Last night as part of the Austin Film Society’s tribute to the comedies of Frederic March, the Alamo Drafthouse theater showed
Design for Living originally released in Dec 1933 just months before the production code began to be rigidly enforced. The story of two men living with one woman in a sometimes non-platonic way makes this one of the raciest and funniest of the pre-code films. It was based on Noel Coward’s play but screenwriter Ben Hecht and director Ernst Lubitsch changed practically all the dialogue and took out the bisexual context between the two males that was present in the play. This film was mostly forgotten for a long while b/c it was not recertified to be shown again during the production code era. That’s unfortunate b/c while it’s not one of my fave of Gary Cooper’s films, it is a funny movie and a good way to spend 90 minutes. My only real beef with this one is Miriam Hopkin’s acting style. She seems too stagey, especially next to the very natural styles of Gary Cooper and Frederic March.
There was a big turn out and the theater was nearly full. There were people of all ages ranging from teens to the old folks and everyone really enjoyed it. There was near constant snickering to full on laughter. My friend and fellow Coop addict, Theresa and I were so excited to get to see another one of his films on the big screen (High Noon being the first we saw this past February) and we behaved ourselves very well and only became giggly during one scene. Gary and Frederic are getting drunk to forget their sorrow of being left by Miriam’s character and while Gary’s talking he hiccups and it’s just so cute. Anytime Gary’s character, a tempermental painter, would pout that got big laughs too.
When Frederic’s playwright character gets a gig in London he leaves his pals in Paris and it doesn’t take long (literally it’s later that day) for Gary and Miriam’s hormones to get the better of them. While all three were together they had a gentleman’s agreement that there would be no sex.
Once the two of them are alone however, Miriam throws herself down on the sofa very suggestively and says to Gary, ‘we may have made a gentleman’s agreement, but I am no gentleman’. That’s one of my fave parts and it got big laughs.
After a while Gary becomes very successful and while he’s away doing a portrait, Frederic comes back for a visit and now he and Miriam also put aside the ‘gentleman’s agreement’. As she and Frederic are having breakfast the next morning, they are discussing how to break the news to Gary. He has a bit of a temper and is known to break furniture when he gets mad. Miriam says ‘he is a little barbaric’ and then she gets this little smile on her face as she drifts off no doubt remembering a time he has been ‘barbaric’ with her before. Frederic gives her quite a jealous glare and this also got a big laugh out of the crowd.
When Gary does return, Miriam sees that she is breaking up the long friendship between the two men and not able to choose between them, she leaves to marry Max Plunkett, her boss and friend who has been pining after her played wonderfully by Edward Everett Horton. This is where Gary and Frederic proceed to get drunk and this scene also went over big. Besides Gary’s cute hiccup, the best part is when they have run out of things to toast too and Gary suggests something but Frederic rejects it and says very calmly but drunkenly, ‘I refuse to be silly’.
Miriam and Edward’s marriage is a loveless one, much to his chagrin, but she has helped to boost his advertising business by playing the dutiful wife and good hostess at parties. Gary and Frederic decide to come to her rescue and they crash a party at their home. Frederic walks in first wearing white tie, tails and a top hat. When Gary came in after him in the same outfit, nearly every woman in the audience went ‘oooohh’. I’m pretty sure there was never anyone who looked better in formal wear than Gary.
They sneak up to Miriam’s room and hide behind her changing screen when they hear her coming. She’s had enough of playing parlor games with one of the more influential guests and soon the trio are happily reunited.
Edward comes in and the men very playfully get off the bed and hide behind the changing screen again which also got big laughs.
When Edward is unable to convince his wife to rejoin the party, Gary and Frederic go down to bust it up. We don’t see what happens in the parlor, but we can hear the commotion and when Edward goes to down to find only Gary and Frederic with mussed hair and all the guests gone, he knows they ran them all off. Miriam explains to Edward that he can tell his guests he left his wife b/c of her association with those hooligans and it will likely triple his business which makes him quite happy as he loved his business more than her anyway.
In the final scene we see Miriam, Gary and Frederic in their fancy duds pile into a cab and they decide to move back to their little run down tenement in Paris where they first lived together.
First she kisses Frederic on the lips with Gary jealously looking on until she then turns to him and does the same. Then they make another gentleman’s agreement and happily drive off into the sunset.
Everyone cheered afterwards and I heard many people making comments about how well the film was written and how great the acting was and it seems everyone had a good time. It’s really wonderful to get to see these films on the big silver screen with a crowd of people; that’s how they were meant to be enjoyed. We are very fortunate here in Austin to have two theaters that show classic films and there is always a good turnout. I’m really looking forward to Nothing Sacred with Frederic and another of my faves, Carole Lombard in a couple weeks.
“I never really thought of myself as an actor. But I’d learned to ride on my dad’s ranch and I could do some roping stunts and working as an extra was better than starving as an artist nobody wanted on the West Coast.” - Gary Cooper
Oh yeah, I am all for a Renee Adoree Day! That would be fabulous! She was one of the best! Incidentally, you did not mention THE MATING CALL, or THE TIDE OF THE EMPIRE? I assume that you have seen, or have those? Haven't you? If not, let me know? 
There are still several of her films locked away that we have not seen yet. MAN & MAID (Fox, 1923) with Lew Cody, AN EXCHANGE OF WIVES (1925) also with Eleanor Boardman, THE FLAMING FOREST (1926) with Antonio Mereno. A blockbuster film at Paramount that year called TIN GODS with Thomas Meghan, and Eileen Pringle. This ranked in the top 10 money makers of then year according to exhibitors herald. he aforementioned FORBIDDEN HOURS (MGM, 1928) with Ramon Novarro, and a few more. 
Some of these may be lost, but I think the majority still survive. THE SPIELER, and THE MICHIGAN KID have both been offered by second-tier DVD companies. I have not seen those yet. 
At long last, THE BLACK BIRD makes it's North American TCM debut next Sunday. So I will finally be able to get a copy without those bold Spanish translations. As this movie was released in January of 1926, it might very well be considered a 1925 film. To me this movie is better than several of the better known Chaney's and I am hoping it will be a part of the next Warner's Chaney DVD Collection. 
I'm sorry I didn't realize you had not seen those movies. Well, don't worry I'm sure you will be seeing them soon. 
