Fred MacMurray, a recent newcomer to Hollywood, claimed he "didn't have the slightest clue what he was doing" in his first movie as a lead. He had been in movies for little less than a year and had just one credited part. MacMurray had the great fortune when he was assigned by Paramount Pictures to play opposite veteran movie actress Claudette Colbert in January 1935's "The Gilded Lily."
"I'll never forget how kind Claudette was," recalled MacMurray years later in his role as newspaper reporter Peter Dawes. "She was so patient with me. She worked and worked with me and got me through it. She was so positive, so kind-hearted, and so unselfish with other players."
The chemistry between the two stars was so palatable in "The Gilded Lily" that Paramount teamed the two for six more movies. Wesley Ruggles directed the romantic comedy about Peter meeting stenographer Marilyn David (Colbert) every Thursday after work eating popcorn on a nearby city bench to 'people watch.' Munching on popcorn is a reoccurring image throughout "The Gilded Lily." Former Chicago journalist Claude Binyon's script gives his characters some witty lines, especially when Peter compares eating popcorn versus peanuts to Marilyn. His defense for popcorn is that a person has to concentrate on extracting the shell from the peanut, then look to where to discard the shell. "Popcorn was made for watching the world go by," exclaims Peter. "Look. I stick my hand in the bag without taking my eyes off the street. I throw some popcorn in my craw. I chew...and I'm still looking. That's what I call class." Marilyn answered, "Sure. Peanut eaters don't know how to live."
Despite salutations from Peter he loves her, Marilyn ignores his passion when she meets an English lord in the disguise of a commoner, Charles (Ray Milland). The two link up and Peter, researching her newfound friend's background, discovers Charles is really the son of a wealthy duke. The question is can Peter's lowly career as a reporter compete with the high status of Charles to gain Marilyn's hand?
There's almost a Capraesque feel to Ruggles' work in "The Gilded Lily." The silent movie actor-turned-director, Ruggles had spearheaded movies such as Mae West's 1932 "No Man of Her Own" and Carole Lombard's 1934 "Bolero." Although Milland's Charles displays nothing but charm, Colbert's Marilyn, with her homespun personality, feels uncomfortable in the royal's environment. The rich competing with the middle class makes Peter's status an underdog, something that made Depression era audiences salivate on who will win over the vivacious stenographer.
The Kankakee, Illinois-born and Quincy, Illinois-raised MacMurray played saxophone in several bands before turning to the dramatic stage. He appeared in several Broadway plays, with his role in 1933's 'Roberta' alongside Bob Hope, drawing the attention of Paramount movie scouts, who signed him to his first contract. Actress Katherine Hepburn was so impressed by his performance in "The Gilded Lily" she asked her studio RKO to get him as a loan out for her next film, 1935's "Alice Adams." "The Gilded Lily" was also another feather in the cap of actor Ray Milland after struggling for four years in Hollywood trying to catch his big break. After returning to Tinseltown from his native United Kingdom where he found employment taking odd jobs, Milland appeared in Ruggles' "Bolero," and was offered a $175 contract with Paramount. He got his meatiest role yet playing Charles, and like MacMurray appreciated the advice Colbert gave him on and off the set. Milland felt the actress was "spiritually lovely inside," which made their scenes together easy to film and gave him a big boost of confidence to stick with movie acting as a career choice.
The chemistry between the two stars was so palatable in "The Gilded Lily" that Paramount teamed the two for six more movies. Wesley Ruggles directed the romantic comedy about Peter meeting stenographer Marilyn David (Colbert) every Thursday after work eating popcorn on a nearby city bench to 'people watch.' Munching on popcorn is a reoccurring image throughout "The Gilded Lily." Former Chicago journalist Claude Binyon's script gives his characters some witty lines, especially when Peter compares eating popcorn versus peanuts to Marilyn. His defense for popcorn is that a person has to concentrate on extracting the shell from the peanut, then look to where to discard the shell. "Popcorn was made for watching the world go by," exclaims Peter. "Look. I stick my hand in the bag without taking my eyes off the street. I throw some popcorn in my craw. I chew...and I'm still looking. That's what I call class." Marilyn answered, "Sure. Peanut eaters don't know how to live."
Despite salutations from Peter he loves her, Marilyn ignores his passion when she meets an English lord in the disguise of a commoner, Charles (Ray Milland). The two link up and Peter, researching her newfound friend's background, discovers Charles is really the son of a wealthy duke. The question is can Peter's lowly career as a reporter compete with the high status of Charles to gain Marilyn's hand?
There's almost a Capraesque feel to Ruggles' work in "The Gilded Lily." The silent movie actor-turned-director, Ruggles had spearheaded movies such as Mae West's 1932 "No Man of Her Own" and Carole Lombard's 1934 "Bolero." Although Milland's Charles displays nothing but charm, Colbert's Marilyn, with her homespun personality, feels uncomfortable in the royal's environment. The rich competing with the middle class makes Peter's status an underdog, something that made Depression era audiences salivate on who will win over the vivacious stenographer.
The Kankakee, Illinois-born and Quincy, Illinois-raised MacMurray played saxophone in several bands before turning to the dramatic stage. He appeared in several Broadway plays, with his role in 1933's 'Roberta' alongside Bob Hope, drawing the attention of Paramount movie scouts, who signed him to his first contract. Actress Katherine Hepburn was so impressed by his performance in "The Gilded Lily" she asked her studio RKO to get him as a loan out for her next film, 1935's "Alice Adams." "The Gilded Lily" was also another feather in the cap of actor Ray Milland after struggling for four years in Hollywood trying to catch his big break. After returning to Tinseltown from his native United Kingdom where he found employment taking odd jobs, Milland appeared in Ruggles' "Bolero," and was offered a $175 contract with Paramount. He got his meatiest role yet playing Charles, and like MacMurray appreciated the advice Colbert gave him on and off the set. Milland felt the actress was "spiritually lovely inside," which made their scenes together easy to film and gave him a big boost of confidence to stick with movie acting as a career choice.