''Three Loves Has Nancy'' is a 1938
romantic comedy
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 ...
film directed by
Richard Thorpe
Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Biography
Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his en ...
and starring
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress.
Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (late ...
,
Robert Montgomery and
Franchot Tone
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...
. It is set in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.
Plot
The seduction plans of novelist Malcolm Niles go awry when actress Vivian Herford brings along her mother to a candlelight dinner in his New York apartment. When they talk of marriage, Malcolm decides to make a tour promoting his new book, and in a small southern town meets Nancy Briggs at an autographing session at the local bookstore. Nancy is getting married that night, but her fiancé, working in New York, doesn't come back for the wedding, so her family gives her the fare to go to New York to find him. At the same time, Malcolm gets a wire from his publisher and friend, Robert Hanson, telling him to come home because Vivian has left town. Traveling to New York on the same train, Nancy proves to be a pest who Malcolm hopes to avoid once they arrive, but when Nancy can't find her fiancé, she goes to Malcolm, since he's the only one she knows in the city. He is about to kick her out when Vivian returns, so he uses Nancy as an excuse to get rid of Vivian. Further comedy ensues.
Cast
*
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress.
Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (late ...
as Nancy Briggs
*
Robert Montgomery as Mal Niles
*
Franchot Tone
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...
as Bob Hanson
*
Guy Kibbee
Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor.
Early years
Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...
as Pa Briggs
*
Claire Dodd
Claire Dodd (born Dorothy Arlene Dodd; December 29, 1911 – November 23, 1973) was an American film actress.
Life and work
Dorothy Arlene Dodd was born on December 29, 1911, in Baxter, Iowa, to Walter Willard Dodd, a farmer whose family ...
as Vivian Herford
*
Reginald Owen
John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs.
Career
The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...
as William
*
Cora Witherspoon
Cora Witherspoon (January 5, 1890 – November 17, 1957) was an American stage and film character actress whose career spanned nearly half a century. She began in theatre where she remained rooted even after entering motion pictures in the ...
as Mrs. Herford
*
Emma Dunn
Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English actress. After starting her acting career on stage in London, she became known for her works in numerous films and Broadway productions.
Career
Emma Dunn appeared onstage in ...
as Mrs. Briggs
*
Charley Grapewin
Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably port ...
as Grandpa Briggs
*
Lester Matthews
Arthur Lester Matthews (6 June 1900 – 5 June 1975) was an English actor. In his career, the handsome Englishman made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was erroneously credited in later years as Les Matthews. Matthews pla ...
as Alonzo Stewart
*
Grady Sutton
Grady Harwell Sutton (April 5, 1906 – September 17, 1995) was an American film and television character actor from the 1920s to the 1970s. He appeared in more than 180 films.
Early years
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sutton was raised ...
as George Wilkins, Jr.
*
Mary Forbes
Mary Forbes (born Ethel Louise Young; 1 January 1883 – 22 July 1974) was a British-American film actress, based in the United States in her latter years, where she died. She appeared in more than 130 films between 1919 and 1958. as Mrs. Hanson
*
Grant Withers
Granville Gustavus Withers (January 17, 1905 – March 27, 1959) was an American film actor who acted under the screen name Grant Withers. With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into sound films, establishing himself with a lis ...
as Jack
*
Charles Lane as Cleaning Store Manager (uncredited)
References
External links
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1938 films
1930s English-language films
1938 romantic comedy films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Richard Thorpe
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films set in New York City
American romantic comedy films
1930s American films
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