174. TROUBLE IN PARADISE, 1932
- Jay Jacobson
- 19 hours ago
- 18 min read
Two thieves, one heiress, and a whole lot of trouble in paradise
While there are scores of classic movies everyone has heard of or seen, there are some astounding works that for one reason or another have faded into obscurity. One of those neglected treasures is the criminally delightful “Trouble in Paradise”. A Pre-Code comedy so razor-sharp in its wit and stylish in its execution, it deserves to be rediscovered and claim its rightful place among Hollywood’s greatest offerings.
Despite the fact that cinephiles regard “Trouble in Paradise” as one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made, and that it appears on several greatest films lists (48th on the BBC’s Greatest Comedies of All Time, 61st by Cahiers du Cinéma, 140th by BFI), the film remains largely forgotten. That’s a true shame, for few films are as irresistibly satisfying or impeccably crafted. So if you haven’t seen “Trouble in Paradise”, watch it, or you’ll miss a true silver-screen masterpiece.
“Trouble in Paradise” is full of the unexpected, so if you prefer to be surprised, I suggest watching it before reading on, because there’s no way to talk about its plot, characters, or direction without spoiling at least some of its unanticipated turns. That said, as always, I won’t spoil any major plot points. It you choose to stop reading, now’s the time.
“Trouble in Paradise” follows the exploits of infamous international thief, “Gaston Monescu”, who just robbed the Peace Conference and stole “practically everything except the peace”. While masquerading as nobility, he crosses paths with the stunning and equally cunning “Lily", a pickpocket also posing as high society. Their chemistry is immediate, and they instantly become partners in crime and love. Their latest mark is the wealthy and glamorous “Madame Mariette Colet”, the widowed owner of a prestigious perfume empire who is being courted by two aristocrats, “François Filiba” and a “Major” — neither of whom she loves.
Trouble starts when “Mariette’s” new diamond-studded handbag goes missing. Through a series of clever twists, “Gaston” suavely comes to the rescue and cons his way into becoming “Mariette’s" private secretary, bringing “Lily” along as his own. The two grifters devise a plot to steal from the frightfully rich “Mariette”, but as you might guess, things don’t go as planned. What ensues is an ingeniously elegant, morally subversive, cutting caper that merrily toys with love, sex, money, class, and reality versus illusion.
Besides being sparkling entertainment, “Trouble in Paradise” stands apart from all other movies due to the stamp of its producer and director, Ernst Lubitsch. Much like the film, Lubitsch is not as famous today as he deserves to be, which is a crime, seeing how he is one of the most influential and innovative directors cinema history. His artistry transformed movies, and his elegant, sophisticated comedies had a recognizable style all their own, known as The Lubitsch Touch.
Though identifiable, The Lubitsch Touch is hard to describe. One favorite definition comes from director Cameron Crowe in the 2003 Criterion Collection DVD release of “Trouble in Paradise”, who describes it as:
“THE ELEGANT JOKE, full of character, that becomes…
ANOTHER surprising joke, which becomes…
AN EVEN FUNNIER joke, which becomes…
THE ULTIMATE joke you never expected, which becomes…
THE MOVIE you can’t wait to see again!”
The Lubitsch Touch also involves cleverly indirect ways of storytelling while poking scintillatingly smart fun at sex, class, and politics, and “Trouble in Paradise” incorporates all of this — even in the title credits, which first appear as “Trouble in” over the image of a bed. Only after a pregnant pause does the word “Paradise” finally appear, adding an inferred meaning of sex, beautifully demonstrating The Lubitsch Touch.
Lubitsch always found fresh ways to tell stories, avoiding convention at all cost. The opening scene is an example: a man grabs a trash can, dumps its contents into a gondola, sings an Italian aria, and then paddles away. We then realize he's in Venice, one of the world’s most romantic cities. By opening with a garbage collector and not the magic of Venice, Lubitsch subtly introduces a key theme of the film — that underneath posh glamour, things are not always as they seem.
Another fabulously unconventional way of storytelling is the extended sequence when Lubitsch lets us hear “Mariette” and “Gaston” go from courting to romance while showing only clock faces as time passes. Later, we see but not hear “Mariette” and “Gaston” at an outdoor party through windows from inside the house. Combining sound and visuals in these ways underscores what’s important, gets our imaginations involved, and makes everything fascinating to watch. There's also the fact that this is a film about thieves, yet we never see anything being stolen. That takes great artistry to pull off.
I could go on and on pointing out Lubitsch’s magnificent expertise, but I’ll stop my gushing. Suffice it to say that his ingenuity at filmic storytelling expanded the concepts of cinema in his day, broadening the artistic possibilities of filmmaking. If you want to learn about film directing, study Lubitsch.
German-born Ernst Lubitsch began as an actor, then a writer, and then turned to directing. After several international silent film hits, he made his way to Hollywood in the early 1920s. At that time American cinema was shaped by the works of D.W. Griffith (known as the Father of Film). His pioneering editing, composition, and storytelling laid the foundation for narrative cinema and was the primary influence on American movies. But Lubitsch's continental air and sophisticated elegance swept in and reshaped cinema. He is also credited for birthing the movie operetta and the romantic comedy (with “Trouble in Paradise” often cited as the starting point). Even screwball comedies (which came about shortly after this film) can be traced to Lubitsch’s work (with amplified jokes and more overt zaniness). As French film director Jean Renoir famously said, “[Lubitsch] invented the modern Hollywood”. Lubitsch's influence on cinema and filmmakers is immeasurable and his films remain timeless. You can read more about his life and career in my previous posts on two of his later classics, “To Be or Not To Be” and “The Shop Around the Corner”. Click on the film titles to open the posts.
Lubitsch loved to elevate existing works with his own artistic vision, and “Trouble in Paradise” is case in point. When he saw a 1931 Hungarian László Aladár play about a burglar called "The Honest Finder”, he thought it was bad but it gave him an idea for a film. He enlisted the help of writer Samson Raphaelson to write the screenplay (Grover Jones also minimally worked on the script), instructing Raphaelson not to read the play but to base the lead character on a famous Romanian con man named George Manolescu. Lubitsch and Raphaelson were so precise with the script that once it was finished, Lubitsch never veered from it. This was their third collaboration, and they'd work together on a total of nine movies, including "The Merry Widow", "The Shop Around the Corner", and "Heaven Can Wait”.
Though ageless, “Trouble in Paradise” was very much of its time. It was made at the height of the Great Depression, whose influence permeates the film — be it when the Russian man criticizes “Mariette” for spending a fortune on a handbag “in times like this”, “Gaston’s” remark to “Lily” that "prosperity is just around the corner" (the infamous line President Herbert Hoover said as the US slid deeper into the Depression), or when, due to the stock market crash, "Gaston" describes himself as "nouveau poor".
“Trouble in Paradise” was also made just before the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code (which you can read about in my “Red Dust” post), when censorship was still a “suggestion”, and a large part of the Lubitsch Touch was his elegant matter-of-factness towards sex. As Charlie Chaplin said in his 1964 autobiography: “[Lubitsch] could do more to show the grace and humor of sex in a non-lustful way than any other director I’ve ever heart of”.
But everything changed for Lubitsch and Hollywood the following year with the strict enforcement of the Code on July 1, 1934. Sex was now forbidden in American films, and the plot of “Trouble in Paradise” (which included “Gaston” sleeping with both “Lily” and “Mariette” while married to neither) was now taboo. As such, “Trouble from Paradise” was never re-released, and it vanished from public view until the Code ended in 1968. That’s a large part of why the film has been forgotten until recently.
“Trouble in Paradise” is about as perfect a film as you can get, and that includes exceptional performances by its entire cast, headed by the sensational Miriam Hopkins as “Lily”, a quick-witted, bubbly pickpocket. Hopkins’ effervescent energy, mischievous attitude, and devilishly smart repartee create a cunning, deeply romantic woman who effortlessly shifts between flirtation, jealousy, and scorching banter.
Hopkins’ skill with rapid-fire dialogue is joyously showcased as she tells "Gaston" that their secret rendezvous has been discovered and by tomorrow "it’ll be Grand Canal gossip!”, before slowing down for romance and a kiss. And the way she listens and reacts to him over dinner is so rhapsodically genuine, it makes that scene one of the most deliciously humorous and satisfying ever put on film.
Hopkins also shows her depth in the standout scene happily singing gibberish while packing a suitcase. After not reaching “Gaston” on the phone, she continues packing as her singing changes mood and tempo while her doubts and fears rise and fall. It’s acting perfection. Hopkins was one of the most dynamic actresses of the Pre-Code Era and one of the top stars of the 1930s, and you'll see why when watching “Trouble in Paradise”.
Born into wealth, Savannah, Georgia-born Miriam Hopkins graduated from Syracuse University, studied dance, and while preparing to tour with a dance company, broke her ankle and turned to acting. A rebellious Southern-belle (which one can see in her screen persona), she began as a chorus girl, and during the 1920s enjoyed a steady climb on Broadway, working her way up to lead roles. In 1930, she signed with Paramount Pictures and debuted onscreen opposite Carole Lombard in "Fast and Loose”. Her break came the next year with major supporting roles in Lubitsch's 1931 musical comedy “The Smiling Lieutenant” and the horror classic "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. After some lackluster movies, she gave stellar performances in the Pre-Code films "Trouble in Paradise”, "The Story of Temple Drake”, and her third and final with Lubitsch, 1933s "Design for Living”. She was now a top star.
Sexy, vulnerable, and equally talented at comedy, drama, and farce, Hopkins remained a major star throughout the 1930s, and earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for 1935’s "Becky Sharp" (the first feature film in three-strip Technicolor). Rumors flew that she was difficult. In her early stage years, Hopkins learned scene-stealing tricks like moving when an actor spoke to draw attention to herself, or moving upstage, forcing other actors engaging with her to turn their backs to the audience, and she notoriously transferred these “skills” to movies, including “Trouble in Paradise”. According to Allan R, Ellenberger’s book “Miriam Hopkins: Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel”, when “Mariette” is having breakfast in bed and calls “Lily”, Hopkins, who was in profile in the shot, “slowly turned her chair until her full face was on camera. Francis [the actress playing “Mariette”] was furious and complained to Lubitsch; he promised to take care of the matter. For the next take, Lubitsch had Miriam’s chair nailed to the floor”.
In Ellenberger’s book, Hopkins denied her temperamental reputation, saying: “You don’t work twice with the same director if you give them trouble. Do you? Would I have been asked back by Lubitsch, by [Rouben] Mamoulian, if I were troublesome?”. Adding to Hopkins' reputation for being difficult, her arrival at Warner Brothers ignited a famous feud with the studio’s top female star, Bette Davis. The studio capitalized on their rivalry to promote their first film together, 1939’s "The Old Maid", even staging publicity photos of the two actresses wearing boxing gloves. They appeared together again in 1943's "Old Acquaintance", after which Hopkins worked in films more sporadically, turning primarily to television. Preferring the company of artists and intellectuals, she was known to host parties with writers, musicians, and painters. She appeared in 36 films and over a dozen TV shows, and you can read more about the life and career of the great Miriam Hopkins in my post on "The Heiress".
Second billed in “Trouble in Paradise” is Kay Francis as “Madame Mariette Colet”, the well-to-do, seductively alluring widow and owner of the Colet and Company perfume company. Just like the Colet and Company proclaims, “Remember, it doesn’t matter what you say. It doesn’t matter how you look. It’s how you smell”, ”Mariette” is far more captivated by life’s pleasures and indulgences than the serous details of business or money.
You might expect a woman who rejects a 3,000-lire handbag as “entirely too much” only to purchase one for 125,000 lire because “it’s beautiful”, to be shallow or unlikable. But thanks to Francis’ warmth and sensitivity, “Mariette" is wholeheartedly endearing. Not evil or out of touch (like many ultra-rich characters in Depression-Era films), she is sharper and, above all, genuinely kind (even if she can be devious to get what she wants).
Masterful at comedy, watch how skillfully Francis listens to “Gaston" and delivers breakneck banter asking him where he found her handbag, or her fake giggling with “Lily” as they vie for “Gaston”. There's also a moment when, mesmerized by “Gaston” talking about the “Major’s” letter-writing shortfalls, "Mariette” nearly comes out of a trance when he changes the subject. Her reaction lasts a fraction of a second, but it indicates how completely Francis inhabits this role. She was one of Hollywood’s biggest, most glamorous stars of the early 1930s, but like Lubitsch (and this film), is largely forgotten today.
Kay Francis was born in Oklahoma to a stage actress and an alcoholic father. Her parents divorced when she was three and she traveled with her mother as she toured in stage productions, growing up around theater, living in hotels and boarding houses. Not wanting to follow in her mother's footsteps, Francis did secretarial work, briefly modeled, and became a high-society party planner. She married a wealthy man at the age of seventeen and three years later went to Paris to divorce him, where she partied with the rich and developed a taste for fashion and a bohemian lifestyle. Tall, beautiful, and needing money, she decided to work as an actress. She hit Broadway in 1925's “Shakespeare’s Hamlet (In Modern Dress)”, and then toured the Midwest as part of a theater company before heading back to Broadway to appear in three more shows, the last of which was 1928's "Elmer the Great" starring Walter Huston. Huston suggested Paramount hire Francis to appear in his upcoming 1929 film "Gentlemen of the Press" (filmed in their New York studio), which became her film debut. The film was a success, and her next film, also shot in New York by Paramount, 1929's "The Cocoanuts" (starring the Marx Brothers), was a sensation. Realizing they might have a bankable actor on their hands, Paramount coaxed a reluctant Francis to sign with them and move to Hollywood.
Francis' first West Coast film was 1929's "Dangerous Curves" opposite Clara Bow, and she was quickly typecast as seductresses and villains, becoming known for her dark, exotic beauty, her glamor, the striking fashions she wore, and her smooth deep voice (which included a slight speech impediment pronouncing “R's" as “W’s”). She appeared in twenty plus films at Paramount through early 1932, before moving to Warner Brothers for more money and better roles. Getting the star treatment, Warners tailored scripts to her (often as suffering heroines), made sure she got better and more close-ups, and assigned Orry-Kelly as her costume designer — all of which skyrocketed her to stardom as Warners top star and a Hollywood fashion icon.
Loaned back to Paramount for “Trouble in Paradise”, Francis was upset at getting second billing (feeling it was punishment for leaving Paramount), but was the highest paid person in the cast (making $4,000 a week, as opposed to Hopkins $1,750 and Herbert Marshall’s $3,500). “Trouble in Paradise” is largely considered Francis' best film. She was the queen of Warners and their highest paid actor in both 1936 and 1937.
Capitalizing on Francis’ glamour, Warners began to care more about her stunning costumes and lavish sets than on good scripts. After threatening to sue Warners to get out of the remainder of her contract, she stayed and was demoted to low-budget B movies, and in 1938, was listed as Box-Office Poison. After 1939's "Women in the Wind", she was released from Warner Brothers. Francis appeared in fourteen more films, ending with 1946's "Wife Wanted". She returned to Broadway to replace Ruth Hussey in "State of the Union" in 1946, and continued in theater. While on tour with "State of the Union" in 1948, she passed out next to a radiator in her hotel room from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills and burned her legs. This prompted her to retire from acting and become reclusive. Francis appeared in 68 films, and others are "One Way Passage", "Stranded", "In Name Only", "The Feminine Touch", "I Found Stella Parish", "Confession", and "Jewel Robbery”. A long-time party girl, Francis was known for her love of sex and alcohol. She was briefly married and divorced three times, and as she stated in her personal diaries, had countless lovers, male and female (said to have included Maurice Chevalier, Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead, Fritz Lang, among others). Kay Francis died from cancer in 1968 at the age of 63.
The third star of “Trouble in Paradise” is Herbert Marshall who is sublime as “Gaston Monescu”, a calm, cool, and collected international thief. His performance is a masterclass in effortless charm. Pretending to be upper-crust, we get the sense that “Gaston” really believes he is, since he never drops his refined elegance. Watch how smooth and seductive (and funny) he is when asking “Mariette” for reward money:
“Gaston”: ”Do you know my first name?"
“Mariette”: “No. What is it? Tell me."
“Gaston” (in a whisper): “Gaston... (continuing in a soft, loving voice) And you know what I would like you to do with that check?"
“Mariette: ”What?"
“Gaston” (with a perfect blend of seduction and authority): "Make it out to cash.”
The comedy wonderfully rolls off Marshall’s tongue with 0% affectation and 100% believability. And the loving way he looks at both “Lily” and “Mariette” throughout the film is enough to melt anyone’s heart. Justifiably, this film turned Marshall into a major Hollywood romantic lead.
After about twenty years onstage, English-born Herbert Marshall got a relatively late start in movies, making his feature film debut when he was nearly forty in Paramount's "The Letter" in 1929. Two films later, Paramount cast him in "Secrets of a Secretary" opposite Claudette Colbert and realized Marshall had star potential. After a few British films, he returned to Hollywood and was cast as Marlene Dietrich's husband in 1932's "Blonde Venus", which made him famous. His next film was "Trouble in Paradise", and he was now one of the screen's most popular romantic leads, known for his distinguished, debonair style, velvety voice and diction. "Trouble in Paradise” was not his typical role, for he often played suffering, cuckolded types. In the 1940s, Marshall began appearing in smaller character roles, which he continued playing through the mid 1960s.
Marshall's early stage career was interrupted by his World War I military service, where a gunshot wound to his left knee led to the amputation of his leg. After over a year of hospitalization and struggles with depression and self-pity, he was determined to regain mobility, teach himself to walk with a prosthetic leg, and return to the stage. His missing leg was largely unknown to audiences during the peak of his film career, as directors cleverly minimized attention to his distinct walk. In “Trouble in Paradise” (except for shots of “Gaston” running up and down the stairs — which was a body double), he is not seen walking more than a step or two. An actor who never has a false note, Marshall had his own beautifully underplayed mix of inner strength and vulnerability, and as such, enjoyed a highly distinguished film career in over seventy movies. You can read more about the life and career of Herbert Marshall in my post on “The Fly”.
Helping make "Trouble in Paradise" a masterpiece is the fact that everyone from the bit players to the supporting actors are also fantastic, and that certainly includes Charles Ruggles as the “Major”, one of “Mariette’s” wealthy suitors. A fine actor and comedy pro, Ruggles gives the “Major” a riotous blend of self-importance and befuddlement, even when he doesn’t speak. His deadpan line deliveries, unexpected cadences, and exact timing are hysterical, such as how he tells “François” at the opera, “See now my good man. You’ve been saying ‘goodbye’ for the last half hour and staying on. I wish you’d say ‘how do you do?’, and go!”. If you want to laugh, just watch Ruggles anytime he's onscreen.
Los Angeles-born Charles Ruggles (often billed at Charlie Ruggles), was set to become a wholesale drug salesman until he was bitten by the acting bug. After appearing on the West Coast stages as early as 1905, he made it to Broadway in 1914's "Help Wanted", and remained there through the 1920s. He appeared in three silent films in 1915 and one in 1923, and signed with Paramount in 1929, which began a very successful film career with "Gentlemen of the Press". He quickly became a popular character actor, major supporting player, and sometimes star, known for expert comic portrayals of timid, upset, grimacing, jittery, rebellious type fellows with a gentlemanly flair, in as many as ten films a year through 1946 (including nearly a dozen as Mary Boland's henpecked husband), after which he left Paramount and worked at different studios.
Ruggles' filmography also includes “Ruggles of Red Gap", "Love Me Tonight", "The Parent Trap", "One Hour with You", "If I Had a Million", "Son of Flubber", "A Stolen Life”, and his best remembered role as big game hunter "Major Applegate” in "Bringing Up Baby”. Between films, Ruggles worked on radio and later on television. His most notable TV work includes starring in "The Ruggles” (which earned him an Emmy Award nomination), "The World of Mr. Sweeney” , and as the voice of "Aesop" in the "Aesop & Son" segment of the 1960s "The Bullwinkle Show" cartoon. He returned to Broadway a handful of times, winning a Tony Award for 1958’s "The Pleasure of His Company” (reprising his role in the 1961 film version). He was married three times, widowed once. His brother was silent film actor turned director Wesley Ruggles (who directed over 80 films, including 1933's "I'm No Angel"). Charles Ruggles died in 1970 at the age of 84.
Another essential performance in “Trouble in Paradise” is that by Edward Everett Horton as “François Filiba”, “Mariette’s” second bumbling and improbable suitor. Like Ruggles, Horton was known for playing nervous types to a T (especially “nervous nellies”), and he gets to shine in this film, often alongside Ruggles, as the two spend most of their screen time sparring with one another. This gives Horton ample opportunity to employ his famous double take, as when Ruggles invites him to a dinner party asking, “Have you a dinner jacket?”, or whenever he sees “Gaston”. A scene that truly shows off Horton’s acting skill is when he asks “Gaston” if he’s ever been to Venice. As “Gaston” answers, Horton’s listening and reacting are priceless, clearly showing us the wheels in “François’” head spinning as he’s being manipulated. Horton makes it look as if anyone could act that part — which is not the case. You can read more about the life and career of Edward Everett Horton in my previous posts on "Top Hat”, "Arsenic and Old Lace”, and especially “Holiday”.
The last actor I’ll mention is C. Aubrey Smith, who plays “Adolph J. Giron”, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colet and Company. A character actor with an imposing presence who personified the dignified, stiff-upper lip English gentleman, he gets to show off his comedy chops here, especially in his scene going over papers with “Gaston”. Smith’s sarcasm, laugh, and anger are all immensely funny. After becoming a top amateur cricket player, a South African gold prospector, a theater actor, and a British film actor, English-born C. Aubrey Smith came to Hollywood with 1931's "The Bachelor Father”, and instantly became a staple in Hollywood movies during the 1930s and 1940s (in countless classics). You can read more about the life and career of C. Aubrey Smith in my post on "Queen Christina", and a bit in “Bombshell”.
Mention must be made of the film's gorgeous costumes by Travis Banton. Notice how “Marietta’s" dresses instantly tell us she’s ultra-rich, and how "Lily's" (except for her first dress) exude more of her in-charge personality than wealth. It's a golden example of how costumes help inform plot and characters while being scrumptious eye candy. At this point, Banton was Paramount’s head costume designer, and he is considered by many to have been Hollywood’s greatest. He invented signature styles for many stars and designed clothes for over 250 films, including several on this blog, like "I'm No Angel", "Morocco", "My Man Godfrey”, and "Shanghai Express” (where you can read more about his life and career).
This week’s classic offers a dazzling blend of sophistication, romance, and wickedly clever humor in one of the greatest and most stylish comedies ever made. Enjoy “Trouble in Paradise”!
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