Trouble In Paradise (1932) Director: Ernst Lubistch
“You see, Francois, marriage is a beautiful mistake which two people make together.
But with you, Francois, I think it would be a mistake.”
★★★☆☆
Popularly considered Lubitsch’s greatest film and one of his personal favorites, Trouble In Paradise was honored with the moniker for the “Lubitsch Touch” –the fabled otherworldly quality of his comedy films like Ninotchka (1939) and The Love Parade (1929). Wes Anderson later credited Trouble In Paradise as a chief inspiration for his wonderful storybook, historically-imagined film The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014. Trouble In Paradise is a fun and well-crafted Ernst Lubitsch picture –a departure from the typical hero story. It presents a strange experience for the audience as we root for two thieving pickpockets, but it remains a charming tale.
The story for Trouble In Paradise is based on a 1931 play entitled The Honest Finder by the Hungarian playwright, Laszlo Aladar. It takes place in Europe, between Venice and Paris, and it tells the story of two charming thieves, who encounter one another, fall in love, and flee together in the end. They encounter Mariette, the heiress to a reputable perfume company and pose as a count and countess in order to rob her. They are nearly caught on several occasions when other individuals they have robbed appear to recognize them. In the end, they flee in a taxi together after Mariette discovers who they truly are. As a parting gift, they rob Mariette of her prized pearl necklace.
This film is rife with sexual innuendo and suggestive dialogue. In 1943, Paramount wanted to make a musical version of the film but was rejected based on the new production code enforced by Hollywood, often called the “Hays Code” as a result of Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA). The code lasted in effect beginning in 1930, though it began being rigidly enforced in 1934, and lasted until 1968, though it stopped being rigidly enforced around 1954.
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Credits
- Director: Ernst Lubitsch
- Screenplay by: Samson Raphaelson, Grover Jones (adaptation), and Ernst Lubitsch (uncredited)
- Based on: The Honest Finder (A Becsületes Megtaláló), a 1931 play by László Aladár
- Produced by: Ernst Lubitsch
- Starring:
- Miriam Hopkins…..Lily
- Kay Francis…..Madame Colet
- Herbert Marshall…..Gaston Monescu
- Charles Ruggles…..The Major (as Charlie Ruggles)
- Cinematography: Victor Milner
- Music by: W. Franke Harling (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics)
- Production Company: Paramount Pictures