Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: George Cukor

Starring: An all-star cast

From: MGM

I needed more variety this October. Thus, a visit to the Criterion Channel and their current section on women writers of ‘30’s films (Frances Marion for Dinner at Eight) was in order. For literally years, I’ve put off giving this film a shot despite knowing it was a highly-regarded MGM picture w/ an all-star cast. After finally pulling the trigger, it was a delightful motion picture.

Admittedly, its stage origins are obvious. There are plenty of LONG scenes featuring two or three characters talking to each other. It was mostly irrelevant to my enjoyment. Billie Burke is going to hold a big dinner party where the guests of honor are “the richest couple in England” visiting NYC and the other guests are distinguished types. The film is not flaunting the lives of the rich & famous. Rather, they are presented as experiencing plenty of difficulties during the Great Depression. Afterall, Burke’s husband Lionel Barrymore is a shipping magnate but his company’s in dire straits. Furthermore, there’s the likes of affairs, squabbles and washed-up actor John Barrymore that the viewer experiences even before the day of the titular dinner.

What a cast. Among others, there’s also Wallace Beery and Jean Harlow as a rather “earthy” couple, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, Jean Hersholt… but a highlight was finally getting to view stage/silent star Marie Dressler in one of her last roles. She was delightful as a haughty stage & screen star. It was a comedic drama which has at least one shocking dark moment but also delivers a nice amount of chuckles and laughs.

The ending felt abrupt at first, then on contemplation the conclusion made more sense for the overall plot and all the subplots. It was still an entertaining yarn which juggled the panoply of characters rather well. It does conclude w/ an amazing dialogue exchange between Harlow and Dressler that I dare not spoil. Starting in November I might view more Pre-Code than I have the preceding few months.