A Damsel in Distress 1937
A Damsel in Distress
Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on 'Mr. X'. After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to 'protect his investment'.
Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on 'Mr. X'. After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to 'protect his investment'.
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See All 1 Reviews20 Jun 2022 by CinemaSerf
There is something oddly static about this self adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's comedy romance. Joan Fontaine is "Lady Alyce" an heiress who casually meets visiting dancer/composer Fred Astaire ("Jerry") on a trip to London. Their romance is soon smouldering (well, as much as anything actually smouldered in 1937), much to the chagrin of her well-to-do family at their ancestral "Tottney Castle". Aided and abetted by George Burns, his press man ("George") and Gracie Allen ("Gracie"), his secretary - who offer an efficient if not terrific foil for the slightly obvious gags - he persists in pursuing his love. The dancing, almost all of which is performed en seul by Astaire - illustrates well his skill and the quality of the Gershwin's score, but somehow his solo performances just don't really engage. It's not just that there isn't a Ginger Rogers, it's that there is anyone at all. The briefest of scenes with Fontaine offer taste of what we might have had (granted, she is not so adept as his more famous partner), but instead this is essentially a solo effort that, for me, demonstrated certain limitations with Astaire's acting prowess. It's an enjoyable film to watch, and there's no denying "Put Me to the Test" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It" get toes a-tapping, but the dance ensembles scenes are more reminiscent of a choir practice, and the whole thing just lacks pizzazz...
Producers:
Release Date:
Nov 19, 1937 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 41`
MMPA Rating:
PG
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
A Damsel in Distress
There is something oddly static about this self adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's comedy romance. Joan Fontaine is "Lady Alyce" an heiress who casually meets visiting dancer/composer Fred Astaire ("Jerry") on a trip to London. Their romance is soon smouldering (well, as much as anything actually smouldered in 1937), much to the chagrin of her well-to-do family at their ancestral "Tottney Castle". Aided and abetted by George Burns, his press man ("George") and Gracie Allen ("Gracie"), his secretary - who offer an efficient if not terrific foil for the slightly obvious gags - he persists in pursuing his love. The dancing, almost all of which is performed en seul by Astaire - illustrates well his skill and the quality of the Gershwin's score, but somehow his solo performances just don't really engage. It's not just that there isn't a Ginger Rogers, it's that there is anyone at all. The briefest of scenes with Fontaine offer taste of what we might have had (granted, she is not so adept as his more famous partner), but instead this is essentially a solo effort that, for me, demonstrated certain limitations with Astaire's acting prowess. It's an enjoyable film to watch, and there's no denying "Put Me to the Test" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It" get toes a-tapping, but the dance ensembles scenes are more reminiscent of a choir practice, and the whole thing just lacks pizzazz...
Cast & Crew of
A Damsel in Distress
Directors & Credit Writers
WAN
W. Argyle Nelson... Assistant Director
... Director
Cast
... Jerry Halliday
... George
... Gracie
... Alyce Marshmorton
... Keggs
RN
Ray Noble... Reggie
... Lady Caroline
... Lord Marshmorton
HW
Harry Watson... Albert
... Miss Ruggles
... Cook (uncredited)
Produced By
... Producer