The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writers:

J. Hartley Manners (unproduced play)
Dwight Taylor (musical play "Gay Divorce") ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 October 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The King and Queen of 'Carioca'

Plot:

Mimi Glossop wants a divorce so her Aunt Hortense hires a professional to play the correspondent in apparent infidelity...

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Aunt | Dancer | Divorce | Astaire And Rogers

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
Finis Barton	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
De Don Blunier	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Table Extra (uncredited)
Cy Clegg	...	Porter (uncredited)
E.E. Clive	...	Chief Customs Inspector (uncredited)
George Davis	...	French waiter #1 (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	...	Messenger at dock (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Arthur Jarrett	...	Vocalist (uncredited)
Sydney Jarvis	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
Vivian Keefer	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Lois Lindsay	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	French waiter #2 (uncredited)
Ted Oliver	...	Customs Inspector #3 (uncredited)
Paul Porcasi	...	French headwaiter (uncredited)
Sonny Ray	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Dance Extra, Continental Number (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Dancer / Singer (uncredited)
Cyril Thornton	...	Customs Inspector #2 (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)
Bruce Wyndham	...	Undetermined role (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Sandrich

Writing credits
J. Hartley Manners		(unproduced play)
Dwight Taylor		musical play "Gay Divorce" and
Kenneth S. Webb		musical adaptation for play and
Samuel Hoffenstein		musical adaptation for play
George Marion Jr.		(screenplay) and
Dorothy Yost		(screenplay) and
Edward Kaufman		(screenplay)
Robert Benchley		uncredited

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
David Abel

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
Van Nest Polglase

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
J.R. Crone	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Lissner	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Argyle Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Ivan Thomas	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Thomas Little	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Marsh	....	sound editor
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	recording director
Robert Wise	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	photographic effects (as Vernon Walker)
Harry Redmond Jr.	....	special effects (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Sr.	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Willard Barth	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Joseph F. Biroc	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Jim Davis	....	grip (uncredited)
Fred Hendrickson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Clifford Stine	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
James Vianna	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Claire Cramer	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Philip Faulkner Jr.	....	music recordist (as P.J. Faulkner Jr.)
Murray Spivack	....	music recordist
Max Steiner	....	musical director
Maurice De Packh	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Howard Jackson	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Bernhard Kaun	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Gene Rose	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Eddie Sharpe	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Clifford Vaughan	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Peter Croft	....	technical director
Dave Gould	....	stager: dance ensembles
Zion Myers	....	production associate
Hermes Pan	....	assistant dance director
Harry Cornbleth	....	stand-in: Fred Astaire (uncredited)
Bill Hamberry	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Ben Holmes	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Elizabeth McGaffey	....	researcher (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	....	stand-in: Ginger Rogers (uncredited)
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Frank Warde	....	doll dance director (uncredited)
Trudy Wellman	....	continuity (uncredited)
Trudy Wellman	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Bill Williams	....	photography co-operator (uncredited)
Madeline Wilson	....	stand-in: Alice Brady (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Turner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Gay Divorce (UK)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #282)

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The original musical on which this movie was based was called "The Gay Divorce", but because of objections from the censor, the title of the film was changed to "The Gay Divorcee" (one 'e' added).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tonetti and Guy are tied together after the night in the hotel room, they make a number of moves where they try to go in opposite directions, but are unable to because they are tied together. When the doorbell rings a final time Tonetti goes to answer the door and Guy goes to comfort Mimi, they are no longer tied together.

Quotes:

Egbert Fitzgerald: Your life, Mr. Tonetti, must be full of excitement.
Tonetti: Full of excitement, and full of danger.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Oh, yes, of course... from the husbands.
Tonetti: No, from the ladies.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Oh, how interesting!
Tonetti: But, Tonetti, he know what to do. Yes, sometimes, the lady and I have the conversation... somtimes, I play the concertina... sometimes, I play the solitaire... but, mostly, I practice my singing. At home, my wife, he do not like me to sing.
Egbert Fitzgerald: Unquestionably a woman of great perspicacity.
Tonetti: Oh, si, si, signor, you bet!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Broadway: The American Musical: I Got Plenty o' Nuttin': 1929-1942 (#1.3)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Night and Day

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.