''Just a Gigolo'' is a 1931 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film released by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. It was directed by Jack Conway, produced by

Irving Thalberg Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 – September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was called "The Boy Wonder" for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather productio ...

and starred William Haines, Irene Purcell, C. Aubrey Smith, and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

. It was adapted from the 1930 play of the same name, which also starred Irene Purcell in the role of Roxana 'Roxy' Hartley. The film features the song " Just a Gigolo".

Plot

Lord Robert Brummell, an impecunious bachelor, is ordered by his wealthy uncle Lord George Hampton to settle down with a wife. Not wishing to tie himself down to any one girl, Brummell endeavors to prove that no woman is worthy of him by pretending to be a

gigolo A gigolo ( ) is a male escort, call boy or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship. The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifestyle consisting of a number of such relationships serially rat ...

. When he meets the beautiful, wealthy Roxana Hartley, Lord Robert becomes increasingly frustrated when she deftly resists all his techniques of seduction. But his realisation that he loves her occurs at the same time that Roxana discovers his true identity and decides to pay him back.

Cast

* William Haines as Lord Robert 'Bobby' Brummel * Irene Purcell as Roxana 'Roxy' Hartley * C. Aubrey Smith as Lord George Hampton * Charlotte Granville as Lady Jane Hartley * Lilian Bond as Lady Agatha Carrol *

as Freddie *

Yola d'Avril Yola d'Avril (8 April 1906 – 2 March 1984) was a French-American actress, who appeared in numerous productions between 1925 and 1953. She was also known as Yola Vermairion and Yola d'Avril Montiague. Biography D'Avril was born in Lille, Franc ...

as Pauline, Roxana's Maid * Gerald Fielding as Tony

References

External links

* * * 1931 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Jack Conway 1931 romantic comedy films Films produced by Irving Thalberg Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American romantic comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films with screenplays by Richard Schayer Films about gigolos English-language romantic comedy films {{1930s-romantic-comedy-film-stub