Back home

A Damsel in Distress

37 votes

Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on 'Mr. X'. After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to 'protect his investment'.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1937-11-19

Runtime: 101 mins

Director: George Stevens

Spoken language: English, Italiano

Genres: Music, Comedy, Romance

Original title: A Damsel in Distress

Production Companies: RKO Radio Pictures

Production Countries: United States of America

Cast

Fred Astaire

George Burns

Gracie Allen

Joan Fontaine

Reginald Gardiner

Ray Noble

Constance Collier

Montagu Love

Harry Watson

Jan Duggan

Mary Gordon

Reviews

Geronimo1967

There is something oddly static about this self adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's comedy romance. Joan Fontaine is "Lady Alyce" an heiress who casually meets visiting dancer/composer Fred Astaire ("Jerry") on a trip to London. Their romance is soon smouldering (well, as much as anything actually smouldered in 1937), much to the chagrin of her well-to-do family at their ancestral "Tottney Castle". Aided and abetted by George Burns, his press man ("George") and Gracie Allen ("Gracie"), his secretary - who offer an efficient if not terrific foil for the slightly obvious gags - he persists in pursuing his love. The dancing, almost all of which is performed en seul by Astaire - illustrates well his skill and the quality of the Gershwin's score, but somehow his solo performances just don't really engage. It's not just that there isn't a Ginger Rogers, it's that there is anyone at all. The briefest of scenes with Fontaine offer a taste of what we might have had (granted, she is not so adept as his more famous partner), but instead this is essentially a solo effort that, for me, demonstrated certain limitations with Astaire's acting prowess. It's an enjoyable film to watch, and there's no denying "Put Me to the Test" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It" get toes a-tapping, but the dance ensembles scenes are more reminiscent of a choir practice, and the whole thing just lacks pizzazz...

2022-06-20

Recommendations

3.7

Dirty Dancing

1987-08-21

Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old F

3.7

Match Point

2005-10-26

Chris, a former tennis pro, takes a job as an instructor and befriends his wealthy young student, To

3.5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2005-07-13

A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the worl

The Drive to Sing

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced musical activities to shut down in March 2020, singers searched fo

3.6

Dracula

1931-02-12

A British estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interest

3.9

Wings of Desire

1987-09-23

Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling populati

2.8

The Nan Movie

2022-03-18

Catherine Tate's iconic character Nan hits the big screen as she goes on a wild road trip from Londo

3.6

Hassan and Nayima

1959-04-01

A love story similar to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet taking place in the Egyptian Countryside.

Mango Sticky Rice

2016-01-01

Katie is a dog loving foodie who is very content with her single life. Soon, she finds herself being

3.5

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

2018-07-18

Five years after meeting her three fathers, Sophie Sheridan prepares to open her mother’s hotel. In

Itt élned, halnod kell

2017-12-15

Samba em Berlim

1943-02-22

Weder-weder lang 'yan

1999-11-24

Arrogant Don Emilio is a rich man who have maids, a private nurse Nikki, and later a sexy, personal

The Tale of Three Girls

1968-01-01

Three women each have their own ambitions and aspirations. The first dreams of fame and fortune and

Sheik to Sheik

1936-10-10

A radio salesman gets knocked out by a golf ball and dreams he's in the desert where he sells radios

The Three Liars

1970-01-26

The story of three liars: Zaghloul the lorry driver who is mistaken by a gang as their own driver, M

Around the World with Nellie Bly

1960-01-03

Made-for-TV musical inspired by the real-life travels of a celebrated 1800s female newspaper columni

3.2

Fremont

2023-08-25

Donya, a lonely Afghan refugee and former translator, spends her twenties drifting through a meager

The Libertine

2004-09-16

The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and d

Heute hau'n wir auf die Pauke

1972-12-26

Jack White throws a big party at which many of the artists he has produced perform. He has had an ev