The story in director George Cukor's "Dinner at Eight" is fairly simple. New York society couple Millicent and Oliver Jordan are hosting a dinner party to honor the richest couple in England. But, of course, everything that can possibly go wrong does, which is the source of both the film's drama and humor.
The invited guests in the 1933 film, which will screen Oct. 15 at Woodmere Art Museum, include aspiring businessman Dan Packard (Wallace Beery), his young trophy wife Kitty (Jean Harlow), destitute actor Larry Renault (John Barrymore), and once-famous stage star Carlotta Vance (Marie Dressler).
They all have their problems. Carlotta and Oliver are having financial difficulties because of the Depression. Renault's acting career is declining to the point that he is only being offered a bit part in a play, which he is too egotistical to accept. Dan and Kitty are in an unhappy marriage, constantly fighting with each other. She's having an affair behind his back. But they agree to go to the dinner together for appearance's sake. This leaves Millicent as the frustrated straight woman trying to keep order in all this emotional chaos.
While you might gather that there are elements of tragedy in the film, it never loses its sense of humor. The witty dialogue adapted from a Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber shines throughout, including perhaps one of the funniest closing lines in film history. (No spoilers!)
The cast all deliver superb performances. The Barrymores and Wallace Beery are so well known that not much description is needed, but the real scene-stealers are the three main actresses featured, so, a brief word about them.
Billie Burke, best remembered as Glinda in "The Wizard Of Oz," came from a show biz family. She appeared in plays in London at an early age, then returned to America and appeared on Broadway. She became a movie star in the late 1910s and continued to do theater between films. Her other films include "A Bill Of Divorcement" (1932) with John Barrymore, "Topper" (1937), with Cary Grant, and "Merrily We Live" (1938) features her Oscar-nominated performance. Burke's career declined by the 1950s, but of course "The Wizard Of Oz" has made her a movie immortal. She was a great comedian, and her flustered performance in "Dinner At Eight" is a delight.
Also worth noting is Jean Harlow. She started out playing bit parts in silent films, then made the transition to sound in 1930. But the studios seemed unsure about what to do with her, and it wasn't until she went to MGM in 1932 and starred in an outrageously risqué film called "Red-Headed Woman" that she became a major star. Sadly, she passed away only a few years later, of kidney failure, at 26 years old. She is perhaps a vague memory today, not as recognized and beloved as she was in her time. But her great screen presence, exceptional beauty, and wonderful comic timing continue to endear her to movie fans. "Dinner At Eight" is a fine example of Harlow at her peak.
Finally, there is Marie Dressler. She did just about everything in the show business of her time. She toured in stock companies, sang in comic opera, worked in vaudeville, made recordings and appeared in silent films. While already well-known for her stage work, it wasn't until she began making sound films in 1929 that her career reached its peak. She won an Oscar for her performance in "Min And Bill" in 1930. Though she wasn't the traditional idea of a movie star – she was well into middle age – the public loved her, and she made over a dozen talkies for MGM until her passing.
If she is remembered at all today, it is for "Dinner At Eight," her next to last film. She gets top billing in the credits, and rightfully so. She's brilliantly funny as the past-her-prime but still spry Carlotta Vance. The film is worth seeing just for her alone.
"Dinner At Eight" has had a shelf life. Though its original Broadway run was fairly brief, it has been revived twice. There was even a 1989 made-for-TV version starring Lauren Bacall as Carlotta. In 2000, the American Film Institute included it on its list of the 100 funniest movies ever made. And as recently as 2023, the Library Of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
The screening at 9201 Germantown Ave. starts at 7 p.m. Donations are encouraged.
