A married couple files an amicable divorce, but find letting go of each other harder than they originally thought.A married couple files an amicable divorce, but find letting go of each other harder than they originally thought.A married couple files an amicable divorce, but find letting go of each other harder than they originally thought.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total
Claud Allister
- Lord Fabian
- (uncredited)
Wyn Cahoon
- Mrs. Barnsley
- (uncredited)
Ruth Cherrington
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Dora Clement
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Kathryn Curry
- Celeste
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIrene Dunne later recalled the scene where she pretends to be Cary Grant's ill-bred nightclub performer sister, which was written over a weekend and handed to her on the morning she was scheduled to film it. She was supposed to do a burlesque bump in the middle of her musical number, a move she was never able to do. Leo McCarey told her just to say, "Never could do that" when she got to that moment. She did, it stayed in the film, and Dunne found it "a choice comic bit".
- GoofsLucy introduces her music teacher "Armand Duvalle" as "Armand Lavalle".
- Quotes
Armand Duvalle: I am a great teacher, not a great lover.
Lucy Warriner: That's right, Armand. No one could ever accuse you of being a great lover.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "ONCE UPON A TIME: L'OTTAVA MERAVIGLIA (1944) + LA MOGLIE DEL VESCOVO (1947) + L'ORRIBILE VERITÀ (1937)" (3 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)
- SoundtracksMy Dreams Are Gone With the Wind
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by Ben Oakland
Lyrics by Milton Drake
Performed by Joyce Compton (dubbed)
Reprise by Irene Dunne
Featured review
Jerry and Lucy, a mutually distrustful couple (Cary Grant and Irene Dunne) agree to divorce, only to end up sabotaging each other's attempts at new romances. The film is one of the best of the 'screwball comedies' to come out of the 1930s (and, like so many of the good ones, was based on a play). Grant is very good in his second major comedy (after 'Topper', 1937) and director Leo McCarey's film (for which McCarey won an Oscar) established him as a comic star (although apparently little love was lost between the two). Oscar-nominated Dunne is excellent. The scene she where meets the wealthy family of Jerry's current flame (a celebrity heiress) and pretends to be a brassy burlesque singer is priceless. Ralph Bellamy is also very good as Lucy's wealthy, earnest, 'aw-shucks' Oklahoma oil-man beau who lives with his Ma (Bellamy plays a similar character in the classic Grant comedy 'His Girl Friday', 1940). Like all the top comedies of the era, the clever, often rapid-fire script sparkles and the characters' delivery is impeccable. The film also co-stars Hollywood A-list dog 'Skippy', best known for his portrayal of Asta in the 'Thin Man' series . All in all, the film is a clever comedy that has aged well due to the quality of the script, and the talent of the director and the players.
- jamesrupert2014
- Jul 11, 2020
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $600,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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