Strictly Dishonorable (1931 film)

Infobox Film
name = Strictly Dishonorable
(1931)


image_size = 215px
caption = title card
director = John M. Stahl
producer = Carl Laemmle Jr.
John M. Stahl
writer = Preston Sturges "(play)"
Gladys Lehman "(screenplay)"
narrator =
starring = Paul Lukas
Sidney Fox
Lewis Stone
music = Giuseppe Becce
J.S. Zamecnik
cinematography = Karl Freund
Jackson Rose
editing = Arthur Tavares
Maurice Pivar
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = 26 December fy|1931
runtime = 91 minutes
country = FilmUS
language = English
budget =
gross =
imdb_id = 0022437

"Strictly Dishonorable" is a fy|1931 romantic comedy film directed by John M. Stahl, starring Paul Lukas, Sidney Fox and Lewis Stone, and featuring George Meeker and Sidney Toler. It was written by Gladys Lehman and based on Preston Sturges' 1929 hit Broadway play of the same name. [ibdb title|9432|Strictly Dishonorable] "Strictly Dishonorable" was Sturges' second play on Broadway, and his first to be filmed for the silver screen.

As a film made before the advent of the Production Code, the film-makers were able to preserve the cheerfully uninhibited sexual innuendo of the Sturges play in their movie version, which he is said to have unofficially endorsed.TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=14872&category=Notes Notes] ]

Plot

Snubbish, quick-tempered Henry Greene (George Meeker) and his fiancee Isabelle Perry (Sidney Fox) stop into a New York speakeasy owned by Tomasso Antiovi (William Ricciardi) for a drink. There, they meet retired Judge Dempsey ((Lewis Stone), an amiable man who befriends the Southern belle, much to Henry's dismay. Famous opera singer "Tino Caraffa", a charming but notorious playboy whose real name is "Gus" Di Ruvo, (Paul Lukas) is there as well, and while Henry is gone to move his illegally parked car, Gus and Isabelle, an opera fan, get acquainted. When Henry returns he's incensed to learn that the two of them have been dancing together. He wants Isabelle to leave with him, but she refuses and breaks off their engagement, returning his ring. Henry tries to get the police to help him force Isabelle to leave, by telling them that she has been "kidnapped by villains", but Judge Dempsey sets them straight, getting Henry arrested and taken away.

Gus offers to put Isabelle up for the night, assuring her that his intentions are "strictly dishonorable". The Judge warns Isabelle about Gus, but she is adamant about staying, since she has fallen in love. So, too, has Gus: overwhelmed by Isabelle's sweetness and innocence, he spends the night in Judge Dempsey's apartment.

The next morning, Henry returns and tries to get Isabelle to come back to him. Despite appearances, she assures him that she has not lost her virtue and wants to know if he is still "pure", but he insists that it is "entirely different" for men. She reluctantly agress to remain engaged to Henry, and he leaves to wait for her outside. Gus arrives and proposes marriage to Isabelle, but she does not believe that he loves her, and she leaves. When Gus and the judge go to get a drink, they find Isabelle there, crying. She confesses that she does love Gus, and the judge goes to tell Henry not to wait. [TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=14872&category=Full%20Synopsis Full synopsis] ] [Steele, David [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:112071 Plot summary (IMDB)] ]

Cast

*Paul Lukas as "Count Gus Di Ruvo"
*Sidney Fox as "Isabelle Perry"
*Lewis Stone as "Judge Dempsey"
*George Meeker as "Henry Greene"
*William Ricciardi as "Tomasso Antiovi"
*Sidney Toler as "Patrolman Mulligan"
*Carlo Schipa as "Waiter"
*Samuel Bonello as "Waiter"
*Joe Torillo as "Cook"
*Joseph W. Girard as "Officer"
*Aldo Franchetti as "Arguing Customer"

Cast notes:
*"Dempsey" was the maiden name of Preston Sturges' mother.
*William Ricciardi is the only actor who also appeared in the Broadway production of "Strictly Dishonorable".
*Natalie Moorhead played the role of "Lilli", one of Gus's lovers, but her scenes were deleted from the released film.
*Sidney Toler went on to achieve fame playing Charlie Chan.

Production

Universal paid Preston Sturges the record sum of $125,000 for the rights to "Strictly Dishonorable", equal only to RKO's purchase of the rights to "Cimarron".

The film was in production from 30 June to 15 August fy|1931, [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022437/business Business data] ] and was released on 26 December of that year. [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022437/releaseinfo Release info] ] The Los Angeles premiere took place at the Carthay Circle Theatre.

Other versions

Sturges' play was filmed again in fy|1951, and released by MGM under the same title, "Strictly Dishonorable". [imdb title|0044082|Strictly Dishonorable (1951)] It was written, produced and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama and starred Ezio Pinza and Janet Leigh. Much of the sexual innuendo of the original was scrubbed from the remake, which was also musicalized.Erickson, Hal [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:112071~T0 Plot synopsis (Allmovie)] ]

Notes

External links

*ibdb title|9432|Strictly Dishonorable
*imdb title|0022437|Strictly Dishonorable (1931)
*tcmdb title|14872|Strictly Dishonorable (1931)
*amg movie|1:112071|Strictly Dishonorable (1931)