Enchanted April (1935)

Director:

Harry Beaumont

Writers:

Elizabeth von Arnim (novel)
Kane Campbell (dramatisation)

Release Date:

1 February 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Bath | Castle | Club | Donkey

Cast

Ann Harding	...	Mrs. Lotty Wilkins
Frank Morgan	...	Mellersh Wilkins
Katharine Alexander	...	Mrs. Rose Arbuthnot
Reginald Owen	...	Henry Arbuthnot
Jane Baxter	...	Lady Caroline Dester
Ralph Forbes	...	Peppo Briggs
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Phoebe Fisher
Charles Judels	...	Domenico
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Francesca

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #480)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Preview running times suggest the studio cut the film by at least 12 minutes before its release.

Quotes:

Mrs. Lotty Wilkins: I couldn't stand his multiplying all by himself.

Movie Connections:

Version of Enchanted April (1992)

slow novel-to-play-to-film story of a vacation get-away.

Enchanted April was one of Harry Beaumont's last movies- he only directed a few more after this one. He had made the "Maisie" movies in the 1930s and 1940s. In the opening credits, it says "From the novel by Elizabeth", and completely leaves off the author's last name... rather odd, but since it was von Armin, they may not have wanted the German association at the time... Sad to hear it was a flop when it was released, with those fun names like Frank Morgan (the Wizard) and Jessie Ralph, who played W.C. Fields' disapproving mother- in- law in "Bank Dick". Two gals in London (Ann Harding & Katharine Alexander) decide to rent a castle to host two of their friends, but things don't go the way they planned. Reginald Owen plays the husband with multiple personalities. Aside from a few funny moments, it DOES move pretty slow. Ralph is the only bright spot here, as the overbearing take-charge type, and the picture is quite fuzzy and out of focus for much of the film. The views of Italy are all obvious backdrops. The only saving grace here is that the Turner Classic version is only 66 minutes long. Too bad they didn't give Frank Morgan a larger role. This was remade in 1992 by the BBC as a British Film.