The Gilded Lily

Marilyn (Claudette Colbert) meets a nice guy, Charles Gray (Ray Milland) and they fall for each other. What she doesn't know is that this rich member of the British royalty already is engaged...and when he pops the question to her, she rejects him. Her friend, Peter (Fred MacMurray), is a newspaper man and helps her exploit the situation...creating a lounge act for her and billing her as 'The NO Girl'. While she has no singing ability, he insists that this won't be a problem! And, oddly, she becomes quite the sensation.

When she takes her show on the road to the UK, a potential problem arises....Charles. When they meet again, they pick up where they left off...and Pete feels left out...which would seem to indicate he wants her to be more than just his business partner. What's next? See the film...and see who she picks.

Considering the actors, it's not surprising that the movie works quite well. Charming and well worth seeing.

Just what I wanted from a film-- to feel good, smile, and applaud at the end. Colbert was fantastic.

Entertaining romantic comedy starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray as a pair who have a "date" each Thursday meeting on a city bench to eat popcorn together, sans shoes. He seems to be in love with her, but she longs to meet her dream man for her idea of an ideal romance. And she does - in the form of handsome Ray Milland, who assists her in a crowd situation on the subway. They have a fun date together at Coney Island where the camera takes us on a wild ride on the roller coaster with them; they fall in love instantly. She thinks he's out of a job - he doesn't tell her he is a Lord (and has a fiancée back home in England!). But when she sees his picture in the paper (coincidentally attached to a story done by MacMurray, a reporter) she believes she's been duped. Follows a series of publicity newspaper stories, out of her control, which causes her to become famous as "The No Girl" for saying "no" to a lord. Then he thinks she was just in the whole relationship with him for the publicity. Well, based on her huge public fame, she is amazingly hired to sing and dance in her own solo nightclub act - even though, as seen in a quite amusing performance scene, she has zero talent!

This is a fun, enjoyable romp - a little frustrating in the way of many romantic comedies in which you feel like you know a couple should be together, but misunderstandings have caused them to remain apart. The ending of this was not particularly what I hoped to see either. But - Claudette Colbert sparkles as always, she's great. Fred MacMurray also does a fine job in his part, Ray Milland looks very young, handsome and, well, rather dashing! One thing I wondered about in this film - why are the Colbert and MacMurray characters so satisfied with just a date on a bench once a week, how come they never desire to get together for a dinner out, go to a movie, or any other normal type activity?! Seemed a bit odd to me. All in all, a quite enjoyable film.

... as well as his first collaboration with Claudette Colbert. MacMurray plays reporter Peter Dawes who has been thoroughly "friend-zoned" by Marilyn David (Colbert) a stenographer. Every Thursday night, the two friends meet on a secluded bench in Manhattan. They eat popcorn, tell each other about their life, and "watch the world go by." It's obvious that Peter has a crush on Marilyn, but she's set on his being her good friend.

Later, she meets Charles Gray (Ray Milland), a young man with whom Marilyn is instantly smitten. One day, Charles announces that he is going to England for business and will return. Marilyn is sad, but understanding. Later, Peter learns that Charles was hiding a secret and he's actually part of the British aristocracy. He and his father (C Aubrey Smith) were traveling in New York City incognito. Marilyn also learns that Charles was actually engaged, when she was led to believe that they would be married. Marilyn ends up giving Charles the heave ho.

All while this is going on, Peter is in the background looking out for his friend, Marilyn. He learns about Charles' deception and later does not care for how he treats his friend. Peter uses his position at the newspaper to plant some stories about Marilyn, whom he nicknames the "No Girl," and how she dumped Charles. The publicity blows up and turns Marilyn into an overnight celebrity. Her celebrity grows to the point that she's even headlining a nightclub act even though she cannot sing or dance.

This was a really sweet movie. I loved the rapport between Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert's characters. I didn't expect the twist with Milland's character and I always love to be surprised by a movie. The ending of the film came as no surprise, but it honestly was the only ending this film could have. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a sweet romantic comedy.

Claudette Colbert is Marilyn, "The Gilded Lily" in this 1935 film also starring Ray Milland and Fred MacMurray. Colbert plays a young woman who hangs out with a reporter friend, Peter, (MacMurray) as she waits to be swept off her feet. Enter Milland as Charles, a duke visiting the U.S. incognito. They fall in love, and he decides that he wants to marry her instead of his fiancée back in England. His father (C. Aubrey Smith) talks him into breaking up with the fiancé the honorable way: return to England, see her face to face, and then return to the states. Peter, who has no idea that Charles is Marilyn's dream man, gets wind of the royalty and blows their identity in the paper. Marilyn thinks Charles lied to her about his feelings and is simply returning to England to get married. When Peter realizes Marilyn fell for Charles, his paper does a scandal sheet-type job on Marilyn. Before she knows it, she's the '30s version of a Tiger Woods' girlfriend and launched into a singing career.

It's all very odd -- MacMurray acts like a total jerk, and Charles apparently assumes she's been sleeping with Peter and invites her for a weekend at an inn when she's in England doing her act. She really should have dumped both of them, but she chooses one instead.

Colbert is very beautiful, and this was a breakthrough role for MacMurray. Milland is very charming - he came up through the ranks slowly and can be seen uncredited in "The Man who Played God" in 1931.

Dated but pleasant, basically thanks to Colbert.