''Breakfast for Two'' is a 1937 American

screwball comedy film Screwball comedy is a subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary characteristi ...

made by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. It was

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

. The film stars

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

Herbert Marshall Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall (23 May 1890 – 22 January 1966) was an English stage, screen and radio actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theatrical career in the Uni ...

and

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...

. Stanwyck and Marshall worked together once more, immediately following this film, on the 20th-Century-Fox drama '' Always Goodbye'' (1938).http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1865/Breakfast-for-Two/articles.html

Plot

After drunkenly carousing on the town, idle playboy, Jonathan Blair, wakes up to find that Texan Valentine Ransome has spent the night in his mansion. He remembers little of the night and knows little about his houseguest. Valentine is attracted to Jonathan and sets out first to reform and then to marry him, explaining to her horse-breaking uncle Sam that she intends to "slip a

bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...

in his mouth and make him like it". In her way is Jonathan's girlfriend, actress Carol Wallace. Jonathan is dismayed to discover that his neglected family shipping firm is in dire trouble, and that he will not be receiving his usual check, leaving him broke. Valentine decides to use this news to ignite his ambition. She buys up controlling interest in the company and moves into his home as the new tenant. When he discovers the identity of the new owner, he wrongly assumes she went out with him solely to learn what she could about the company. Furious, he tells her that he will fight to get the company back, but later, to his valet, Butch, he admits he is beaten, as nobody will lend him the money he needs to make the attempt. Butch, who approves of Valentine, informs her of this. She makes Jonathan vice president, but he visits the office only to inform her that Carol has asked him to marry her, and that he has accepted. That afternoon, Valentine tries her best to disrupt the ceremony, with the help of noisy bearded window washers, presided over by an increasingly frustrated Justice of the Peace. Finally, Sam Ransome bursts in and declares that Carol is the mother of his children. The wedding is off, but one of the guests, Mr. Meggs, recognizes Sam and informs Jonathan. The next day, Jonathan outlines to the firm's receivership board his bold new plan to get the company back on its financial feet. The board members vote to accept his scheme and return control of the business to him. Valentine is pleased by his display of initiative and drive ... until he tells her that the wedding with Carol is back on. In desperation, Butch produces a forged marriage certificate showing that Valentine and Jonathan are husband and wife. Carol leaves in a huff. After Butch informs Valentine of the deception, she continues the masquerade, much to Jonathan's discomfort. When Butch confesses the truth to Jonathan, however, the tables are turned. She flees from her suddenly amorous "husband". However, at the train station, they make peace and get married for real.

Cast

as Valentine Ransome *

as Jonathan Blair *

as Carol Wallace *

Eric Blore Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appe ...

as Butch, Blair's Valet *

Donald Meek Thomas Donald Meek (14 July 1878 – 18 November 1946) was a Scottish-American actor. He first performed publicly at the age of eight and began appearing on Broadway in 1903. Meek is perhaps best known for his roles in the films '' You Can't T ...

as Justice of the Peace *

Etienne Girardot Etienne Girardot (22 February 1856 – 10 November 1939) was a diminutive stage and film actor of Anglo-French parentage born in London, England. Biography The son of French painter Ernest Gustave Girardot, he studied at an art school, but le ...

as Mr. Meggs *

Frank M. Thomas Frank Marion Thomas (July 13, 1889 – November 25, 1989) was an American character actor of stage, screen and television. He and his wife, actress Mona Bruns, both lived to 100 years old. He died the day before her 90th birthday; she died 11 y ...

as Sam Ransome *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the b ...

as Gordon Faraday

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Breakfast For Two 1937 films 1937 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Alfred Santell RKO Pictures films 1930s American films