The Gay Divorcee
The Gay Divorcee movie poster
Directed by	Mark Sandrich
Produced by	Pandro S. Berman
Written by	George Marion Jr. Dorothy Yost Edward Kaufman
Starring	Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers Alice Brady
Cinematography	David Abel
Editing by	William Hamilton
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Release date(s)	October 12, 1934 (U.S. release)
Running time	107 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Gay Divorcee is a 1934 film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was based on the musical play The Gay Divorce written by Dwight Taylor, Kenneth S. Webb, Samuel Hoffenstein, with screenplay by George Marion Jr., Dorothy Yost and Edward Kaufman, from an unproduced play by J. Hartley Manners. The Hays Office insisted on the name change, believing that while a divorcee could be gay or lighthearted, it would be unseemly to allow a divorce to appear so. The movie was directed by Mark Sandrich. Image File history File links The_Gay_Divorcee_movie_poster. ... Mark Sandrich (born August 26, 1900 in New York City, New York – died March 4, 1945 in Hollywood, California) was an American movie director, writer and producer. ... Pandro Samuel Berman (28 March 1905 – 13 July 1996), known as Pandro S. Berman, was an American film producer. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress, singer and dancer. ... Alice Brady Alice Brady (November 2, 1892 - October 28, 1939) was an Academy Award-winning American actress in the silent film era of the late 1910s and 1920s through the 1930s, during the Great Depression. ... Several people have been known by the name William Hamilton; William is often shortened to Will or Bill. ... The classic logo of RKO Radio Pictures. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... See also: 1933 in film 1934 1935 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) finally purchased the film rights to The Wizard of Oz from Frank J. Baum for $40,000. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Gay Divorce is a theater musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. ... Samuel Hoffenstein (October 9, 1890 - October 6, 1947) was a screenwriter and a musical composer. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ... British playwright who wrote Peg o My Heart, which starred his wife, Laurette Taylor on Broadway in one of her greatest stage triumphs, although she did not appear in the film version that he wrote and produced. ... The Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) was a set of guidelines governing the production of motion pictures. ... Mark Sandrich (born August 26, 1900 in New York City, New York – died March 4, 1945 in Hollywood, California) was an American movie director, writer and producer. ...

Erik Rhodes, Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore

The movie is a romantic musical with a slim plot. It included the popular dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and also starred Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes. The song "The Continental" by Con Conrad and Herb Magidson won the very first Academy Award for Best Song, and is the music to the twenty-minute dance sequence towards the end of the film. Image File history File links RhodesHortonBlore. ... Image File history File links RhodesHortonBlore. ... Erik Rhodes (1906-1990) Erik Rhodes (February 10, 1906 – February 17, 1990) born Ernest Sharpe at El Reno, in the Indian Territory, in what was to become the state of Oklahoma. ... Edward Everett Horton (March 18, 1886 - September 29, 1970) was an American actor with a long career including motion pictures, theater, radio, television and voice work for animated cartoons. ... Eric Blore (December 23, 1887 - March 2, 1959) comic actor. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress, singer and dancer. ... Alice Brady Alice Brady (November 2, 1892 - October 28, 1939) was an Academy Award-winning American actress in the silent film era of the late 1910s and 1920s through the 1930s, during the Great Depression. ... Edward Everett Horton (March 18, 1886 - September 29, 1970) was an American actor with a long career including motion pictures, theater, radio, television and voice work for animated cartoons. ... Eric Blore (December 23, 1887 - March 2, 1959) comic actor. ... Erik Rhodes (1906-1990) Erik Rhodes (February 10, 1906 – February 17, 1990) born Ernest Sharpe at El Reno, in the Indian Territory, in what was to become the state of Oklahoma. ... The Continental is a popular song. ... Con Conrad (June 18, 1891 - September 28, 1938) Songwriter and producer born Conrad K. Dober in New York City. ... Herb Magidson (born January 7, 1906) is a popular song writer. ... The Academy Award for Best Song is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers. ...

The stage version included many songs by Cole Porter, most of which were excised from the film, "Night and Day" being a notable exception. Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Indiana. ... Night and Day is a song written by Cole Porter for the 1932 musical play The Gay Divorce. ...

Plot summary

The plot sees Mimi Glossop (Rogers) arrive in England to seek a divorce from her geologist husband, whom she hasn't seen for several years. Under the guidance of her domineering and much-married aunt Hortense (Brady), she consults a bumbling and less-than-competent lawyer Egbert Fitzgerald (Horton), who happens to be one of Hortense's previous husbands. He arranges for her to spend a night at a seaside hotel and to be caught in an adulterous relationship, for which purpose he hires a professional co-respondent, Rodolfo Tonetti (Rhodes). But Egbert forgets to arrange for private detectives to 'catch' the couple. It has been suggested that Divorcee be merged into this article or section. ... English barrister 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. ...

By coincidence, Guy Holden (Astaire) an American dancer, who briefly met Mimi on her arrival in England, and is now besotted with her, also arrives at the hotel, only to be mistaken by Mimi for the co-respondent. Whilst they are in Mimi's bedroom, Tonetti arrives and holds them 'prisoner'. They contrive to escape and dance the night away.

External links

• The Gay Divorcee at the Internet Movie Database
• Karin Longworth's analysis of the Night and Day routine

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about motion pictures, actors, movie stars, TV shows, TV stars, production crew personnel, as well as video games. ...