A butler in America
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A butler in America |
| Original title | Ruggles of Red Gap |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1935 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Leo McCarey |
| script |
Humphrey Pearson Walter DeLeon Harlan Thompson |
| production | Arthur Hornblow Jr. |
| music |
Heinz Roemheld John Leipold |
| camera | Alfred Gilks |
| cut | Edward Dmytryk |
| occupation | |
| |
A Butler in America is an American comedy film from 1935. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Harry Leon Wilson. In 2014 the film was included in the National Film Registry .
action
Paris in the spring of 1908. The Earl of Burnstead informs his butler Ruggles that he lost him to the shirt-sleeved millionaire Egbert Floud in a poker game. Egbert's wife, Effie, very concerned about social standing, plans to take Ruggles to the Red Gap, Washington, estate. Before leaving, Ruggles comes under the extravagant influence of Egbert. He gets drunk and forgets some of his trained butler traditions.
In Red Gap, Egbert still treats him as an equal. He introduces the butler as an officer and runs a hoax in the newspaper that forces his wife and brother-in-law, the snobbish Charles Belknap-Jackson, to have Ruggles as an honorable guest. When Charles Ruggles fires on his own, he sadly leaves the property and stops at a saloon before leaving. Egbert and his mother-in-law Ma Pettingill are beside themselves when they hear of the dismissal. You can find ruggles in the saloon having a discussion on human equality. To the astonishment of the crowd, Ruggles recited President Lincoln's address in Gettysburg, the so-called Gettysburg Address, from memory . Ruggles decides to be the first of his family to quit the butler profession and enter the economy.
With the help of the widow Prunella Judson and a loan from Egbert and Ma Pettingill, Ruggles works to open a restaurant. Effie informs him of the planned visit of the Earl of Burnstead, who wants his old butler back. Ruggle's loyalty to his old job and to the Earl puts him in a bind. When the earl arrives, Ruggles is missing. Prunella fears that her boyfriend may have harmed himself. But Ruggles reappears and explains to the Earl that he is now independent. The earl congratulates him.
On the evening the restaurant opens, Effie, Charles and their friends from society are among the guests. The Earl arrives with his bride, Nell Kenner, a Red Gap resident who has worked as a dancer. Charles accuses the Earl of marrying under his estate. Ruggles throws Charles out, but fears his reaction will bankrupt him. But the crowd begins to sing For He's a Jolly Good Fellow , and Ruggles realizes they are singing it for him, not the Earl.
background
The novel by Harry Leon Wilston had already been filmed twice: in 1918 by Lawrence C. Windom with Taylor Holmes in the title role and in 1925 by James Cruze with Edward Everett Horton . Michael Redgrave later played the Butler Ruggles in an episode of the television series Producers's Showcase in 1957 . The premiere of this third version of the film took place on February 19, 1935. In Germany, the film was shown for the first time on April 23, 1970 as part of a TV premiere on ARD .
The film is one of over 700 Paramount Pictures productions shot between 1929 and 1949, the television rights of which were sold to Universal Pictures in 1958 .
Charles Laughton won the NYFCC award, which was presented for the first time, twice. He received awards for this film and for his performance in the film Mutiny on the Bounty . Laughton played here for the first time in a comedy. It was specially loaned from MGM for this film . For two days Laughton had to go back to the MGM to play the micawber in David Copperfield . Laughton was replaced by WC Fields and returned to Paramount. However, he had his head shaved for the role of Micawber. Now it was necessary to wait until Laughton's hair had grown back. For this, MGM should pay Paramount compensation.
Hans Dreier was responsible for setting the film .
Because of the Gettysburg Address , the film was banned in Germany during the Nazi era.
synchronization
The German dubbed version was created for the television premiere in 1970.
| role | actor | German Dubbing voice |
|---|---|---|
| Marmaduke Ruggles | Charles Laughton | Helmut Ahner |
| Effie Floud | Mary Boland | Edith Schollwer |
| Egbert Floud | Charles Ruggles | Fritz Tillmann |
| Prunella Judson | ZaSu Pitts | Inge Estate |
| Earl of Burnstead | Roland Young | Friedrich Schoenfelder |
| Ma Pettingill | Maude Eburne | Ursula War |
| Charles Belknap-Jackson | Lucien Littlefield | Jürgen Thormann |
| Bistro waiter | Charles Fallon | Erich Poremski |
| Men's outfitter | Rafael Storm | Joachim Cadenbach |
Awards
In 1936 the film was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Picture category.
Charles Laughton won the NYFCC Award for Best Actor .
criticism
The lexicon of international films speaks of an “enigmatic comedy that uses humor and wit to gloss over general human and specifically“ American ”weaknesses. The restrained portrayal of Charles Laughton in favor of a perfect ensemble play is striking. "
Andre Sennwald of the New York Times described the film as adorably funny. Charles Laughton portrays Ruggles brilliantly.
The variety was also impressed. Leo McCarey made a fast and furious funny film, a perfect example of what smart work behind the camera can do.
The Protestant film observer also comes to a positive verdict: “A cheerful film that ridicules English and American customs and, above all, thrives on Charles Laughton's acting skills. Despite the somewhat questionable idealization of American freedom from the age of 12 to be recommended as a pleasant entertainment. "
Web links
- Ruggles of Red Gap in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Susan King: 25 titles added to National Film Registry , Los Angeles Times online, December 17, 2014, accessed December 18, 2014
- ↑ Article at TCM (engl.)
- ^ A butler in America at the German dubbing index
- ↑ A butler in America. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 12, 2018 .
- ↑ Critique of the New York Times (Eng.)
- ↑ Ruggles of Red Gap ( Memento from February 5, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 164/1970.