Fools For Scandal, 1938 (Film)

Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Music by Richard Rodgers
Produced by Mervyn Le Roy for Warner Brothers and First National
Directed by Mervyn Le Roy
Starring: Carole Lombard, Fernand Gravet and Ralph Bellamy
Screenplay by Herbert & Joseph Field, based on the paly Food for Scandal

Rene is broke and Kay is a rich actress visiting Paris. They meet, share a cab and dinner. He is smitten by her, but she leaves for London and he follows. At her house, when he cooks the dessert, the chef quits and he takes the job, unbeknownst to Kay. By the next day, the scandal is all over London about him living in her house and that upsets Philip, who wants Kay for his wife. Kay tells Rene to leave, but Rene plans to get rid of Philip.

Rene (Fernand Gravey) and Dewey (Allen Jenkins) borrow money at a pawnshop. Rene picks up Kay Winters (Carole Lombard) on the street, shows her Paris from a cab, and takes her to dinner. Both try to avoid Lady Paula Malverton (Isabel Jeans), and Kay leaves. Philip Chester (Ralph Bellamy) tells Kay they must go out to meet Paula, but she refuses. At noon Rene wakes and tells Dewey to get his suit back. Rene puts on rugs to catch Kay but loses them. Rene learns that Kay is a cinema star.

In London Kay has a party for people masked as animals, but Rene and Dewey have no mask. Rene came to return her diamond clips, but they are pawned. At dinner Philip tries to sell Rene insurance. Kay asks Rene to cook and offers him a job. Philip proposes to Kay on his knees, but she has him leave. Paula goes back in to check on Kay and Rene, spreading scandal about the love chef. Rene brings Kay her breakfast, and she complains about her reputation. During "Food for Scandal" Rene answers the phone. He begs to stay, but Kay insists he leave. Paula and several ladies come in, and Kay insults them wittily. Philip comes in, and Rene serves with a mask. Dewey tells waiting reporters to leave.

Kay comes home and tells Rene to leave, but he says she loves him. Kay asks Rene to cook dinner for her and Philip. Rene tells Dewey that Kay is trying to make him jealous, and maid Myrtle (Marie Wilson) says Kay and Philip are getting engaged. Philip brings flowers. Rene announces dinner and keeps interrupting Philip, making him angry. Philip leaves, and Rene tells Kay that they love each other. When Kay tells Rene to get out, he kisses her. Kay calls in reporters and announces she is going to marry Philip and that Rene is married to Myrtle. Dewey tells Rene that Kay won't marry Philip. Rene gets Philip to go to Kay's. Rene takes hot milk to Kay and says she will marry him. Philip knocks on her bedroom door. Kay admits she doesn't want Philip but says Rene is poor. Rene says he is a marquis and walks out. Kay follows Rene and is followed by Philip. They walk through fog, and in the dark Kay and Rene kiss as the lights go on for an opera with them on stage.

In this mildly amusing comedy persistent French sophistication far outshines an insensitive businessman even though Rene is penniless.

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Generally a misfire, despite lovely Lombard as movie star who meets impoverished nobleman Gravet in Paris; Bellamy plays the sap again.

While I Married An Angel was in rehearsal, Rodgers got a call from a friend who ran the Warner office in New York to advise him that "Fools for Scandal" would open at the Radio City Music Hall on March 24.
"Geat! " Rodgers said, ''we'll all go and make a party of it".
"Not exactly, Dick,'' said the friend. "In fact, I'm calling to ask you to promise that you won't go to see it."
It turned out that most of the score Rodgers and Hart had written for it had been discarded; what was left, apart from some rhythmic dialogue had been reduced to mere incidental music. As the Hollywood Reporter noted on March 5, the remaining songs were "all right, but one wonders why they are in the picture at all," No doubt Rodgers and Hart felt exactly the same way.

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