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strategically placed around the set. Also adding to delays was
Barrymore's heavy drinking, which frequently gave his face a puffy appearance that required the makeup crew to tape his jowls. Between dealing with Barrymore and trying to comply with Laemmle's demands to complete the film on schedule and
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Barrymore had signed for $ 25,000 per week, and Wyler was ordered to film all his scenes as quickly as possible. What should have taken two weeks ultimately took three-and-a-half because the actor could not remember his lines. After taking twenty-seven takes to complete one brief scene, Wyler decided
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said the film proved "the value of having a playwright adapt his own brainchild to the screen." It also praised Wyler for giving it "a far better tempo than the play possessed" and added, "He milks each situation and lets it go without stressing . . . many scenes which could easily have ensnared a
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said the film "moves along with lusty energy, the scenes being so complete that none of them seems a fraction of a minute too long. Parts of the stage work have perforce been omitted, but where this occurs Mr. Rice and the director, William Wyler, leave nothing in doubt." He praised
Barrymore for
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Soon after filming began, Wyler realized much of the material Rice had excised from his play was necessary to build scenes, and he began incorporating it back into the screenplay. Eventually he worked with both the screenplay and play script at hand, a procedure he would follow when making
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in order to capitalize on his box office appeal. Both Wyler and Rice wanted to cast performers from the various stage productions, and although several screen tests were made, most of the roles were filled by studio contract players.
232:. The possibility of a public scandal horrifies his socialite wife Cora, who plans to flee to Europe with Roy Darwin. Devastated by his wife's infidelity, George is about to leap from the window of his office in the
411:, who had been in the Chicago production, was signed to reprise his small role of Harry Becker, a young radical with Communist leanings; he later became a prolific film and television director. Another cast member,
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himself on the witness stand because he believed the man could be rehabilitated if freed. Rival lawyer
Francis Clark Baird has learned about the incident and is threatening to expose George, which will lead to his
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Clara
Langsner, J. Hammond Dailey, Malka Kornstein, Marvin Kline, T. H. Manning, John Qualen, Angela Jacobs, Elmer H. Brown and Conway Washburn reprised their roles from the Broadway production.
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After directing a series of films he considered inconsequential, William Wyler was happy to be assigned to a prestigious project based on a play that had enjoyed successful runs on
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giving his role "the vigor, imagination and authority one might expect" and added, "The characterization is believable and thoroughly sympathetic."
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The story focuses on several days in a critical juncture in the life of George Simon, who rose from his humble roots in a poor
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within the allotted budget, Wyler was tense and irritable and tended to take out his frustrations on the supporting cast.
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as George Simon, the role he had created on stage, but the actor declined because he feared being typecast as Jewish.
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described his portrayal of George Simon as "one of the few screen roles that reveal his measure as an actor."
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to become a shrewd, highly successful attorney. Earlier in his career, he allowed a guilty client to
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A Talent for
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The film was a box office success, described by film historian
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D. W. (November 25, 1934). "TAKING A LOOK AT THE RECORD".
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The
Runaway Bride: Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the 1930s
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as a "highbrow hit", although a
November 1934 article in
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and in
Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Producer
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is based on his 1931 Broadway play of the same title.
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termed it a commercial disappointment for
Universal.
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1114:The Best Years of Our Lives
642:Kendall, Elizabeth (2002).
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489:less capable director."
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386:Laemmle wanted to cast
327:made his film debut in
311:Angela Jacobs as Goldie
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1297:Films about infidelity
1210:How to Steal a Million
485:The Hollywood Reporter
441:on December 11, 1933.
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302:as Richard Dwight, Jr.
439:Radio City Music Hall
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234:Empire State Building
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1282:American drama films
348:(theatre producer),
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1302:Films about lawyers
1194:The Children's Hour
1170:Friendly Persuasion
1162:The Desperate Hours
978:Tom Brown of Culver
898:The Border Cavalier
623:The Universal Story
600:Herman, pp. 116-118
582:Herman, pp. 115-116
573:Herman, pp. 114-115
308:as Johan Breitstein
188:is a 1933 American
857:Films directed by
787:TCM Movie Database
699:(December 8, 1933)
696:The New York Times
668:The New York Times
477:The New York Times
468:Critical reception
461:The New York Times
396:Joseph Schildkraut
392:Edward G. Robinson
381:Universal Pictures
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290:as Zedorah Chapman
122:Universal Pictures
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1066:Wuthering Heights
1018:The Gay Deception
994:Counsellor at Law
890:Straight Shootin'
804:Counsellor at Law
793:Counsellor at Law
782:Counsellor at Law
771:Counsellor at Law
758:Counsellor at Law
533:Counsellor at Law
519:Counsellor at Law
456:Elizabeth Kendall
352:(playwright) and
344:L. to. R. :
329:Counsellor at Law
284:as Lillian La Rue
185:Counsellor at Law
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82:Carl Laemmle, Jr.
65:Counsellor-at-Law
24:Counsellor at Law
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254:as Regina Gordon
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296:as Harry Becker
294:Vincent Sherman
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1130:The Heiress
1122:Thunderbolt
1026:These Three
906:Desert Dust
377:Mexico City
306:John Qualen
288:Mayo Methot
282:Thelma Todd
78:Produced by
41:Directed by
1267:1933 films
1261:Categories
1218:Funny Girl
1082:The Letter
914:Hard Fists
654:1461661250
631:0706418735
500:References
450:Box office
350:Elmer Rice
336:Production
316:Cast notes
230:disbarment
201:Elmer Rice
193:drama film
161:82 minutes
140:1933-12-11
72:Elmer Rice
55:Elmer Rice
1034:Dodsworth
962:The Storm
676:101193306
445:Reception
431:cue cards
388:Paul Muni
221:Manhattan
108:Edited by
68:1931 play
16:1933 film
1050:Dead End
798:AllMovie
672:ProQuest
362:Broadway
190:pre-Code
174:Language
88:Starring
61:Based on
1237:Related
1186:Ben-Hur
1058:Jezebel
1002:Glamour
807:at the
785:at the
761:at the
554:TCM.com
550:"Notes"
225:perjure
177:English
166:Country
138: (
1229:(1970)
1221:(1968)
1213:(1966)
1205:(1965)
1197:(1961)
1189:(1959)
1181:(1958)
1173:(1956)
1165:(1955)
1157:(1953)
1149:(1952)
1146:Carrie
1141:(1951)
1133:(1949)
1125:(1947)
1117:(1946)
1109:(1944)
1101:(1942)
1093:(1941)
1085:(1940)
1077:(1940)
1069:(1939)
1061:(1938)
1053:(1937)
1045:(1936)
1037:(1936)
1029:(1936)
1021:(1935)
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1005:(1934)
997:(1933)
989:(1933)
981:(1932)
973:(1931)
965:(1930)
957:(1930)
949:(1929)
941:(1929)
933:(1928)
925:(1928)
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901:(1927)
893:(1927)
885:(1926)
877:(1926)
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629:
398:, and
213:Jewish
144: (
866:Films
505:Notes
776:IMDb
741:ISBN
727:ISBN
650:ISBN
627:ISBN
240:Cast
207:Plot
796:at
774:at
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475:of
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70:by
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