A Damsel in Distress (1937) on Netflix
Passed19371h 41mComedyMusicRomance
Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry, and the castle staff bet on the groom. Albert wagers on a mystery man he calls Mr. X. In London, Alyce meets entertainer Jerry Halliday.
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- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb6.8/102,641 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes71%
Plot summary
At the castle where Lady Alyce Marshmorton lives, the servants wager on whom she will marry. Every likely candidate is already claimed, so Albert, a young footman, stakes his money on a mystery man he calls Mr. X. Alyce harbors a secret attachment to an American her family has never met, and she slips away to London, where she encounters Jerry Halliday, an American entertainer traveling with press agent George and Gracie, George's secretary. Albert urges Jerry, who has been led to think he is the American Alyce loves, to visit the castle. Keggs, the butler, who has money on another suitor, tries to discourage him.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about A Damsel in Distress (1937)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Joan Fontaine could not dance, and director George Stevens had to persuade Fred Astaire not to replace her with Ruby Keeler in the film.
- A Damsel in Distress was the first of Fred Astaire's RKO films not to feature Ginger Rogers, and his new leading lady was 19-year-old Joan Fontaine.
- Charley Chase was originally set to play Jerry's valet but withdrew because of poor health, and his part was rewritten for Burns and Allen.
- The film was the first Fred Astaire picture to fail to return a profit, costing $1,035,000 to produce and losing $65,000.
