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MusicComedyRomance

A Damsel in Distress

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

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'.

Release Date : 1937-11-19

Language :EnglishItalian

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Fred Astaire

Character Name : Jerry Halliday

Original Name : Fred Astaire

Gender : Male

George Burns

Character Name : George

Original Name : George Burns

Gender : Male

Gracie Allen

Character Name : Gracie

Original Name : Gracie Allen

Gender : Female

Joan Fontaine

Character Name : Alyce Marshmorton

Original Name : Joan Fontaine

Gender : Female

Reginald Gardiner

Character Name : Keggs

Original Name : Reginald Gardiner

Gender : Male

Ray Noble

Character Name : Reggie

Original Name : Ray Noble

Gender : Male

Constance Collier

Character Name : Lady Caroline

Original Name : Constance Collier

Gender : Female

Montagu Love

Character Name : Lord Marshmorton

Original Name : Montagu Love

Gender : Male

Harry Watson

Character Name : Albert

Original Name : Harry Watson

Gender : Male

Jan Duggan

Character Name : Miss Ruggles

Original Name : Jan Duggan

Gender : Female

Mary Gordon

Character Name : Cook (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Gordon

Gender : Female

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-15

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...