Vera Caspary (based on a story by)

Stars:

Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Ray Milland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Arthur	...	Mary Smith
Edward Arnold	...	J.B. Ball
Ray Milland	...	John Ball Jr.
Luis Alberni	...	Mr. Louis Louis
Mary Nash	...	Mrs. Jenny Ball
Franklin Pangborn	...	Van Buren
Barlowe Borland	...	Mr. Gurney
William Demarest	...	Wallace Whistling
Andrew Tombes	...	E.J. Hulgar
Esther Dale	...	Lillian
Harlan Briggs	...	Magazine Office Manager
William B. Davidson	...	Mr. Hyde
Nora Cecil	...	Miss Swerf
Robert Greig	...	Butler

Storyline

J.B. Ball, a rich financier, gets fed up with his free-spending family. He takes his wife's just-bought (very expensive) sable coat and throws it off the roof, it lands on poor hard-working girl Mary Smith. But it isn't so easy to just give away something so valuable, as he soon learns.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | hat | gift | sable | automat | 

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Taglines:

The daffiest screen comedy of all times! Wait'll you see Jean Arthur as the little stenog who was almost making both ends meet when a sable coat lands in her lap! (original poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mein Leben in Luxus

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was the favorite of Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci's poet father. When the director came to visit New York City's Museum of Modern Art in the late 1960s, he asked their film department to screen their print of it for him so he could see it for himself.

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Goofs

During automat free-for-fall, one of the customers drops a tray full of dishes which are clearly attached to the tray; the dishes don't even move when the tray hits the floor.

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Quotes

Wallace Whistling: I don't know who you got living here; but, I tell you the old man don't buy fur coats for dames. If anybody knew, it would be me. Wouldn't it?
Mr. Louis Louis: I'm telling you: she is, she does; but, you don't.
Wallace Whistling: I don't what?
Mr. Louis Louis: You don't know what's going on in New York.
Wallace Whistling: I don't know what's going on in New York?
Mr. Louis Louis: You just ain't up to date!

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown over a lady applying jewelry, stockings, and perfume.

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (1990)

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Soundtracks

Easy Living
(uncredited)
Music by Ralph Rainger
Lyrics by Leo Robin
[main theme of score but not sung]

User Reviews

Glossy comedy, typical of the 1930's.

Although EASY LIVING makes no claim to realism it does somehow capture the flavor of New York in the thirties.

Directed by Mitchell Leisen from a screenplay by Preston Sturges it has all the hallmarks of Leisen's style, the gleaming, high style sets, the magnificent cathedral ceilinged apartments and also, unfortunately the tendency to allow scenes to run on just a little too long. The slapstick scene in the automat is a prime example, just a few pratfalls too many. If Sturges directed as well as written the film might not have been as sumptuous looking bit I think it would have been tighter.

Minor details however, the film is a delight, especially Jean Arthur and a very capable supporting cast giving it their professional all.

Highly recommended.