Smarty
Brief Synopsis
A squabbling couple can't seem to make it to the divorce court.
Cast & Crew
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Robert Florey
Director
Joan Blondell
Vickie [Wallace]
Warren William
Tony [Wallace]
Edward Everett Horton
Vernon [Thorpe]
Frank Mchugh
George
Claire Dodd
Anita
Film Details
Also Known As
Hit Me Again, Mona Lisa, Self Portrait
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
May
19,
1934
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Smarty by F. Hugh Herbert (Philadelphia, 1 Oct 1927).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Synopsis
Despite Tony Wallace's plans to celebrate his wife Vickie's birthday by taking her out to dinner and the theater, Vickie decides to spend the evening playing bridge with some friends, including her admirer, Vernon Thorpe. During the evening she and Tony quarrel and exasperated, he hits her. Vernon is outraged and encourages Vickie's decision to divorce Tony, volunteering to act as her lawyer. Realizing that Vernon is in love with her, Vickie thinks the divorce is good fun, while Tony sees it as the end of his happiness. As soon as the divorce is granted, Vickie marries Vernon. She is not ready to let go of Tony, however, and invites him to dinner. Meanwhile, she insists that Vernon grant her every whim. At her request, he leaves work to spend the afternoon with her at a dress shop, but when he disapproves of the dress she wants, thinking it is too revealing, she buys it anyway, intending to wear it at dinner to impress Tony. Bonnie, a young married woman, is pursuing Tony, so he invites her to come to dinner with him. Two other friends, George and Anita, are also invited. Tony and Bonnie arrive before Vernon, and Vickie invites Tony to her room to talk. She teases Tony until he admits that he is still in love with her. When Vernon arrives and sees that Vickie is wearing the dress he ordered her not to buy, he asks her to change. After they argue the point a while, she refuses to go to dinner at all. Their quarrel ends when Vernon slaps her, to Tony's amusement. After Tony and Bonnie leave for a nightclub, Vickie sneaks out to wait for Tony in his apartment. Her plans are somewhat thwarted when Tony brings Bonnie back with him, but when Bonnie goes into the kitchen to make some eggs, Vickie reveals her presence to Tony, telling him she has left Vernon. Meanwhile, Vernon is calling everywhere looking for his wife. When Vernon and Anita show up at Tony's, he denies that Vickie is there, but she calls them into the bedroom, where they see her wearing a bathrobe and sitting on Tony's bed. After Vernon decides to divorce her for infidelity, Tony agrees to take her back and promises to hit her if she causes him trouble in the future.
Director
Robert Florey
Director
Cast
Joan Blondell
Vickie [Wallace]
Warren William
Tony [Wallace]
Edward Everett Horton
Vernon [Thorpe]
Frank Mchugh
George
Claire Dodd
Anita
Joan Wheeler
Bonnie
Virginia Sale
Edna
Leonard Carey
Tilford
Frederick Burton
Judge
Bert Moorhouse
Clerk
Camille Rovelle
Mrs. Crosby
Sarah Edwards
Mother
Crew
Film Details
Also Known As
Hit Me Again, Mona Lisa, Self Portrait
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
May
19,
1934
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Smarty by F. Hugh Herbert (Philadelphia, 1 Oct 1927).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Articles
Smarty
A squabbling couple can't seem to make it to the divorce court.
Smarty
A squabbling couple can't seem to make it to the divorce court.
Quotes
Trivia
The play opened first in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on 1 October 1927. It was retitled "Funny Face" for its New York run off-Broadway beginning 22 November 1927.
Notes
The working titles of this film were Hit Me Again, Self-Portrait and Mona Lisa. The play was retitled Funny Face prior to its New York opening on November 22, 1927. Variety, credits Howard Bretherton as the dialogue director. Frank McDonald is credited on screen, however. News items in Hollywood Reporter indicate that Bette Davis, Ricardo Cortez and Lyle Talbot were assigned roles in the film at one time. According to modern sources, Bob Fellows was the assistant director and Genevieve Tobin was director Robert Florey's choice for the lead.
