By Violet LeVoit
I Live for Love
Brief Synopsis
A socialite tries to break into show business.
Cast & Crew
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Busby Berkeley
Director
Everett Marshall
Roger [Kerry also known as Owen Jones]
Dolores Del Rio
Donna [Alvarez]
Guy Kibbee
[George] Henderson
Allen Jenkins
Mac [Jim McNamara]
Hobart Cavanaugh
Townsend
Film Details
Also Known As
Romance in a Glass House
Genre
Musical
Drama
Romance
Release Date
Sep
28,
1935
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Productions Corp.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Synopsis
Actress Donna Alvarez insists that her lover, Rico Desaro, be cast as the lead in her new show. Producer Howard Fabian is not impressed with Rico's talents so he pretends they have already signed another actor for the part. When Donna demands to see him, Fabian produces singer Roger Kerry, who hopes to audition, but having forgotten his name, Fabian dubs Roger Owen Jones, and signs him as Donna's co-star. Donna is so opposed to Roger that she makes his life miserable and he quits. Roger goes back to singing with a group of street musicians and is heard by soap manufacturer George Henderson, who hires him to sing on his radio program. Meanwhile, Donna has gotten her own way and her new show is set to open with Rico as her co-star. Henderson arranges with Fabian for Donna to perform with Roger on the radio before the show opens. When Donna learns that Roger is the man she knew as Owen Jones, she walks out. Roger decides to make amends and attends her opening night. He is late, however, and completely disrupts the audience. The play is a failure, but Roger is determined to apologize for his actions. At a nightclub, he presents Donna with flowers, and Jim McNamara, his publicist, makes sure photographers are there to record the moment. When Donna's play closes, Henderson asks her to do a series of programs with Roger. The money he offers is so good that Fabian tricks her into agreeing. Henderson and Fabian arrange for Rico to travel to South America, and as a publicity stunt, they invent a romance between Donna and Roger. In the meantime, Donna and Roger fall in love for real. When the couple decides to get married, Fabian and Henderson realize they will lose their livelihood and send for Rico to break them up. Roger wants to marry Donna and live quietly, but she loves the public attention. They have a serious fight just as Rico returns, and Donna agrees to marry Rico just to spite Roger. Roger meets Donna at the church, however, and realizing that she loves Roger, leaves Rico standing at the altar.
Director
Busby Berkeley
Director
Cast
Everett Marshall
Roger [Kerry also known as Owen Jones]
Dolores Del Rio
Donna [Alvarez]
Guy Kibbee
[George] Henderson
Allen Jenkins
Mac [Jim McNamara]
Hobart Cavanaugh
Townsend
Eddie Conrad
Street musician
Shaw And Lee
Street musician
Don Alvarado
Rico Cesaro
Mary Treen
Clementine "Rudy Vallee`s Protege"
Robert Grieg
Critic
Mike Morita
Toyo
Jane Froman
Jim Farley
Crew
Robert Andrews
Screenwriter
George Barnes
Photography
Mort Dixon
Composer
Julius J. Epstein
Screenwriter
Leo F. Forbstein
Music Director
Bryan Foy
Supervisor
Esdras Hartley
Art Director
William Mcgann
Retakes Director
Terry Morse
Editing
Orry-kelly
Gowns
Jerry Wald
Screenwriter
Allie Wrubel
Composer
Film Details
Also Known As
Romance in a Glass House
Genre
Musical
Drama
Romance
Release Date
Sep
28,
1935
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Productions Corp.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Articles
I Live for Love
1935 was not a great year for Busby Berkeley. The notoriously mercurial director was being sued for divorce (again), was deep in the throes of the heavy drinking that would bedevil him for years, and, worst of all, was the driver in a car accident where five people (including himself) were injured and two people died, putting him on trial for second degree murder. In spite of it all he managed to direct I Live for Love (1935), the story of two performers (Dolores Del Rio and Metropolitan Opera baritone Everett Marshall) and their love-hate relationship that turns to love. Del Rio and Berkeley had worked together before (most notably in Bird of Paradise (1932), where the scandal generated by her on-screen nude swim with co-star Joel McCrea almost overshadowed the dance sequences). Berkeley respected Del Rio and spared the Mexican-born star the indignity of "spicy senorita" characterizations--in this movie she's ladylike and poised, with crisp Continental elocution. Unfortunately, Marshall's overpowering baritone dominates all their scenes together. This was Del Rio's last time working with Berkeley, but she remained steadfast in her admiration, describing her "genius" director as "strong, dark, concentrated" - words that could describe herself.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
I Live for Love
1935 was not a great year for Busby Berkeley. The notoriously mercurial director was being sued for divorce (again), was deep in the throes of the heavy drinking that would bedevil him for years, and, worst of all, was the driver in a car accident where five people (including himself) were injured and two people died, putting him on trial for second degree murder. In spite of it all he managed to direct I Live for Love (1935), the story of two performers (Dolores Del Rio and Metropolitan Opera baritone Everett Marshall) and their love-hate relationship that turns to love. Del Rio and Berkeley had worked together before (most notably in Bird of Paradise (1932), where the scandal generated by her on-screen nude swim with co-star Joel McCrea almost overshadowed the dance sequences). Berkeley respected Del Rio and spared the Mexican-born star the indignity of "spicy senorita" characterizations--in this movie she's ladylike and poised, with crisp Continental elocution. Unfortunately, Marshall's overpowering baritone dominates all their scenes together. This was Del Rio's last time working with Berkeley, but she remained steadfast in her admiration, describing her "genius" director as "strong, dark, concentrated" - words that could describe herself.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film's working title was Romance in a Glass House. Daily Variety notes that William McGann directed the film's retakes. Everett Marshall, who made his second and last feature film appearance in this picture, was an operatic baritone and a popular radio performer. His first feature film was the 1930 RKO release Dixiana, which was directed by Luther Reed and starred Marshall and Bebe Daniels (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30, F2.1367).
