The Gay Divorcee (1934)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

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:

Helen Broderick was asked to play the role of Hortense but was unavailable.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hortense first meets Tonetti, she is wearing a black cape. When she goes back upstairs to warn Mimi that she might have the wrong man in her room, she doesn't have the cape on. Then when she returns downstairs and talks to Egbert, she's wearing the cape again.

Quotes:

Guy Holden: Can I offer you anything? Frosted chocolate? Cointreau? Benedictine? Marriage?
Mimi Glossop: What was that last one?
Guy Holden: Benedictine?
Mimi Glossop: No, the one after that.
Guy Holden: Oh, marriage?
Mimi Glossop: Do you always propose marriage as casually as that?
Guy Holden: There is nothing casual about it. In fact, I've given it long and sincere thought.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fred Astaire: Puttin' on His Top Hat (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Continental

It's "whumsical"

Quoting the Eric Blore/Alice Brady interchange in the restaurant, this movie is indeed whimsical (or "whumsical") and beautiful to boot. There probably has never been a more perfect dance than "Night and Day"....or a more beautiful song to dance to. That is the highlight of this film, although the rest of it is well worth seeing. Erik Rhodes is absolutely hilarious as the paid correspondent and the humor is not dated which is unusual in a film of this age. The "Chance is a fool's name for fate" routine is priceless. Edward Everett Horton again proves that he is the originator of the befuddled sidekick without being irritating and his little "dance" with a very young Betty Grable is such fun The art deco sets and great 30's clothes are wonderful and it makes you wish for a time when everybody wore evening dress and danced at the drop of a hat. Don't miss it...this is one of the highlight Astaire/Rogers efforts.