Merrily We Go to Hell [Criterion Collection]

Director: Dorothy Arzner Dorothy Arzner

Overview

If only Merrily We Go To Hell was as interesting as its title! To escape an arranged marriage, heiress Joan Prentice (Sylvia Sidney) elopes with reporter Jerry Corbett (Fredric March). Unfortunately, Corbett is not only irresponsible, but also an abusive drunkard. To make matters worse, predatory Claire Hempstead (Adrienne Ames) has set her mind on stealing Corbett away from the hapless Joan. Finally fed up with her besotted mate, Joan walks out on him, only to discover that she's pregnant. The prospect of impending fatherhood causes Corbett to shape up and "dry out" in a hurry, but one still has doubts whether he'll be able to keep his promise never to touch another drop of liquor. Cary Grant has a tiny role as a stage actor in this unsettling blend of romance, drinking jokes, and Victorian melodrama.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/11/2021
UPC:	0715515258715
Original Release:	1932
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Language:	English
Time:	1:23:00
Sales rank:	25,796

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sylvia Sidney	Joan Prentice
Fredric March	Jerry Corbett
Esther Howard	Vi
Skeets Gallagher	Buck,Buck
Adrianne Allen	Claire Hempstead
Florence Britton	Charlcie
George Irving	Mr. Prentice
Kent Taylor	Dick Taylor
Charles Coleman	Damery
Leonard Carey	Butler
Milla Davenport	Housekeeper
Robert Greig	Baritone
Neal Dodd	Minister
Mildred Boyd	June
Cary Grant	Stage Leading Man
Adrienne Ames	Actor
Gordon Westcott	Friend
Jay Eaton	Friend
Pat Somerset	Friend
Theresa Harris	Powder Room Attendant
LeRoy Mason	Guest
Dennis O'Keefe	Usher
Tom Ricketts	Guest at Wedding
Edwin Maxwell	Jake Symonds, Agent
Bill Elliott	Dance Extra
Ernie Adams	Reporter,Reporter

Technical Credits

Dorothy Arzner

Director

Editorial Reviews

An uneven but fairly entertaining blend of comedy and domestic melodrama, Merrily We Go to Hell was perhaps more engaging to 1932 audiences than it is to modern ones. Director Dorothy Arzner makes a very game attempt to reconcile the warring styles of the screenplay, but there's only so much she can do to make the pieces fit naturally. She's also rather more successful in mining the comic aspects of the story than the drama, perhaps because the comic sections have a bit more interest to them. Arzner puts a nice little bite into these sequences, a twist here and a pinch there that help to enliven the proceedings. She tries to do the same with the melodrama, but the material doesn't respond as readily. Edwin Justus Mayer's screenplay does contain a decent amount of good dialogue, but many of the plot points will strike modern viewers as tired, while others will come across as somewhat offensive. Fortunately, Merrily has Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney on hand to essay the main roles. Both bring their appealing screen personas to the parts, and they give their parts much more depth than Mayer did. There's also the joy of a young Cary Grant in a tiny role, and a supporting cast that is diverting.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler