''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and

Helen Mack Helen Mack (born Helen McDougall; November 13, 1913 – August 13, 1986) was an American actress. She started her career as a child actress in silent films, moving to Broadway plays and touring one of the vaudeville circuits. Her greater succ ...

play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credited as Stephen Bekeffi). All of the

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

of 1934 were cast in roles in the film.

Plot

Dr. Maurice Lamar runs a highly successful business in Paris, providing cosmetic surgery and other beauty treatments to women. Old friend Max Pascal visits him to try to borrow money to finish his research, but Maurice turns him down, instead offering him a job, and later a partnership. Max declines. Maurice unveils the new Eve Caron and declares her perfect. However, her husband Marcel only wants a wife just a bit beautiful, not someone who attracts the attention of every man, so he divorces her. Maurice then marries her himself. They go to a beauty convention on the Riviera on their honeymoon, accompanied by Maurice's naturally pretty secretary Annie, who secretly yearns for him. However, Eve is so careful about guarding her beauty that all the restrictions she imposes on herself irritate her new husband. Eve takes so long getting ready that they miss the banquet in his honor. While swimming, Annie meets an appreciative Marcel Caron. They go on a date, and Annie admires Marcel's curly hair. When Marcel later runs into Maurice at a nightclub, he is delighted when he correctly guesses what Eve has put Maurice through, as he had to put up with the same behavior himself. The honeymoon night turns out to be a disaster. First, Eve complains that she has run out of "cleansing cream" and insists that Annie bring her some more. After Annie brings some, the secretary becomes upset and quits, and Maurice cannot understand why. When Maurice sees Eve ready for bed, with cleansing cream on her face and wearing a hairnet and gloves, he gets himself first another room, then a divorce. Maurice returns to Paris, only to find his business in shambles without Annie to manage things. He decides to quit cosmetics and conduct research with Max. Annie shows up and informs Maurice that she is going to marry Marcel. Maurice then realizes that he loves Annie. He chases after the couple in a taxi. They both crash. Annie then discovers to her horror that Marcel's curly hair is a toupee. After giving Maurice's hair a good tug, she tells him she loves him.

Cast

as Dr. Maurice Lamar * Genevieve Tobin as Eve Caron *

as Annie *

Edward Everett Horton Edward Everett Horton Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. Early life Horton was born in Kings County ...

as Marcel Caron *

Lucien Littlefield Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men befor ...

as Max Pascal *

Mona Maris Mona Maris (born Mona Maria Emita Capdeville or Maria Rosa Amita Capdeville, November 7, 1903 – March 23, 1991) was an Argentine film actress. Early life Mona Maris was born Mona Maria Emita Capdeville. Some sources spell her last name as C ...

as Countess Rita *

Rafael Alcayde Rafael Alcayde (19 October 1906 – 27 August 1993) was a Mexican film actor.Ruétalo & Tierney p.306 Selected filmography * ''Kiss and Make-Up'' (1934) * '' I Am a Fugitive'' (1946) * '' Cantaclaro'' (1946) * '' The Associate'' (1946) * ''Th ...

as Rolando (credited as Rafael Storm) *

Toby Wing Toby Wing (born Martha Virginia Wing, July 14, 1915 – March 22, 2001), "Toby" being an old family nickname, was an American actress and showgirl, once called "the most beautiful chorus girl in Hollywood". Early years Wing was born in Am ...

as Consuelo Claghorne *Dorothy Christie as Greta Listed in the opening credits are "The WAMPUS Baby Stars of 1934": * Judith Arlen *Betty Bryson * Jean Carmen * Helen Cohan (credited as Helene Cohan) *Dorothy Drake * Jean Gale *Hazel Hayes * Ann Hovey *

Lucille Lund Lucille may refer to: People People with the given name "Lucille": * Lucille Bailie (born 1969), Australian basketball player * Lucille Ball (1911–1989), American actress best known for the television series ''I Love Lucy'' * Lucille Berrien (b ...

* Lu Ann Meredith (as Lu-Anne Meredith) *

Gigi Parrish Gigi Parrish (born Katherine Gertrude McElroy; August 30, 1912 – February 8, 2006) was an American film actress who had a short career beginning in 1933, appearing only in nine films before retiring in 1937. Early life She was born in Cambri ...

(as Gi-Gi Parrish) * Jacqueline Wells *Katherine Williams

Reception

Andre Sennwald Andre David Sennwald (August 4, 1907 — Jan 12, 1936) was a motion picture critic for ''The New York Times''. Life After graduating from Columbia University School of Journalism, Sennwald was hired as a reporter for ''The New York Times'' in 193 ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' labelled the film a "first-class lingerie bazaar and a third-class entertainment, though he thought that Grant had brought much liveliness to the part.

Winthrop Sargent Winthrop Sargent (May 1, 1753 – June 3, 1820) was a United States patriot, politician, and writer; and a member of the Federalist party. Early life Sargent was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts on May 1, 1753. He was one of eight childre ...

of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' thought that Grant performed well as the doctor, but was of the opinion that he and Horton overplayed their parts "too strongly for laughs".

Pauline Kael Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...

later praised Grant's performance and thought that he had used his skills developed in vaudeville to good use in the film, displaying a "sense of fun" with "confident, full-hearted exhibitionism".

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* * *{{Amg movie, 97849 1934 films 1934 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American romantic comedy films Films produced by B. P. Schulberg Films set in Paris Films set on the French Riviera Works about plastic surgery 1930s American films