The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges (writer)

Release Date:

7 November 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy

Plot:

An inventor needs cash to develop his big idea. His wife, who loves him, decides to raise it for him by divorcing him and marrying a millionaire.

Plot Keywords:

Second Chance | Language Barrier | Love | Gibberish | Comedy Of Manners

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Jeffers
Joel McCrea	...	Tom Jeffers ('Capt. McGlew')
Mary Astor	...	The Princess Centimillia
Rudy Vallee	...	John D. Hackensacker III
Sig Arno	...	Toto
Robert Warwick	...	Mr. Hinch, Ale and Quail Club
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Mr. Osmond
Torben Meyer	...	Dr. Kluck
Jimmy Conlin	...	Mr. Asweld, Ale and Quail Club
Victor Potel	...	Mr. McKeewie
William Demarest	...	First Member Ale and Quail Club
Jack Norton	...	Second Member Ale and Quail Club
Robert Greig	...	Third Member Ale and Quail Club
Roscoe Ates	...	Fourth Member Ale and Quail Club
Dewey Robinson	...	Fifth Member Ale and Quail Club
Chester Conklin	...	Sixth Member Ale and Quail Club
Sheldon Jett	...	Seventh Member Ale and Quail Club
Robert Dudley	...	Wienie King
Franklin Pangborn	...	Apartment Manager
Arthur Hoyt	...	Pullman Conductor
Al Bridge	...	Conductor
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones	...	George, Club Car Bartender
Charles R. Moore	...	Train Porter
Frank Moran	...	Brakeman
Harry Rosenthal	...	Orchestra Leader
Esther Howard	...	Wife of Wienie King
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernest Anderson	...	Club Car Steward (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	The Gent (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Yacht Steward (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Mike the doorman (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Nightclub Dance Extra (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Nightclub Dance Extra / Store Employee (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday	...	Elderly Maid (uncredited)
Laurie Douglas	...	Maid in Princess' Room (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Gerry's Maid of Honor / Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Jewelry salesman (uncredited)
Alfred Hall	...	Bishop (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Dining Car Extra (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Prospect (uncredited)
John Holland	...	Member of Wedding Party (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Mate with Binoculars (uncredited)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Officer O'Donnell (uncredited)
Edward McNamara	...	Officer in Penn Station (uncredited)
Esther Michelson	...	Near-sighted woman (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Man in apartment (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Diner on Train (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland	...	Diner waiter (uncredited)
Odette Myrtil	...	Sales Clerk (uncredited)
Lillian Randolph	...	Maid on Train (uncredited)
Keith Richards	...	Shoe salesman (uncredited)
Julius Tannen	...	Proprietor of Store (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Gateman at Penn Station (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Tom's Best Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Preston Sturges

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Preston Sturges		writer

Produced by
Paul Jones	....	associate producer
Buddy G. DeSylva	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
Victor Milner

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegté

Costume Design by
Irene

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Harry Lindgren	....	sound
Walter Oberst	....	sound

Other crew
Edwin Gillette	....	secretary: Mr. Sturges (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording) | Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Penn Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Quotes:

Gerry Jeffers: [Gerry has just found out that John is one of the richest men in the world] I would step on your face!
John D. Hackensacker III: That's quite all right, I rather enjoyed it.
Gerry Jeffers: Twice!
John D. Hackensacker III: You made quite an impression.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer" (1989)

Funny, wacky comedy of the '40s

Claudette Colbert is a knockout who knows it. She wants the good life, which her inventor husband can't give her. So she leaves him, intending on marrying someone who can support her and finance his invention. Things don't quite work out.

The opening of "Palm Beach Story" is a bizarre scene that only makes some sense (and I'm emphasizing some) at the very end of the film. It's certainly an original way to start a movie. There are some hilarious scenes in this film - desperate to get to Palm Beach for a quickie divorce, but with no money, Colbert accepts the invitation of the gentlemanly Ale and Quail Club to ride in their private train car as their guest and mascot. Unfortunately, the emphasis in this club is the ale and not the quail - shooting sugar cubes will do - also blowing out train windows, trashing whole train cars - you get the idea. Running from them, Colbert soon meets up with Rudy Vallee, who gives an absolutely delightful performance as a filthy rich man. He serenades her at one point, and it's great, hearkening back to his days as a crooner! Mary Astor is his many times married sister, and when Colbert's husband shows, in the form of Joel McCrea, Astor sees her next mark.

McCrea has a funny slapstick fall down a flight of stairs, but otherwise, doesn't have much to do except be angry and jealous of his wife. Colbert in her glorious clothes, Vallee, and a vivacious Astor upstage him a bit. A very funny film, produced during World War II to give America a much-needed laugh.