''Perfect Understanding'' is a 1933 British

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Cyril Gardner and starring Laurence Olivier,

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

and John Halliday. The film was an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

production made at

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...

, conceived as an attempt to revive Swanson's career which had suffered following the conversion to

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

Plot

Judy (Swanson) and Nicholas Randall (Olivier) are a newly married couple who agree to a marriage based on "perfect understanding." This agreement is meant to rule out any form of jealousy. During their honeymoon they are called away to

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...

to spend time with their friends. Judy chooses to go back to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to decorate their home but insists that Nicholas spend time with their friends. While in Cannes, Nicholas becomes drunk and ends up sleeping with Stephanie (Swinburne), his former mistress. Nicholas is guilt-stricken and immediately returns home and confesses to Judy his sin. Judy forgives him due to their prior agreement of a perfect understanding. However, while Nicholas is away on business she confesses to her friend Ivan (Halliday) that she is still upset with Nicholas. Ivan then declare his love for Judy and tells her that if she would like, he would be willing to spend the night with her. Judy leaves Ivan to consider her options and ends up wandering the streets at night. Meanwhile, Nicholas has been outside Ivan's apartment and does not realize that Judy has left. He concludes that the two are having an affair. When Judy returns from walking the streets she leaves a letter for Ivan, thanking him for his love. When she arrives home, she is confronted by Nicholas who accuses her of an affair. She denies this and an argument ensues. Nicholas later drives to Ivan's apartment and finds the letter. He and Judy eventually separate. A month later, Judy finds that she is pregnant. She informs Nicholas who questions whether the baby is his. Angrily, she declares that their marriage is over and chooses to initiate divorce proceedings. Nicholas is distraught over his failed relationship with Judy and confers with his lawyer over preventing the divorce. Unfortunately, due to Nicholas's infidelity the judge will grant the divorce for Judy unless he can prove that Judy was also unfaithful. During the court proceedings, Nicholas' lawyer displays her letter to Ivan. The judge dismisses the divorce due to the appearance of Judy's unfaithfulness. Afterward, Nicholas tells Judy he believes her and the couple promise to make amends and create a new life together.

Cast

as Judy * Laurence Olivier as Nicholas Randall * John Halliday as Ivan Ronnson *

Nigel Playfair Sir Nigel Ross Playfair (1 July 1874 – 19 August 1934) was an English actor and director, known particularly as actor-manager of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in the 1920s. After acting as an amateur while practising as a lawyer, he turne ...

as Lord Portleigh *Michael Farmer as George * Genevieve Tobin as Kitty * Charles Cullum as Sir John Fitzmaurice *

Nora Swinburne Leonora Mary Johnson (24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000), known professionally as Nora Swinburne, was an English actress who appeared in many British films. Early years Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson a ...

as Lady Stephanie Fitzmaurice *

Peter Gawthorne Peter Gawthorne (1 September 1884 – 17 March 1962) was an Anglo-Irish actor, probably best known for his roles in the films of Will Hay and other popular British comedians of the 1930s and 1940s. Gawthorne was one of Britain's most called-upo ...

as Butler * Charles Childerstone as Judy's Counsel

References

External links

* * {{Amg movie, 105912, Perfect Understanding 1933 films 1930s English-language films 1933 romantic comedy films British romantic comedy films Films set in England Films directed by Cyril Gardner Ealing Studios films United Artists films British black-and-white films 1930s British films