Laughter
Cast & Crew
H. D'abbadie D'arrast
Nancy Carroll
Fredric March
Frank Morgan
Glenn Anders
Diane Ellis
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Peggy Gibson, a former Follies beauty, forsakes her life of carefree attachments to marry C. Mortimer Gibson, an elderly but very wealthy broker. A year later, three significant events occur almost simultaneously: Ralph Le Saint, a young sculptor, still in love with Peggy, plans his suicide in a mood of bitterness; Paul Lockridge, a pianist, also in love with her, returns from Paris and offers her his companionship as a diversion from her stuffy life; and Gibson's daughter, Marjorie, returns from schooling abroad. Marjorie is paired with Ralph, and their escapades result in considerable trouble for the old gentleman, while Paul implores Peggy to go to Paris with him, declaring "You are rich--dirty rich. You are dying. You need laughter to make you clean," but she refuses. When Marjorie plans to elope with Ralph, Peggy exposes the sculptor as a fortune hunter, and dejected, he commits suicide. As a result, Peggy confesses her unhappiness to Gibson, then joins Paul and laughter in Paris.
Director
H. D'abbadie D'arrast
Cast
Nancy Carroll
Fredric March
Frank Morgan
Glenn Anders
Diane Ellis
Leonard Carey
Ollie Burgoyne
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Writing, Screenplay
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
In 1931, Laughter was remade in Spanish, French and German-language versions. For information on those versions, see entry for Lo mejor es reír. Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, Douglas Doty and Donald Odgen Stewart were nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Writing (Original Story) category.
