Fools for Scandal

Infobox Film
name = Fools for Scandal


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director = Mervyn LeRoy
producer =
writer = Herbert Fields
Joseph Fields
narrator =
starring = Carole Lombard
Fernand Gravey
Ralph Bellamy
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released = April 16, fy|1938
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country = United States
language = English
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imdb_id = Fools for Scandal is a 1938 comedy film starring Carole Lombard, Fernand Gravey, and Ralph Bellamy. It is now best remembered today as one of Lombard's worst films and one that set her on the course for seeking dramatic roles for the next few years.

Plot

Film star Kay Winters (Lombard) is traveling through Paris under the pseudonym of Kay Summers. She meets Rene (Gravey), a Frenchman who appears to be poor. He offers to give her a tour of the real Paris. Kay, who already had plans to attend dinner with Lady Malverton (Isabel Jeans), agrees, having been charmed by the impetuous Rene. Once finished with the tour, they have dinner, and unexpectedly run into Lady Malverton and her party. Lady Malverton calls Rene over to her table, whom she had also invited to join her party, and when he returns he discovers that Kay has left him. However, she left a note asking him to lunch with her the following day. Meanwhile, Kay returns to her hotel to see Phillip Chester (Bellamy) waiting for her, the man whom is in love with her. The next day Kay is waiting by the fountain and Rene discovers that he has overslept. His friend, Dewey Gilson (Allen Jenkins), has taken too long getting Rene's suit from the pawn shop and while Rene waits, hopelessly, as Kay prepares to leave their meeting place. However, he runs down and obtains two carpets from a salesman, wrapping them around himself as a form of wealthy robe. He alerts Kay that he will be ready to have lunch in just a while, but two women, who believe that he is selling the carpets, demand to buy them. In an argument about who can buy the carpets between the women and Kay, the carpets are pulled from Rene and he runs away in his underwear. Later Rene discovers that Kay is actually a movie star. Before he can contact her, however, she leaves for London. Rene follows her. He comes to her house at a party in which Kay has ordered her guests to appear in masks of their favorite animals. Upon seeing Rene, she invites him to dinner where Lady Malverton tells him to demonstrate his skills of being a chef. After having eaten the food that Rene prepares, Kay, as a joke, offers him the job of being her cook. Rene, delighted, accepts without Kay knowing. Meanwhile Phillip begs for Kay to marry him, but she again postpones her answer. Lady Malverton has by now entered the house after not seeing Rene leave and finds him in the kitchen where he tells her that he has taken the job of being Kay's chef. Lady Malverton spreads the gossip. The following morning Kay is delivered breakfast by Rene and begs him to leave. Rene tells her he has no intention of it and to demonstrate his purpose answers the phone several times and tells everyone he is Kay's chef. Lady Malverton arrives at Kay's house with swarms of gossips and demands to know the truth. Kay tells them that she has hired him as a chef. Nonetheless, the tabloids are already running reports that Rene is Kay's "love chef." Kay, undaunted, accepts Phillip's proposal of marriage and orders an engagement dinner. Rene does his best to spoil the dinner and succeeds, with Phillip walking out of the house after a fight between he and Kay. Rene meanwhile has Kay admit that she loves him, but she tells him that she will not marry him as their social status' will earn her the laughter from everyone she knows. Rene tells her that he is a French marquis and leaves the house, angered by her silly fears. Kay follows him into an opera house where they kiss before an unexpected audience.

Cast

*Carole Lombard as Kay Winters
*Fernand Gravey as Rene
*Ralph Bellamy as Philip Chester
*Allen Jenkins as Dewey Gilson
*Isabel Jeans as Lady Paula Malverton
*Marie Wilson as Myrtle
*Martha Ralson as Jill
*Tola Nesmith as Agnes
*Heather Thatcher as Lady Potter-Porter
*Jacques Lory as Papa Joli-Coeur
*Tempie Piggott as Bessie

Production

"Fools for Scandal" was an enormous box office failure and although Lombard herself always considered "The Gay Bride" to be her worst film, many contemporary fans cite this as her worst. The flop of "Fools for Scandal" was partially attributed to Lombard's chemistry with Gravet, or lack of it. "Fools for Scandal" did feature a cameo by Lombard's beloved Pekingese Pushface and provided the third pairing for Lombard and Bellamy. Because of the utter failure, Lombard began to pursue only dramatic roles for the next few years until pairing with Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Montgomery for 1941's ""Mr. & Mrs. Smith""

External links

*tcmdb title|2896