''Breakfast for Two'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall and Glenda Farrell. The film was produced and distributed by

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

, but was a commercial failure for the studio. Stanwyck and Marshall worked together once more, immediately following this film, on the

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

drama '' Always Goodbye'' (1938).Breakfast for Two
tcm.com

Plot

After drunkenly carousing on the town, idle

playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

, Jonathan Blair, wakes up to find that Texan Valentine Ransome has spent the night in his

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

. He remembers little of the night and knows little about his houseguest. Valentine is attracted to Jonathan and sets out first to reform and then to marry him, explaining to her horse-breaking uncle Sam that she intends to "slip a

bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as ...

in his mouth and make him like it". In her way is Jonathan's girlfriend, actress Carol Wallace. Jonathan is dismayed to discover that his neglected family shipping firm is in dire trouble, and that he will not be receiving his usual check, leaving him broke. Valentine decides to use this news to ignite his ambition. She buys up controlling interest in the company and moves into his home as the new tenant. When he discovers the identity of the new owner, he wrongly assumes she went out with him solely to learn what she could about the company. Furious, he tells her that he will fight to get the company back, but later, to his

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...

, Butch, he admits he is beaten, as nobody will lend him the money he needs to make the attempt. Butch, who approves of Valentine, informs her of this. She makes Jonathan

vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

, but he visits the office only to inform her that Carol has asked him to marry her, and that he has accepted. That afternoon, Valentine tries her best to disrupt the ceremony, with the help of noisy bearded window washers, presided over by an increasingly frustrated Justice of the Peace. Finally, Sam Ransome bursts in and declares that Carol is the mother of his children. The wedding is off, but one of the guests, Mr. Meggs, recognizes Sam and informs Jonathan. The next day, Jonathan outlines to the firm's

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver – a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights" – especia ...

board his bold new plan to get the company back on its financial feet. The board members vote to accept his scheme and return control of the business to him. Valentine is pleased by his display of initiative and drive ... until he tells her that the wedding with Carol is back on. In desperation, Butch produces a forged

marriage certificate A marriage certificate (colloquially marriage lines) is an official statement that two people are married. In most jurisdictions, a marriage certificate is issued by a government official only after the civil registration of the marriage. In s ...

showing that Valentine and Jonathan are husband and wife. Carol leaves in a huff. After Butch informs Valentine of the deception, she continues the masquerade, much to Jonathan's discomfort. When Butch confesses the truth to Jonathan, however, the tables are turned. She flees from her suddenly amorous "husband". However, at the train station, they make peace and get married for real.

Cast

* Barbara Stanwyck as Valentine Ransome * Herbert Marshall as Jonathan Blair * Glenda Farrell as Carol Wallace *

Eric Blore Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appe ...

as Butch, Blair's Valet * Donald Meek as Justice of the Peace * Etienne Girardot as Mr. Meggs * Frank M. Thomas as Sam Ransome * Pierre Watkin as Gordon Faraday * Harold Goodwin as Joe *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. Born into an acting family, he began a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain usually as leading men in musicals and ...

as Clarence * Bodil Rosing as Nanny *

Bobby Barber Bobby Barber (December 18, 1894 – May 24, 1976) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films. Barber is notable for his work as a foil for Abbott and Costello on and off screen. Biography Barber was born Robert S. Barbera in New York. ...

as Window Washer * Maxine Jennings as Wedding Guest

References

Bibliography

* Jewell, Richard B. ''RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born''. University of California Press, 2012. * Wilson, Victoria. ''A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940''. Simon and Schuster, 2015.

External links

*
''Breakfast for Two'' at AllMovie
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Breakfast For Two 1937 films 1937 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Alfred Santell RKO Pictures films 1930s American films English-language romantic comedy films