''No More Ladies'' is a 1935 American

romantic comedy film Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

directed by Edward H. Griffith. The film stars Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery, and co-stars Charlie Ruggles, Franchot Tone, and Edna May Oliver. The screenplay credited to Donald Ogden Stewart and

Horace Jackson Horace Jackson (March 29, 1898 – January 26, 1952) was an American Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of the silent film, silent and sound film eras. Jackson also worked as a set designer early in his career. Life and career Born Horace Ath ...

is based on a stage comedy of the same name by A.E. Thomas.

Plot summary

Marcia ( Joan Crawford) is a young socialite who shares her

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

home with her grandmother, Fanny Townsend ( Edna May Oliver). Marcia is a firm believer that a couple must be faithful to one another, unlike her peers who do not feel so strongly. Marcia meets Jim ( Franchot Tone), who agrees with her on the subject of a couple's monogamy and pursues her. Marcia, however, decides to pursue Sherry ( Robert Montgomery), whom Marcia sees as a challenge and seeks to cure him of his philandering and womanizing nature. After a night at a club where some of Sherry's past flings swirl about him, the couple discuss the institution of marriage and have clearly divergent views. Despite this, Marcia and Sherry are married, yet Sherry continues as before. Even on their

honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

, Sherry flirts with the gorgeous Sally French (Jean Chatburn). Later, when the newly married couple returns home, Sherry goes home with a friend's date, Theresa German (

Gail Patrick Gail Patrick (born Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick, June 20, 1911 – July 6, 1980) was an American film actress and television producer. Often cast as the bad girl or the other woman, she appeared in more than 60 feature films between 1932 an ...

), and doesn't return that night. Marcia realizes her philandering husband has already ruined their marriage. Sherry admits to spending the night with Theresa and admits his infidelity in a rather abrupt and unapologetic manner. Marcia decides to teach her husband a lesson by having a party to which she invites Sherry's former flames along with their mates. Marcia announces that she intends to be unfaithful to her husband, by having a fling with Jim, who still cares for Marcia. Marcia and Jim escape from the party during a game of

charades Charades (, ). is a parlor game, parlor or party game, party word game, word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades: a single person would act out each syllable of a word or phrase in order, followed by the w ...

, and she returns the next morning. Sherry then sees how much his wife loves him and is convinced to reform his former ways. In any event, Marcia remained faithful to her beliefs and her husband and did not go through as she planned.

Cast

* Joan Crawford - Marcia * Robert Montgomery - Sherry Warren * Charlie Ruggles - Edgar Holden * Franchot Tone - Jim Salston * Edna May Oliver - Fanny Townsend *

- Theresa German * Reginald Denny - Oliver *

Vivienne Osborne Vivienne Osborne (born Vera Vivienne Spragg; December 10, 1896 – June 10, 1961) was an American stage and film actress known for her work in Broadway theatre and in silent and sound films. Career Osborne began her career on stage when s ...

- Lady Diana Knowleton * Joan Fontaine - Caroline (as Joan Burfield) * Arthur Treacher - Lord Knowleton * David S. Horsley - James McIntyre Duffy * Jean Chatburn - Sally French

Production

Rachel Crothers Rachel Crothers (December 12, 1878 – July 5, 1958) was an American playwright and theater director known for her well-crafted plays that often dealt with feminist themes. Among theater historians, she is generally recognized as "the most succes ...

created the original screen adaptation, but had her name removed from the screen credits, publicly dissatisfied with the studio's changes to her screenplay; other uncredited writers were

Edith Fitzgerald Edith Fitzgerald (1889-1968) was an American screenwriter and playwright active primarily during the 1930s. Biography Born and raised in Burnside, Kentucky, Edith Pearl Fitzgerald was one of 12 children born to John Fitzgerald and Dora Robert ...

and

George Oppenheimer George Seligman Oppenheimer (February 7, 1900 in New York City – August 14, 1977) was an American screenwriter, playwright, and journalist. Career In 1925, Oppenheimer cofounded The Viking Press, but becoming more interested in writing than pu ...

. Griffith's illness prevented him from finishing the film, so George Cukor took over as director (but declined a screen credit). Crawford made the film in her tenth year as an MGM contract player; the film was Joan Fontaine's big-screen debut.

Reception

According to Andre Sennwald of '' The New York Times'', "the photoplay, despite its stage ancestry, is out of the same glamour factory as Miss Crawford's '' Forsaking All Others''. If it is less furiously arch than that modern classic of sledgehammer whimsey, it is also somewhat less successful as entertainment. Out of the labors of the brigade of writers who tinkered with the screen play, there remain a sprinkling of nifties which make for moments of hilarity in an expanse of tedium and fake sophistication." ''Time'' magazine called it a "pleasant, witty time-waster" depicting a "variety of white chromium modernistic interiors, a welter of cynical badinage over cocktails and cigarets, ndthe complications of rich idle adultery." Writing for '' The Spectator'', Graham Greene described the film as "slickly 'problem'", "second rate", and "transient", although he praised the acting of Ruggles (playing Edgar Holden). (reprinted in: )

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $1,117,000 in the US and Canada and $506,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $166,000..

References

External links

* * * * {{Irving Thalberg 1935 films American romantic comedy films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by George Cukor Films directed by Edward H. Griffith 1935 romantic comedy films Films produced by Irving Thalberg Films with screenplays by Donald Ogden Stewart Films scored by Edward Ward (composer) 1930s American films