Blu Ray Review: The Gilded Lily (1935)
Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray were a great rom-com team, and The Gilded Lily, newly released by Kino Lorber, is their first of seven films together.
She and newspaper man MacMurray are platonic friends who meet regularly, hang out, eat popcorn, and watch the world pass before them. He falls for her, but she is looking for her idea of “the perfect man.” She thinks she’s found him when meeting an Englishman (Ray Milland), but she eventually learns he is nobility and already engaged. MacMurray publicizes her as The No Girl who jilted royalty and she embraces this notoriety, becoming a showgirl with several well-publicized romances. Of course, in the end, it comes down to a choice between Milland and MacMurray.
The romantic triangle idea, with the woman interested in one man as perfect without realizing the one she already has is better, had already become cliched by the time The Gilded Lily was released. But the fun script, good direction by Wesley Ruggles, and the delightful cast makes this one stand out as especially amusing.
Claudette Colbert’s noted “punishment job” at Columbia resulted in the quintessential rom-com It Happened One Night, which netted her an Oscar. Capitalizing on that, her own studio, Paramount, shunted her into similar romantic comedies and she was always attractive and amusing. Ray Milland was born in the UK so he has no trouble playing a posh Englishman who lets his hair down and delights in roller coasters, a crowded Coney Island beach, and other amusements. Fred MacMurray is grounded with a dollop of cynicism crowding his romanticism.
As with most films of this period, the supporting cast is filled with welcome veterans. Luis Alberni, Warren Hymer, Donald Meek, Grace Bradley, C. Aubrey Smith, Ed Gargan, and Eddie Borden.
It is fascinating how director Ruggles displays the crowded atmosphere of New York City. Along with the beach, there is also a subway that looks claustrophobic. Even in scenes where dialog is traded in the foreground, there is a crowded look to the framing of the scenes. It’s a strong visual. But in the scenes where MacMurray and Colbert are hanging out and talking, it is dark, peaceful, and it appears they are the only people in the world.
Kino Lorber’s blu ray includes a commentary track by the always reliable Kat Ellinger. She talks about how this film was a real boost to the career then little-known Fred MacMurray, and gives further insight and background on Colbert, Milland, and Wesley Ruggles. She is informative and enlightening as usual.
The Gilded Lily is recommended and can be purchased at this link: GILDED LILY