''The Gay Deception'' is a 1935

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 starring Francis Lederer and

Frances Dee Frances Marion Dee (November 26, 1909 – March 6, 2004) was an American actress. Her first film was the musical ''Playboy of Paris'' (1930). She starred in the film ''An American Tragedy (film), An American Tragedy'' (1931). She is also known ...

. Writers

Stephen Morehouse Avery Stephen Morehouse Avery (December 20, 1893 – February 10, 1948) was an American screenwriter. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Story for the film ''The Gay Deception''. Avery died on February 10, 1948, at the age of ...

and

Don Hartman Samuel Donald Hartman (18 November 1900 – 23 March 1958) was an American screenwriter and director and former production head of Paramount Pictures. He and Stephen Morehouse Avery were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story for ''The Ga ...

were nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Story The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1956. This award can be a source of confusion for modern audiences, given its co-existence with the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenpl ...

Plot

Secretary Mirabel Miller wins a lottery and decides to live it up in The Waldorf-Plaza, a luxurious New York hotel, where she clashes with a bellboy who is more than he appears to be.

Cast

* Francis Lederer as Sandro (Prince Alessandro) *

as Mirabel Miller *

Benita Hume Benita Hume (14 October 1907 – 1 November 1967) was an English theatre and film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films from 1925 to 1955. Life and career She was married to film actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; t ...

as Miss Cordelia Channing *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

as Lord Clewe * Lennox Pawle as Consul-General Semanek * Adele St. Mauer as Lucille (as Adele St. Maur) *

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

as Spellek *

Luis Alberni Luis Alberni (October 4, 1886 – December 23, 1962) was a Spanish-born American character actor of stage and films. Early years Alberni was born in Barcelona, Spain, on October 4, 1886. He acted in stock theater for four years in Marseille ...

as Ernest *

Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor, activist, and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He had an extensive career in theatre, film, radio, and television that spanned nearly 70 years, ...

as Gettel *

Ferdinand Gottschalk Ferdinand Gottschalk (28 February 1858 – 10 November 1944) was an English theatre and film actor. He appeared in 76 films between 1917 and 1938. He was born and died in London, England. He made his first appearance on the stage in Toronto ...

as Mr. Squires * Richard Carle as Mr. Spitzer * Lenita Lane as Peg DeForrest * Barbara Fritchie as Joan Dennison * Paul Hurst as Bell Captain *

Robert Greig Robert Greig (December 27, 1879 – June 27, 1958) was an Australian-American actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1930 and 1949, usually as the dutiful butler. Born Arthur Alfred Bede Greig, he was the nephew of Australian pol ...

as Adolph

Reception

'' Variety'' said, "William Wyler directed and is a happy selection for this type of story and cast. Casting has been done with a keen sense of appreciation for humor."

Home media

The film was released on DVD on April 7, 2014.

References

External links

* * * 1935 films American black-and-white films Films directed by William Wyler 1935 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films 20th Century Fox films Fox Film films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Silent romantic comedy films English-language romantic comedy films {{1930s-romantic-comedy-film-stub