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The Toy Wife

  • 19381938
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
385
YOUR RATING
Melvyn Douglas and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
DramaHistoryRomance
The beautiful, frivolous wife of a plantation owner in antebellum Louisiana proves unsatisfactory at running the household, leading her serious-minded husband to enlist the help of her unmar... Read allThe beautiful, frivolous wife of a plantation owner in antebellum Louisiana proves unsatisfactory at running the household, leading her serious-minded husband to enlist the help of her unmarried sister.The beautiful, frivolous wife of a plantation owner in antebellum Louisiana proves unsatisfactory at running the household, leading her serious-minded husband to enlist the help of her unmarried sister.
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
385
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard Thorpe
  • Writers
    • Zoe Akins(screen play)
    • Augustin Daly(English translation of play)
    • Ludovic Halévy(play "Frou-frou")
  • Stars
    • Luise Rainer
    • Melvyn Douglas
    • Robert Young
  • Director
    • Richard Thorpe
  • Writers
    • Zoe Akins(screen play)
    • Augustin Daly(English translation of play)
    • Ludovic Halévy(play "Frou-frou")
  • Stars
    • Luise Rainer
    • Melvyn Douglas
    • Robert Young
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Photos30

    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young, Melvyn Douglas, and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)
    Robert Young and Luise Rainer in The Toy Wife (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Luise Rainer
    Luise Rainer
    • Gilberte 'Frou Frou' Brigard
    Melvyn Douglas
    Melvyn Douglas
    • George Sartoris
    Robert Young
    Robert Young
    • Andre Vallaire
    Barbara O'Neil
    Barbara O'Neil
    • Louise Brigard
    H.B. Warner
    H.B. Warner
    • Victor Brigard
    Alma Kruger
    Alma Kruger
    • Madame Vallaire
    Libby Taylor
    Libby Taylor
    • Suzanne
    Theresa Harris
    Theresa Harris
    • 'Pick'
    Walter Kingsford
    Walter Kingsford
    • Judge Rondell
    Clinton Rosemond
    • Pompey
    Clarence Muse
    Clarence Muse
    • Brutus
    Leonard Penn
    Leonard Penn
    • Gaston Vincent
    Alan Perl
    • Georgie
    Charles Albin
    • Priest
    • (uncredited)
    Irene Allen
    • Agathe - A Black Servant
    • (uncredited)
    Myrtle Anderson
    • Therese - A Black Servant
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Andrews
    • Black Servant
    • (uncredited)
    King Baggot
    King Baggot
    • Dinner Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Richard Thorpe
    • Writers
      • Zoe Akins(screen play)
      • Augustin Daly(English translation of play) (uncredited)
      • Ludovic Halévy(play "Frou-frou") (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Luise Rainer, having just won two Oscars the previous two years for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937) had so angered MGM head Louis B. Mayer by constantly demanding a higher salary that he cast her in this "B" picture as punishment. She would end her contract with the studio later in the year and would not make another film until Paramount's Hostages (1943).
    • Quotes

      George Sartoris: No, no. After all, one doesn't argue with Frou Frou. One surrenders.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening title card: "Gone is the flag of France from Lousiana, but until the Civil War, the life of its French residents in New Orleans and on the great plantations was life under the old regime in France."
    • Connections
      Referenced in Too Hot to Handle (1938)

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    period piece.... southern values
    Quite the period piece... the south, before the civil war. But some big names.. .Melvyn Douglas (star of silents and talkies), Robert Young (Marcus Welby), HB Warner (many films). some similarities to Gone With the Wind.... girl likes one guy. another guy proposes, so she accepts. but still likes the other guy. and doesn't really get over it. stuff happens. many references to slavery. not all complimentary, but historically accurate. goes on and on. lessons learned. one lives with ones' decisions. Directed by Richard Thorpe. about the biggest films for him were Jailhouse Rock and Fun in Acapulco.
    helpful•1
    2
    • ksf-2
    • Sep 8, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 10, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Mlle. Froufrou
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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