A jealous stage actor disguises himself as a Russian guardsman in order to test his actress wife's loyalty.A jealous stage actor disguises himself as a Russian guardsman in order to test his actress wife's loyalty.A jealous stage actor disguises himself as a Russian guardsman in order to test his actress wife's loyalty.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- Ferenc Molnár
- Ernest Vajda
- Maxwell Anderson(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, husband and wife, were a celebrated stage acting team. This film was based upon the roles they had played on Broadway in 1924 and it was their ONLY starring film role together. They had both appeared in silent films. They would remain married until his death in 1977.
- Quotes
[encouraging the Actor to test his wife's fidelity]
Bernhardt the Critic: Follow her now, or you'll never know. You'll *never* know.
[Actor leaves]
Bernhardt the Critic: Nor will I.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood (2005)
Featured review
More interesting for its place in film history than for itself...
... because seeing it today it seemed as creaky as a rusty swing set. Yet the leads were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress for that year. Some Oscar decisions do not age well.
The plot is about a stage actress (Lynne Fontaine) and a stage actor (Alfred Lunt) who are constantly bickering after just a short time of marriage. The actor believes his wife is now looking to replace him, and he thinks that she would prefer a soldier type, because she seems to scan the audience for such men. Several days latter a Guardsman - he instead looks like the doorman at one of your better New York hotels pre pandemic - begins sending flowers and then asks if he can come and see the actress. She says yes. Perhaps the husband is right and he is about to be replaced. Watch and find out what happens.
The leads here were famous stage actors of the 20th century, and furthermore they actually were married and made very few film appearances. Their next one after this wasn't for another twelve years in 1943. But if they bickered in real life it must have all been in good fun because they were married for 55 years until death separated them in 1977. I thought it odd that they were making the actress 29-30 years old, because in 1931 that was approaching middle age, and the plot is also painting her as a great beauty, but I just couldn't help noticing she had a matronly figure. Fontaine's actual age at the time of the production was 44 years old. Husband Lunt was five years younger than that. Actually, during her life, Fontaine kept the year of her birth such a secret that her own husband thought she was ten years younger than she was. Quite a trick.
Actually, these two characters - actor and actress - are both behaving insufferably, and are very vain people, so it's easy to laugh at them but very hard to like either of them. What's fun in it? Zasu Pitts as a servant because Zasu is always lots of fun in that deadpan way of hers. Then there is Maude Eburne as "Mama", a kind of lady in waiting to the actress. This is rather funny because at the beginning of the movie the married acting couple are in a play about Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth had a nurse for 23 years who acted as a substitute mother to her. This might be just a coincidence but I enjoyed it. Finally there is Roland Young as a theatre critic who pals around with the acting couple and gives them great reviews. Great shades of Citizen Kane isn't this a conflict of interest?
By the way, I call the leads "actor" and "actress" because that is how they are billed. I never heard any of the cast call them by their actual names. I would mildly recommend this one.
The plot is about a stage actress (Lynne Fontaine) and a stage actor (Alfred Lunt) who are constantly bickering after just a short time of marriage. The actor believes his wife is now looking to replace him, and he thinks that she would prefer a soldier type, because she seems to scan the audience for such men. Several days latter a Guardsman - he instead looks like the doorman at one of your better New York hotels pre pandemic - begins sending flowers and then asks if he can come and see the actress. She says yes. Perhaps the husband is right and he is about to be replaced. Watch and find out what happens.
The leads here were famous stage actors of the 20th century, and furthermore they actually were married and made very few film appearances. Their next one after this wasn't for another twelve years in 1943. But if they bickered in real life it must have all been in good fun because they were married for 55 years until death separated them in 1977. I thought it odd that they were making the actress 29-30 years old, because in 1931 that was approaching middle age, and the plot is also painting her as a great beauty, but I just couldn't help noticing she had a matronly figure. Fontaine's actual age at the time of the production was 44 years old. Husband Lunt was five years younger than that. Actually, during her life, Fontaine kept the year of her birth such a secret that her own husband thought she was ten years younger than she was. Quite a trick.
Actually, these two characters - actor and actress - are both behaving insufferably, and are very vain people, so it's easy to laugh at them but very hard to like either of them. What's fun in it? Zasu Pitts as a servant because Zasu is always lots of fun in that deadpan way of hers. Then there is Maude Eburne as "Mama", a kind of lady in waiting to the actress. This is rather funny because at the beginning of the movie the married acting couple are in a play about Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth had a nurse for 23 years who acted as a substitute mother to her. This might be just a coincidence but I enjoyed it. Finally there is Roland Young as a theatre critic who pals around with the acting couple and gives them great reviews. Great shades of Citizen Kane isn't this a conflict of interest?
By the way, I call the leads "actor" and "actress" because that is how they are billed. I never heard any of the cast call them by their actual names. I would mildly recommend this one.
helpful•133
- AlsExGal
- Feb 17, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Gardeskaptenen
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $374,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
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