International House (1933)

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland

Writers:

Neil Brant (from a story by) and
Louis E. Heifetz (from a story by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 May 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Grand Hotel of comedy

Plot:

Assorted wacky characters converge on a Chinese hotel to bid on a new invention...television.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Professor | Ex Husband | Television | China

Cast

Peggy Hopkins Joyce	...	Peggy Hopkins Joyce
W.C. Fields	...	Professor Quail
Rudy Vallee	...	Himself
Stuart Erwin	...	Tommy Nash
George Burns	...	Doctor Burns
Gracie Allen	...	Nurse Allen
Sari Maritza	...	Carol Fortescue
F. Chase Taylor	...	Colonel Stoopnagle (as Colonel Stoopnagle)
Budd Hulick	...	Budd (as Budd)
Cab Calloway	...	Himself
Bela Lugosi	...	General Petronovich
Rose Marie	...	Herself (as Baby Rose Marie)
Franklin Pangborn	...	Hotel Manager
Edmund Breese	...	Doctor Wong
Lumsden Hare	...	Sir Mortimer Fortescue
Sterling Holloway	...	Coffee Mug
Lona Andre	...	China Teacup
Harrison Greene	...	Herr Von Baden
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
Clem Beauchamp	...	Newsreel Cameraman (uncredited)
Bo Ching	...	Hotel Bell-hop (uncredited)
Wong Chung	...	Health Inspector (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	General's Henchman (uncredited)
Etta Lee	...	Hotel Hostess (uncredited)
Bo Ling	...	Cigar Counter Clerk (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Telegram Clerk (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Mr. Brown - Assistant Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Henry Sedley	...	Serge Borsky (uncredited)
Mary Jane Sloan	...	Sugar Bowl (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Mr. Rollins - Electric Company Boss (uncredited)
Louis Vincenot	...	Mr. Brown - Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
James Wong	...	Inspector Sun (uncredited)
Ernest Wood	...	Newsreel Reporter (uncredited)
Gwen Zetter	...	Tea Pot (uncredited)

Directed by
A. Edward Sutherland		(as Edward Sutherland)

Writing credits
Neil Brant		(from a story by) and
Louis E. Heifetz		(from a story by)
Walter DeLeon		writer
Francis Martin		writer

Produced by
Emanuel Cohen	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Howard Jackson		(uncredited)
John Leipold		(uncredited)
Ralph Rainger		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(photographed by)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Loyal Griggs	....	special photographic effects staff (uncredited)
Al Myers	....	special photographic effects staff (uncredited)
Dewey Wrigley	....	special photographic effects staff (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Guy Bennett	....	second camera (uncredited)
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Thomas Morris	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Guy Newhard	....	second camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Ralph Rainger	....	music & lyrics by
Leo Robin	....	music & lyrics by

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Productions, Inc,)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount Productions, Inc,)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ruth Etting was originally proposed to sing in this film. Her spot was taken by "Baby" Rose Marie.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: During the scene where Prof. Henry R. Quail is by his auto gyro talking to Doctor Wong and Peggy Hopkins Joyce, you can see the shadow of the boom mic moving above their heads. The boom mic then hits something, presumably the auto gyro, making a noise which makes Prof. Henry R. Quail and Peggy Joyce look up.

Quotes:

[Peggy finds a litter of assorted kittens on her seat]
Peggy: I wonder what their parents were.
Professor Quail: Careless, my little dove cake, careless.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Thank Heaven For You

One of the funniest comedies of the 30s

International House is an entirely insane and hilarious romp. A bunch of wacky characters travel to Wu Hu, China in order to bid for the rights to manufacture the new invention of television. W.C. Fields is the standout here, giving perhaps the funniest performance of his early career, rivaling such other classics as The Old-Fashioned Way, You're Telling Me, and It's a Gift. But there are others in this film who are just as good. Franklin Pangborn is as easily upset as ever. Bela Lugosi turns in a wonderfully hammy performance as a Russian General. George Burns and Gracie Allen deliver one corny joke after another (most people will find them annoying in any of their films, but I find that they begin to grow on you; those jokes, I contend, are supposed to be groaners). Perhaps the only character to get lost in the proceedings is Tommy Nash (Stuart Erwin), a representative of an American company who is the front runner in the race to win television. The movie tries to make him the main character at the beginning, but, with all the other zaniness, Erwin, a straight man, is understandably left out of most of the picture. Also in this film are some amazing musical numbers, including a song entitled "Reefer Man," sung by a black jazz group. Because of the marijuana references, this segment was long thought lost. Whenever they show this film on TCM, they include that scene. Marvelous stuff, all of it. 9/10