Dinner at Eight (1933)

HERE IS THE SCREEN'S CLIMAX OF GLAMOR AND THRILL THAT RAN OVER A YEAR ON BROADWAY! THE STAGE SMASH NOW A SENSATIONAL FILM TRIUMPH!

An ambitious New York socialite plans an extravagant dinner party as her businessman husband, Oliver, contends with financial woes, causing a lot of tension between the couple. Meanwhile, their high-society friends and associates, including the gruff Dan Packard and his sultry spouse, Kitty, contend with their own entanglements, leading to revelations at the much-anticipated dinner.

Comedy Drama adultery new york city businessman blackmail great depression based on play or musical alcoholism social satire debt extramarital affair socialite pre-code

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Character

Classical in form, meticulous, character-led and spare.

classical in formformally daring
rawmeticulous
character-ledplot-driven
sparerichly built
contemplativerelentless

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“Is Marie Dressler the best thing in Dinner at Eight?”
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barrymoston TMDB · Aug 20199/10
One of great director George Cukor's best films, Dinner at Eight is a prime example of a Pre-Code era classic, and an excellent star vehicle for the combined multifarious talents of Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Brothers Barrymore (Lionel and John), Jean Harlow, and Billie Burke, among others. Coupled with the great acting is the offbeat and alternately dramatic and humorous story line of the flighty hostess who plans an extravagant dinner party for a wealthy and highly-esteemed British couple who never do show up. The audience is introduced one by one to the various guests, as well as the host and hostess, and by the conclusion of the film, the viewer knows how and why each of them has chosen whether or not to accept the invitation, with each character's situation shown in an intimate, behind-the-scenes manner. Would I recommend? Yes, but please, don't go into this thinking you're in for a hyper, all-out screwball comedy. It's not. It's a comedy/drama leaning more toward the latter, and it's very...different. That's all.
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talisencrwon TMDB · Aug 201610/10
Excellent. Part of my TCM Jean Harlow 4-pack, and the bonus feature-length doc on Harlow's short life and career is exemplary. Highly recommended to any Pre-Code connoisseurs--and I know you're out there...
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