It's love I'm after

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Movie
German title Cavalier after midnight
Original title It's love I'm after
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1937
length 90 minutes
Rod
Director Archie Mayo
script Casey Robinson
production Hal B. Wallis ,
Harry Joe Brown for
Warner Brothers
music Heinz Roemheld
camera James Van Trees
cut Owen Marks
occupation

It's Love I'm After (in Germany also: Kavalier nach Mitternacht ) is an American screwball comedy directed by Archie Mayo from 1937. It is based on the story Gentlemen After Midnight by Maurice Hanline.

action

On stage, Basil Underwood and Joyce Arden are a dream couple who have been successfully touring the USA for years with classic pieces such as Romeo and Juliet . Backstage everything is less harmonious: although they love each other, their relationship is characterized by constant arguments and reconciliations. In the past year, the self-loving Basil and the spirited Joyce got engaged at least a dozen times, only to break this bond soon. After a performance of Romeo and Juliet , a euphoric fan named Marcia Jones appears in Basil's dressing room on New Year's Eve . She confesses her love to Basil, which the jealous Joyce hears in the cloakroom next door. Marcia's visit later in the evening leads to a new argument between Joyce and Basil, but after the renewed reconciliation, they are finally supposed to get married - tonight. However, Basil receives another unexpected visit, this time from Marcia's fiancé Henry Grant Jr., who now fears for the love of his future couple because of her fixation on Basil. Henry wishes Basil help him win back the love of Marcia. Henry and Basil develop a plan based on the plot of a play: Basil should behave as badly as possible towards Marcia so that her love for Henry is strengthened again.

Basil agrees to help, especially since he and Digges - his loyal butler, who likes to imitate bird calls - had drawn a “New Year's Eve” of his good deeds that had turned out to be miserable. Basil, who is inclined to theatricality and constant quotations from Shakespeare, now says he wants to become “a better person”, and helping Henry be the first step in this direction. Basil and Digges drive to the lavish estate of Marcia West and her father, much to Joyce's annoyance, who actually wanted to get married straight away and is now giving up the engagement. Apparently completely drunk and messing around, Basil and Digges appear in the house, but Marcia is not - as planned - angry about the uninvited visit, but just seems to be drawn to Basil even more. The following day, Basil demands an extra meal at breakfast, insults the family's guests and acts dismissive and arrogant towards Marcia. So Basil sank in favor of everyone else present, just not as desired in that of Marcia. She can even seduce Basil into kissing her. This in turn is observed by Joyce of all people, who had come at Digges' request to reconcile with Basil.

Joyce introduces herself to those present as Basil's wife, but even that can't keep Marcia away from Basil. In order to take revenge on the unfaithful Basil, Joyce tells Marcia that she wants to “divorce” Basil and that she now has “free rein” on him. Marcia breaks off her engagement to the unfortunate Henry. Meanwhile, Basil realizes with horror that he doesn't want to be married to a fan all his life and that Joyce is the woman he actually loves. Basil drives to the hotel to get some distance from the Marcia and maybe to reconcile with Joyce - but Marcia is already waiting for him in his bedroom. Henry also appears at the hotel - he wishes Basil and Marcia all the best for the future, he doesn't want to stand in the way of the happiness of the woman he loves. Marcia hears Henry's confession of love in the room next door and returns to him, while Basil is now left by her left. Apart from Digges, Basil is now apparently all alone. But Joyce learns by chance that Basil's apparent excuse - wanting to help Henry with love affairs - is actually true. She realizes that she still loves him and returns to him. Basil and Joyce now want to get married in Las Vegas . Even the looming argument about whether Digges should carry the suitcases can be resolved with kisses.

background

After Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936) It's Love I'm After was the third collaboration between Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. In The Petrified Forest they had been directed by Archie Mayo, who is also in this screwball comedy as director. The project came about when Leslie Howard wanted to do a comedy after many serious roles in dramas. It's Love I'm After offered the Shakespeare actor Howard not only many comic scenes but also the chance to quote from numerous classical plays in his role as a theater-loving matinee idol. The opening scene with Howard and Davis as Romeo and Juliet can be seen as an allusion to the film Romeo and Juliet (1936), which Howard made the previous year with Norma Shearer .

For the cast of the female lead, Howard first brought up the theater stars Gertrude Lawrence and Ina Claire , who are known as comedians , but both of whom had little film experience. Only after shooting began, Bette Davis was cast in the lead female role. Davis, however, was dissatisfied: After several film projects in a row, she was thirsty for a vacation break; she also thought the roles of Howard and Olivia de Havilland were more interesting than her own.

reception

It's Love I'm After was a financial success for Warner Brothers and convinced the studio of Howard's abilities as a comedy actor. The critics praised Howard and Davis as well as supporting actors like Eric Blore as “ gentleman's gentleman butler” or George Barbier as father West. Leonard Maltin found It's Love I'm After to be an "enjoyable, witty" comedy similar to the Broadway film Napoleon . "Fabulous" is Eric Blore as an "ultra-devoted butler".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Frank Miller: It's Love I'm After (1937) - Articles. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved July 13, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Leonard Maltin : Leonard Maltin's 2013 Movie Guide: The Modern Era . Penguin Books, New York 2012, ISBN 978-1-101-60463-2 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed July 13, 2019]).