A Damsel in Distress

11/19/19371h 41m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ With Sword in Hand He Goes to the Head of the Clash! ~

Overview:

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'.

Director:

George Stevens

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$1,035,000.00

Revenue:

$1,465,000.00

Key words:

dancing
london, england
arranged marriage
musical
ballroom dancing
secretary
singing
black and white
class differences
aristocrat

Cast

Fred Astaire

~ as ~

Jerry Halliday

George Burns

~ as ~

George

Gracie Allen

~ as ~

Gracie

Joan Fontaine

~ as ~

Alyce Marshmorton

Reginald Gardiner

~ as ~

Keggs

Ray Noble

~ as ~

Reggie

Constance Collier

~ as ~

Lady Caroline

Montagu Love

~ as ~

Lord Marshmorton

Harry Watson

~ as ~

Albert

Jan Duggan

~ as ~

Miss Ruggles

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
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 a 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...