Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

Director:

Richard Boleslawski

Writers:

Mary McCarthy (story)
Sidney Buchman (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 November 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Meet The Gayest Lady Who Ever Went To Town!

Plot:

The small-town prudes of Lynnfield are up in arms over 'The Sinner,' a sexy best-seller. They little...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Beautiful Woman | Whistling | Prudery | Governor

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Theodora Lynn
Melvyn Douglas	...	Michael Grant
Thomas Mitchell	...	Jed Waterbury
Thurston Hall	...	Arthur Stevenson
Rosalind Keith	...	Adelaide Perry
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Aunt Mary Linn
Margaret McWade	...	Aunt Elsie Linn
Spring Byington	...	Rebecca Perry
Nana Bryant	...	Ethel Stevenson
Henry Kolker	...	Jonathan Grant
Leona Maricle	...	Agnes Grant
Robert Greig	...	Uncle John Lynn
Frederick Burton	...	Governor Stephen Wyatt

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #2535) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Marian Marsh was in a Hollywood Reporter cast list for this movie, but she did not appear.

Quotes:

Ethel Stevenson: It's all perfectly clear to me. That adorable young thing is an unholy terror on wheels. There's nothing in the world more deadly than innocence on the manhunt!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch (2005)

Soundtrack:

A Hot Time in the Old Town

one of the greatest sleeper-comedies ever filmed

Theodora Goes Wild is perhaps the greatest sleeper in film history. When other comedies such as Midnight, Lady Eve, It Happened One Night, and especially the over-rated Bringing Up Baby are touted with 4 star ratings, this relatively unknown gem sweeps them all away in its irresistible path. One of the finest comedies ever filmed, this is a masterpiece in every way. The direction is superb, the writing sparkles with a wit that time has not dimmed. But the frosting on its cake is the comic genius of Irene Dunne, one of Hollywood's most underrated actresses. This, her first real comedy, is an object lesson to any aspiring comedienne, so perfect is her timing and delivery of virtually every line. This film should be studied by every student in the field of film and enjoyed by countless others who have never even heard of it. It's too bad that Irene Dunne is not given the credit she truly deserves. My bet is that in 50 years she will be considered perhaps the finest Hollywood actress of her time. If you think I'm joking, just watch her in Back Street, Love Affair (much better in my opinion than its more popular remake Affair To Remember), Show Boat, I Remember Mama, this film, The Awful Truth, A Guy Named Joe, Anna and The King of Siam, Life With Father, Ann Vickers........