Hands Across the Table

Love in a jiffy ( Hands Across the Table) is a screwball comedy with Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray, directed by Mitchell Leisen.

Action

Regi Allen is a New York manicure, which is hell-bent on escape poverty and misery through marriage to a rich man. She learns at one of her jobs to the heirs of the Savoy -Carlton Hotels, Allen Macklyn know. The former sports pilot is confined to a wheelchair after an accident. Allen falls in love with the young woman, but not her confesses his love, because he is afraid of the answer. A short time later Regi makes the acquaintance of Theodore Drew III, heir of a once wealthy family who has lost all their belongings in the crash of 1929. Theodore earned his living as a gigolo and the two fortune hunters spend a boozy evening when Regi learns of the engagement of Theodore with Vivan Snowden, a rich heiress of the pineapple king Mister Snowden.

The two fall in love anyway, probably because they mutually have to delude yourself. All sorts of complications to take its course, as Ted his boat to Bermuda missed where he was to spend a hilarious weekend actually, so as not to interfere with Astrid in the preparations for the wedding. Ted and Regi are now trying everything in their power to arouse the impression that Ted was in fact in Bermuda and would be a good laugh.

The whole story lies on flies and Vivian broke off his engagement. However you want to say before Regi opinion and goes to the manicure to the Savoy -Carlton hotel. On that occasion she also makes the acquaintance of Allen, who can now walk again. After many complications Ted and Regi confess their love while Vivian and Allen also discover their feelings for each other. The film ends with Regi and Ted, the drive through the city on the bus. You toss a coin to decide whether to go first or lunch rather marry but first. The coin jumps off the bus, Regi and Ted host a wild chase and at the end the coin lands on the edge and remains vertical.

Background

Hands Across the Table was the turning point in the careers of Carole Lombard and Mitchell Leisen at Paramount Pictures. Lombard had previously been involved in every conceivable genre, without creating the breakthrough to stardom. Only the appearance opposite John Barrymore in Howard Hawks adaptation of the stage hits 20th Century showed her talent for comedy. My home studio that had received after the bankruptcy in 1933, a new studio management, among others with Ernst Lubitsch as production chief, gave Lombard trust by it for the first time gave her with Hands Across the Table a film that was tailored to their talent and personality. Your partner should first be Cary Grant, but in the end, all participants agreed on Fred MacMurray, who was a popular performer of romantic comedies since his appearance alongside Claudette Colbert in The Gilded Lily.

At the same time the film was the directorial debut of Mitchell Leisen, the Lubitsch transferred the responsibility for implementation. In contrast to most other film studios Paramount, it was possible to go from screenwriter to director, as the examples of Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges show. Leisen was honored with his star, both joined soon also a deep personal friendship. Hands Across the Table has unusually dark subjects for a comedy and presented as heroes of the story of two people who put the money on feelings and are willing to do anything to improve their economic situation.

Lombard made ​​intensive efforts to help the inexperienced MacMurray in his scenes. Leisen later recalled the shooting:

The two actors should shortly thereafter again be in A Princess for America before the camera.

Criticism

In the magazine The New Republic film critic Otis Ferguson wrote

  • Filmdienst:

Mitchell Leisen's debut film which is already discernible elegant handwriting and its lightness. An amusing comedy in the slapstick, wordplay and thought-provoking moments are balanced.

1935 in film Screenplay Norman Krasna Film score Ted Tetzlaff Screwball comedy film Twentieth Century (film) The Big Broadcast of 1938 Arise, My Love Hold Back the Dawn Take a Letter, Darling Frenchman's Creek (film) To Each His Own (film)
372598
de