''Petticoat Fever'' is a 1936 American

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

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

and written by Harold Goldman. The film stars Robert Montgomery,

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

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 ...

Winifred Shotter Winifred Florence Shotter (5 November 1904 – 4 April 1996) was an English actress best known for her appearances in the Aldwych farces of the 1920s and early 1930s. Initially a singer and dancer in the ensembles of musical comedies, Shotte ...

and Otto Yamaoka. The film was released on March 20, 1936, by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

Plot

Telegraph operator Dascom Dinsmore, who has been living in an isolated cabin in Labrador for two years, has a bad case of "cabin fever," caused by his many months without seeing any women. His Eskimo servant Kimo tries to interest him in two native women, but Dascom wants nothing to do with them. His near desperate fever is abated when aviator Sir James Felton's plane makes an emergency landing nearby and Dascom discovers that Jim's companion is the beautiful Irene Campion. Though Jim warns Irene that Dascom is a bit crazy and unkempt, when she arrives at the cabin, Dascom has transformed himself into a well groomed English gentleman. Later, to impress her, he wears a tuxedo and prepares a formal dinner party for her. Though Jim is increasingly worried about Dascom's enthusiastic attentions toward Irene, he doesn't realize that she is becoming attracted to Dascom as well. After Jim and Irene learn via a radio broadcast that Dascom has sent a wireless message confirming their safety but not asking for the rescue ship they requested, Jim secretly arranges to take a dog sled to the supply post with Irene. Dascom suspects something, however, and has one of the Eskimo women, "Little Seal," take Irene's place in the sled. After Jim has left, Dascom tells Irene he loves her and she finally admits she loves him, too. However, because she is fond of Jim, who once saved her life, she convinces Dascom to bring him back so that she can tell him face-to-face that she isn't going to marry him. While Dascom goes after Jim, Clara Wilson, Dascom's English fiancée, from whom he has heard nothing for two years, shows up and professes her love. When Dascom and Jim return, Irene wants Dascom to break off with Clara immediately, but because he says he can't just "leave her out in the snow," Clara angrily tells him she doesn't want to see him again and goes off with Jim. The next day, just as the rector whom Clara telegraphed to marry them is about to perform the ceremony, an unhappy Dascom decides to delay the ceremony by opening a piece of mail that arrived for him a few days previously. When he learns that his uncle, a duke, has died and left his title and entire estate to him, Dascom realizes why Clara suddenly showed up and rushes off to stop Irene and Jim. On the boat that brought Clara, the captain is in the middle of Jim and Irene's wedding ceremony when Dascom arrives and tells her that he and Clara are finished. As Jim and the captain look on incredulously, Irene then goes off happily with Dascom in the dogsled.

Cast

* Robert Montgomery as Dascom Dinsmore *

as Irene Campion *

as Sir James Felton *

as Clara Wilson * Otto Yamaoka as Kimo * George Hassell (actor) as Captain Landry *

Forrester Harvey Forrester Harvey (27 June 1884 – 14 December 1945) was an Irish film actor. From 1922 until his death year Harvey appeared in more than 115 films. He was credited for about two-thirds of his film appearances, but some of his roles were un ...

as Scotty * Irving Bacon as Carl * Bo Ching as 'Big Seal' * Iris Yamaoka as 'Little Seal'

Box office

The film grossed a total (domestic and foreign) of $1,080,000: $693,000 from the US and Canada and $387,000 elsewhere. It made a profit of $468,000.

References

External links

* * * * {{George Fitzmaurice 1936 films American comedy films 1936 comedy films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films