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'''''Bride by Mistake''''' (1944) is an American [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Richard Wallace (director)|Richard Wallace]], and starring [[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]] and [[Laraine Day]]. |
'''''Bride by Mistake''''' (1944) is an American [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Richard Wallace (director)|Richard Wallace]], and starring [[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]] and [[Laraine Day]].<ref>Bride by Mistake |
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Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 11, Iss. 121, (Jan 1, 1944): 142. </ref> |
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The screenplay is by [[Phoebe Ephron]] and [[Henry Ephron]], based on a story by [[Norman Krasna]], and is a remake of ''[[The Richest Girl in the World (1934 film)|The Richest Girl in the World]]'' (1934). |
The screenplay is by [[Phoebe Ephron]] and [[Henry Ephron]], based on a story by [[Norman Krasna]], and is a remake of ''[[The Richest Girl in the World (1934 film)|The Richest Girl in the World]]'' (1934). |
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Home from the war, Captain Tony Travis ([[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]]) eyes an estate in [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]] and wonders what it must be like to be that rich. It is the property of the fabulously wealthy Nora Hunter ([[Laraine Day]]), who has secretary and friend Sylvia Lockwood ([[Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917)|Marsha Hunt]]) impersonate her in public. Longtime guardian Jonathan Connors ([[Edgar Buchanan]]) protects his ward's privacy zealously. During a ship launching, a press photographer takes Nora's picture, but Connors sees to it that the camera film is ruined. |
Home from the war, Captain Tony Travis ([[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]]) eyes an estate in [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]] and wonders what it must be like to be that rich. It is the property of the fabulously wealthy Nora Hunter ([[Laraine Day]]), who has secretary and friend Sylvia Lockwood ([[Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917)|Marsha Hunt]]) impersonate her in public. Longtime guardian Jonathan Connors ([[Edgar Buchanan]]) protects his ward's privacy zealously. During a ship launching, a press photographer takes Nora's picture, but Connors sees to it that the camera film is ruined. |
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Sylvia tells Nora that she is quitting so that she can accompany her husband, Phil Vernon ([[Allyn Joslyn]]), whose job requires him to move to Washington. Nora decides to marry her fiance Donald (William Post Jr.) so that Sylvia can be her maid of honor at her wedding |
Sylvia tells Nora that she is quitting so that she can accompany her husband, Phil Vernon ([[Allyn Joslyn]]), whose job requires him to move to Washington. Nora decides to marry her fiance Donald (William Post Jr.) so that Sylvia can be her maid of honor at her wedding. But when Donald returns from military duty, he breaks the news that he has fallen in love with someone else. |
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Nora hosts a tea, but has Sylvia again pretend to be her. There she meets and takes a liking to Tony, but he is more interested in Sylvia. On hearing him vow that love is more important to him than money, Nora and Sylvia invite him to a weekend at Nora's beach house. Nora helps Tony court Sylvia, so that if he does genuinely love the real Nora, it will not be because of her money. All of her friends tell her she is being foolish, that nobody can resist that much temptation, but she stubbornly persists. |
Nora hosts a tea, but has Sylvia again pretend to be her. There she meets and takes a liking to Tony, but he is more interested in Sylvia. On hearing him vow that love is more important to him than money, Nora and Sylvia invite him to a weekend at Nora's beach house. Nora helps Tony court Sylvia, so that if he does genuinely love the real Nora, it will not be because of her money. All of her friends tell her she is being foolish, that nobody can resist that much temptation, but she stubbornly persists. |
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* [[John Miljan]] as Major Harvey |
* [[John Miljan]] as Major Harvey |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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The film was a remake of ''The Richest Girl in the World'' and was originally entitled ''That Hunter Girl''. Bert Gance produced it at RKO. |
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Gance borrowed Henry and Phoebe Ephron from Fox to rewrite the script - not to change the structure but to 'jazz it up". The Ephrons had never written a full script before - Fox hired them off the back of the success of a play they had written - so they asked a secretary who had been the best screenwriter to ever work at the studio; she said [[Norman Krasna]]. They got every Krasna script they could and copied how he did his scripts. <ref name="book"/> |
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| ⚫ | When they started writing the star was going to be [[Dorothy McGuire]] but she was replaced shortly before production by Laraine Day. Henry Ephron said they "had written the part for McGuire's original and somewhat eccentric style (she hardly ever came through the front door; she always climbed in through the window)" but felt Day was "fine. A good enough actress and quite beautiful."<ref name="book">{{cite book|page=38|first=Henry|last=Ephron|title=We thought we could do anything : the life of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron|year=1977 |publisher= Norton}}</ref> |
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Laraine Day and Marsha Hunt were borrowd from MGM, Alan Marshall was borrowed from David O. Selznick, Allyn Jolson was borrowed from 20th Century Fox and Edgar Buchanan was borrowed from Columbia.<ref>Borrowing Spree Fills 'Hunter Girl' Roster: Los Angeles Times 21 Mar 1944: A9. </ref> |
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The film was called ''That Hunter Girl'' but the title was changed to ''Bride By Mistake'' in May 1944.<ref>John Loder to Portray 'Brighton Strangler'. Los Angeles Times 26 May 1944: A8. </ref> Day said she liked making the movie "tremdously. It was the first film designed to make audience laugh for which I had been chosen. I'm hoping this will exert and new and beneficial influence."<ref>Being Lady Doesn't Pay, Says Player Who Is One:Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 3 Sep 1944: C1. </ref> |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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The film made a profit of $600,000.<ref name="uni">Richard B. Jewell, ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures'', Uni of California, 2016</ref> |
The film made a profit of $600,000.<ref name="uni">Richard B. Jewell, ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures'', Uni of California, 2016</ref> |
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Revision as of 06:20, 19 October 2019
| Bride by Mistake | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Wallace |
| Written by | Henry Ephron Phoebe Ephron |
| Produced by | Bert Granet |
| Starring | Alan Marshal Laraine Day |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Edited by | Les Millbrook |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $600,000[2] |
Bride by Mistake (1944) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day.[3]
The screenplay is by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, based on a story by Norman Krasna, and is a remake of The Richest Girl in the World (1934).
Plot
Home from the war, Captain Tony Travis (Alan Marshal) eyes an estate in Santa Barbara and wonders what it must be like to be that rich. It is the property of the fabulously wealthy Nora Hunter (Laraine Day), who has secretary and friend Sylvia Lockwood (Marsha Hunt) impersonate her in public. Longtime guardian Jonathan Connors (Edgar Buchanan) protects his ward's privacy zealously. During a ship launching, a press photographer takes Nora's picture, but Connors sees to it that the camera film is ruined.
Sylvia tells Nora that she is quitting so that she can accompany her husband, Phil Vernon (Allyn Joslyn), whose job requires him to move to Washington. Nora decides to marry her fiance Donald (William Post Jr.) so that Sylvia can be her maid of honor at her wedding. But when Donald returns from military duty, he breaks the news that he has fallen in love with someone else.
Nora hosts a tea, but has Sylvia again pretend to be her. There she meets and takes a liking to Tony, but he is more interested in Sylvia. On hearing him vow that love is more important to him than money, Nora and Sylvia invite him to a weekend at Nora's beach house. Nora helps Tony court Sylvia, so that if he does genuinely love the real Nora, it will not be because of her money. All of her friends tell her she is being foolish, that nobody can resist that much temptation, but she stubbornly persists.
Mix-ups ensue. While tipsy, Sylvia accepts a marriage proposal from Tony. That night, Tony sees Phil sneak to Sylvia's bedroom for a late night hug. The next morning, he punches the overly cheerful Phil over it. Nora tells him that she and Sylvia switched rooms that night. Despite this "confession", he eventually realizes who he really loves, tosses the protesting Nora over his shoulder and carries her away to get married. On their honeymoon night in a cheap motel, Nora finally reveals her true identity. Tony is disgusted and starts to leave, but then sees her for the first time in her nightgown and stays.
Cast
- Alan Marshal as Captain Tony Travis
- Laraine Day as Nora Hunter
- Marsha Hunt as Sylvia Lockwood
- Allyn Joslyn as Phil Vernon
- Edgar Buchanan as Jonathan Connors
- Michael St. Angel as Lieutenant Stephen Corey
- Marc Cramer as Ross
- William Post Jr. as Donald
- Bruce Edwards as Chaplain
- Nancy Gates as Jane Mason
- Slim Summerville as Samuel
- John Miljan as Major Harvey
Production
The film was a remake of The Richest Girl in the World and was originally entitled That Hunter Girl. Bert Gance produced it at RKO.
Gance borrowed Henry and Phoebe Ephron from Fox to rewrite the script - not to change the structure but to 'jazz it up". The Ephrons had never written a full script before - Fox hired them off the back of the success of a play they had written - so they asked a secretary who had been the best screenwriter to ever work at the studio; she said Norman Krasna. They got every Krasna script they could and copied how he did his scripts. [4]
When they started writing the star was going to be Dorothy McGuire but she was replaced shortly before production by Laraine Day. Henry Ephron said they "had written the part for McGuire's original and somewhat eccentric style (she hardly ever came through the front door; she always climbed in through the window)" but felt Day was "fine. A good enough actress and quite beautiful."[4]
Laraine Day and Marsha Hunt were borrowd from MGM, Alan Marshall was borrowed from David O. Selznick, Allyn Jolson was borrowed from 20th Century Fox and Edgar Buchanan was borrowed from Columbia.[5]
The film was called That Hunter Girl but the title was changed to Bride By Mistake in May 1944.[6] Day said she liked making the movie "tremdously. It was the first film designed to make audience laugh for which I had been chosen. I'm hoping this will exert and new and beneficial influence."[7]
Reception
The film made a profit of $600,000.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Bride by Mistake: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
- ^ Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p195
- ^ Bride by Mistake Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 11, Iss. 121, (Jan 1, 1944): 142.
- ^ a b Ephron, Henry (1977). We thought we could do anything : the life of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Norton. p. 38.
- ^ Borrowing Spree Fills 'Hunter Girl' Roster: Los Angeles Times 21 Mar 1944: A9.
- ^ John Loder to Portray 'Brighton Strangler'. Los Angeles Times 26 May 1944: A8.
- ^ Being Lady Doesn't Pay, Says Player Who Is One:Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 3 Sep 1944: C1.
- ^ Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016