The Guardsman (1931)

Director:

Sidney Franklin

Writers:

Ferenc Molnár (play)
Ernest Vajda (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

An acclaimed actor and his equally acclaimed actress wife, who have been married for less than a year...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Russian | Actress | Marriage | Infidelity

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Alfred Lunt	...	The Actor
Lynn Fontanne	...	The Actress
Roland Young	...	Bernhardt the Critic
Zasu Pitts	...	Liesl, the Maid
Maude Eburne	...	Mama
Herman Bing	...	A Creditor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ann Dvorak	...	Fan Saying 'There He Is' (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	The Actor's Valet (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Franklin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Maxwell Anderson		excerpt from play "Elizabeth the Queen" (uncredited)
Ferenc Molnár		play "A testör" (as Ferenc Molnar)
Ernest Vajda		screenplay
Claudine West		continuity

Produced by
Albert Lewin	....	producer (uncredited)
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Norbert Brodine

Film Editing by
Conrad A. Nervig

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harold S. Bucquet	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Other crew
Albert Lewin	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Inc.)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1931) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Theatre Guild  presented by courtesy of

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1972-R, 17 January 1936 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ferenc Molnár's play opened in Budapest in 1911. English versions were staged in London (as "Playing With Fire") and New York (as "Where Ignorance Is Bliss") in 1913. But the definitive English version, adapted by Philip Moeller, opened in New York in 1924 and starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

Quotes:

[encouraging the Actor to test his wife's fidelity]
Bernhardt the Critic: Follow her now, or you'll never know. You'll *never* know.
[Actor leaves]
Bernhardt the Critic: Nor will I.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Der Gardeoffizier (1925)

I'm Jumping for Joy Over This Movie!

I first saw this movie on TCM, and I became enamored of this fabulous acting couple. I won't repeat the fabulous reviews of this film, but I hounded TCM to reschedule the movie, but alas. Then thanks to an amazon.com seller, I bought the video. I have watched it over and over. What fun to see Lunt running around in disguise and thinking he was putting something over on his wife. And Zasu Pitts as the maid, she's priceless!

The Guardsman has also put me in touch with their biographies, what wonderful lives they led. They were Broadway stars, Lunt and Fontanne, they have a Broadway theater named for them.

And 77 years later, the Guardsman still brings laughs to us. Thank goodness for them!