Double Wedding (1937)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Ferenc Molnár (play)
Jo Swerling (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 October 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Two sisters of differing temperaments, the younger's milquetoast fiancé, and a free spirited artist in an auto trailer have romantic complications in this screwball comedy.

Plot Keywords:

Milquetoast | Trailer | Screwball | Sister | Wedding

Cast

William Powell	...	Charles 'Charlie' / 'Horse' Lodge
Myrna Loy	...	Margit 'Baby' Agnew
Florence Rice	...	Irene Agnew
John Beal	...	Waldo Beaver
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. 'Stonewall Jackson' Kensington-Bly
Edgar Kennedy	...	Spike
Sidney Toler	...	Mr. Keough, Margit's Butler
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Keough
Barnett Parker	...	Mr. Flint, Margit's Bookkeeper
Katharine Alexander	...	Claire Lodge
Priscilla Lawson	...	Felice, Margit's Secretary
Bert Roach	...	Shrank
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Alexander	...	Drunk Singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	First Bartender (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Waitress in Crowd at Wedding (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Mounted Policeman (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Hot Dog Vender (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Gus, Waiter at Spike's (uncredited)
Billy Dooley	...	Saxophonist (uncredited)
Jack Dougherty	...	Mrs. Bly's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Roger Gray	...	Mike, Policeman at Jail (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Pete, Policeman at Jail (uncredited)
Gwen Lee	...	Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Irving Lipschultz	...	Moe, the Violinist (uncredited)
Donald Meek	...	Judge Blynn (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Pianist at Spike's (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Second Bartender (uncredited)
Oscar O'Shea	...	Turnkey (uncredited)
Henry Taylor	...	Angelo, Margit's Gardener (uncredited)
E. Alyn Warren	...	Al, Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Doodles Weaver	...	Bass Fiddle Player (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits
Ferenc Molnár		(play "Nagy szerelem") (as Ferenc Molnar)
Jo Swerling		(screenplay)

Produced by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz	....	producer

Original Music by
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(as William Daniels)
Harold Rosson		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Frank Sullivan

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert A. Golden	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director
Joseph C. Wright	....	associate art director (as Joseph Wright)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Ruttenberg	....	photographer: Carmel-By-the-Sea (uncredited)

Other crew
Herman Fisher	....	assistant: Joseph Ruttenberg (uncredited)
Sig Kaufman	....	assistant: Joseph Ruttenberg (uncredited)

Production Companies

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

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  package design
• Turner Entertainment  supplementary material

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #3611) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The seventh of fourteen films pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy.

Goofs:

Continuity: In a scene near the end that takes place in William Powell's trailer, an Oscar statuette is visible in the background standing on a white shelf. In the next shot, the statuette is on top of a black box that is on the white shelf. The following shot has the Oscar back on the white shelf. A few moments later, the statuette is knocked over, and is seen toppling from on top of the black box again.

Quotes:

Margit 'Baby' Agnew: You big bigamist!

Movie Connections:

References A Day at the Races (1937)

Soundtrack:

Wintermärchen

Not up to the stars' usual shine

I have always found this movie more than a little strained and Powell and Loy not up to their usual shine. In fact, Myrna Loy's character seems downright unpleasant!! Much of this may have to do with the death of Powell's fiancee Jean Harlow during production. Myrna Loy, in her autobiography, states that she cannot bear to watch this movie because of the pain they all felt while making it. While the two do their professional best (and the uninformed would never guess that real tragedy was plaguing them) you are much better off watching Powell and Loy in one of their better works...ie The Thin Man Series, Libeled Lady,I Love You Again, etc. FYI: Powell developed colon cancer in the year following Harlow's tragic death and nearly died himself. He recovered and returned to active film work with 1939's Another Thin Man and proceeded to beat the odds and live another 40 years!!!