THE JOY OF LIVING premiered May 6th of 1938 and was produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on a story by Dorothy (ANNIE GET YOUR GUN) & Herbert (WIZARD OF OZ) Fields a brother & sister writing team. They grew up in the business as their father was Lew Fields of Weber & Fields the vaudeville comedy team. The music is composed by Jerome Kern best known for the Astaire Rogers musical SWINGTIME, and the lyrics to the songs are also by Dorothy Fields. JOY OF LIVING is situated squarely in the screwball comedy category. A Screwball Comedy is a unique and popular combination of both the comedy and romance genre. Screwball comedies started out during the great depression with films like IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and BOMBSHELL (1933). Some of the characteristics of a screwball comedy are farcical situations, slapstick and fast-paced repartee in a plot involving courtship, marriage or re-marriage all usually starting with the "meet cute." Classic examples are MY MAN GODFREY, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, MY FAVORITE WIFE, HIS GIRL Friday and BRINGING UP BABY.
Joy of Living (1938) stars one of the best actresses of the genre, the inimitable Irene Dunne who was Oscar nominated 5 times. Honing her craft in such classics as THEODORA GOES WILD (1936) and THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937), Dunne plays a successful Broadway singer in JOY OF LIVING whose freeloading family is literally draining her of happiness as well as her money. Enter Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as the raffish young man who teaches her how to have fun again. Director Tay Garnett, best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), ran into an unexpected problem getting JOY OF LIVING off the ground—starting with the title. In compliance with the Hays Code, basically the precursor to the current film ratings system, Garnett submitted the script for approval with its original title, Joy of Loving. In a 1978 interview Dunne, said that Fairbanks had been in England and was quite an Anglophile. There was a scene where he wanted to say "fu-TILE"—and Tay Garnett said, this is an American picture, and you are going to say "fewtle" if we have to stay here all day."
For his part, Fairbanks, Jr., was effusive about his costar: in Romantic Comedy by James Harvey, he declared her "A craftswoman," saying, "'nothing is instinctive' or 'left to chance,' but 'instead of being dull and perfect,' she's 'enchanting and perfect.'"
This is the movie Fairbanks made right after PRISONER OF ZENDA. RKO stock company players that you will recognize from Astaire & Rogers films are: Eric Blore (flustered butler); Franklin Pangborn (as the put upon orchestra leader); Alice Brady (as the antique collecting mother); Guy Kibbee (as the former actor and now current alcohol loving father); Jean Dixon (know-it-all best friend and smart-aleck personal assistant) and Warren Hymer (gum chewing chauffeur who was actually a graduate of Yale University!)
There is a charming scene where Doug convinces Irene to make a record at a sidewalk store front recording studio. Recording booths were set up at amusement parks or at other tourist locations as a novelty attraction to commemorate the occasion. During WWII it was very popular to make a recording to send it as a 78rpm letter to a loved one.
The singing pianist in this scene that imitates Al Jolson was the wonderfully named B western star Fuzzy Knight, other great character actors tossed in for the fun of it include George Chandler (as a taxi driver), Spencer Charters (as the judge), Grady Sutton (as the florist), John Qualen & Dennis O'Keefe. But its Lucille Ball everybody will recognize in an early role as the sister and jealous understudy who just needs a break to become a star!
You'll see Irene notice a picture on wall Doug's four brothers, I think they are all Doug in different make-up & costumes. At the radio show scene, notice how Dunne sings the song just a little too slow, see if you can notice how the tempo just drags until she fixes it. The German restaurant owner is played by Billy Gilbert with an outrageous accent. He was the voice of Sneezy in SNOW WHITE and steals HIS GIRL Friday from Grant & Russell. I get a kick out that scene watching Fairbanks keep track of how many beers Dunne consumes by tossing a pretzel up onto a candle stick for each mug she chugs.
Finally, we are gathered here together to celebrate the 100 birthday of Douglas Fairbanks who passed away in 2000. I was lucky enough to meet this charming man in 1987 at a concert and I asked him about his career and costars. He told me to ask him when was the last time he saw the famous recluse Greta Garbo I did and he told me just two weeks earlier they had shared a couch and a conversation at a swank Manhattan party. JOY OF LIVING starts suddenly and lavishly with Irene Dunne singing "What's Good About Good Night?" on a Broadway stage in an exquisite white gown with a dozen tuxedo clad escorts before she is quickly mobbed by fans as she tries to exit the stage, the dressing room and even the theater. That is where our meet cute will happen
Joy of Living (1938) stars one of the best actresses of the genre, the inimitable Irene Dunne who was Oscar nominated 5 times. Honing her craft in such classics as THEODORA GOES WILD (1936) and THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937), Dunne plays a successful Broadway singer in JOY OF LIVING whose freeloading family is literally draining her of happiness as well as her money. Enter Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as the raffish young man who teaches her how to have fun again. Director Tay Garnett, best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), ran into an unexpected problem getting JOY OF LIVING off the ground—starting with the title. In compliance with the Hays Code, basically the precursor to the current film ratings system, Garnett submitted the script for approval with its original title, Joy of Loving. In a 1978 interview Dunne, said that Fairbanks had been in England and was quite an Anglophile. There was a scene where he wanted to say "fu-TILE"—and Tay Garnett said, this is an American picture, and you are going to say "fewtle" if we have to stay here all day."
For his part, Fairbanks, Jr., was effusive about his costar: in Romantic Comedy by James Harvey, he declared her "A craftswoman," saying, "'nothing is instinctive' or 'left to chance,' but 'instead of being dull and perfect,' she's 'enchanting and perfect.'"
This is the movie Fairbanks made right after PRISONER OF ZENDA. RKO stock company players that you will recognize from Astaire & Rogers films are: Eric Blore (flustered butler); Franklin Pangborn (as the put upon orchestra leader); Alice Brady (as the antique collecting mother); Guy Kibbee (as the former actor and now current alcohol loving father); Jean Dixon (know-it-all best friend and smart-aleck personal assistant) and Warren Hymer (gum chewing chauffeur who was actually a graduate of Yale University!)
There is a charming scene where Doug convinces Irene to make a record at a sidewalk store front recording studio. Recording booths were set up at amusement parks or at other tourist locations as a novelty attraction to commemorate the occasion. During WWII it was very popular to make a recording to send it as a 78rpm letter to a loved one.
The singing pianist in this scene that imitates Al Jolson was the wonderfully named B western star Fuzzy Knight, other great character actors tossed in for the fun of it include George Chandler (as a taxi driver), Spencer Charters (as the judge), Grady Sutton (as the florist), John Qualen & Dennis O'Keefe. But its Lucille Ball everybody will recognize in an early role as the sister and jealous understudy who just needs a break to become a star!
You'll see Irene notice a picture on wall Doug's four brothers, I think they are all Doug in different make-up & costumes. At the radio show scene, notice how Dunne sings the song just a little too slow, see if you can notice how the tempo just drags until she fixes it. The German restaurant owner is played by Billy Gilbert with an outrageous accent. He was the voice of Sneezy in SNOW WHITE and steals HIS GIRL Friday from Grant & Russell. I get a kick out that scene watching Fairbanks keep track of how many beers Dunne consumes by tossing a pretzel up onto a candle stick for each mug she chugs.
Finally, we are gathered here together to celebrate the 100 birthday of Douglas Fairbanks who passed away in 2000. I was lucky enough to meet this charming man in 1987 at a concert and I asked him about his career and costars. He told me to ask him when was the last time he saw the famous recluse Greta Garbo I did and he told me just two weeks earlier they had shared a couch and a conversation at a swank Manhattan party. JOY OF LIVING starts suddenly and lavishly with Irene Dunne singing "What's Good About Good Night?" on a Broadway stage in an exquisite white gown with a dozen tuxedo clad escorts before she is quickly mobbed by fans as she tries to exit the stage, the dressing room and even the theater. That is where our meet cute will happen