The Big Pond

Infobox Film
name = The Big Pond


image_size = 215px
caption = theatrical poster
director = Hobart Henley
producer = Monta Bell
writer = Play:
George Middleton
A.E. Thomas
Scenario:
Garrett Fort
Robert Presnell Sr.
Dialogue:
Preston Sturges
starring = Maurice Chevalier
Claudette Colbert
music = Irving Kahal
Al Sherman
Lew Brown
Ray Henderson
Sammy Fain
Al Lewis
B. G. DeSylva
Pierre Norman
cinematography = George J. Folsey
editing = Emma Hill
distributor = Paramount
released = 3 May fy|1930
runtime = 78 minutes
country = FilmUS
language = English
budget =
gross =
imdb_id = 0020690

"The Big Pond" is a fy|1930 romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. [ibdb title|10659|The Big Pond] The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialogue in his first Hollywood assignment, and was directed by Hobart Henley. It stars Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert, and features George Barbier, Marion Ballou and Andrée Corday. It was released by Paramount Pictures.

"The Big Pond" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Maurice Chevalier, and also provided Chevalier with his first American hit song "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" written by Al Sherman and Al Lewis. [ Sherman, Robert B. "", Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.]

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Plot

Pierre Mirande (Maurice Chevalier), is a Venetian tour guide from a poor French family who falls in love with Barbara Billings Claudette Colbert, a wealthy American tourist whose father (George Barbier). Although Barbara loves Pierre as well, her suitor, Ronnie (Frank Lyon) and her father see him as a fortune-hunter. Barbara's mother (Marion Ballou) persaudes her husband to give Pierre a job in his chewing-gum factory in the States. Despite living in a dingy boardinghouse and being given the hardest job in the plant, he manages to captivate his landlady (Andrée Corday) and the maid (Elaine Koch) with his humorous songs. Unfortuately, he falls asleep on the night he is to attend Barbara's party, and is then fired when he is wrongly accused of spilling rum on some chewing gum samples. He wins back his job, and is promoted as well, when he sells liquor-coated chewing gum as a sales gimmick. Barbara diaapproves, and plans to marry Ronnie, but Pierre wisks her away in a speedboat. [Erickson, Hal [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:85027 Plot synopsis (Allmovie)] ] [TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=68700&category=Full%20Synopsis Full synopsis] ]

Cast

*Maurice Chevalier as Pierre Mirande
*Claudette Colbert as Barbara Billings
*George Barbier as Mr. Billings
*Marion Ballou as Mrs. Billings
*Andrée Corday as Toinette
*Frank Lyon as Ronnie
*Nat Pendleton as Pat O'Day
*Elaine Koch as Jennie

ongs

*"Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" by Al Sherman and Al Lewis
*"This Is My Lucky Day" by Lew Brown, B. G. DeSylva and Ray Henderson
*"Mia Cara" and "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" by Irving Kahal, Pierre Norman and Sammy Fain [TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=68700&category=Music Music] ]

Production

"The Big Pond" and its French language version "La grande mare" were shot simultaneously at the Paramount Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens, New York City. [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020690/locations Filming locations] ] TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=68700&category=Notes Notes] ] Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Andrée Corday and Nat Pendelton played the same roles in both versions.

Awards

Maurice Chevalier was nominated for a fy|1930 Academy Award for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" for his performance in "The Big Pond" as well as his performance in "The Love Parade" (fy|1929).

French version

The French language version of "The Big Pond", which was filmed simultaneously with the English version, was called "La grande mare". The cast was:

*Maurice Chevalier as "Pierre Mirande"
*Claudette Colbert as "Barbara Billings"
*Henry Mortimer as "Mr. Billings"
*Maude Allen as "Mrs. Billings"
*Andrée Corday as "Toinette"
*William B. Williams as "Ronnie"
*Nat Pendleton as "Pat O'Day"
*Loraine Jaillet as "Jennie"

Writer Preston Sturges was fluent in French, but additional dialogue was provided by Jacques Bataille-Henri. The technical credits for the two versions are the same, except the editing for the French version was done by Barney Rogan.imdb title|0020935|La Grande Mare]

Notes

External links

*imdb title|id=0020690|title=The Big Pond
*imdb title|id=0020935|title=La grande mare
*tcmdb title|id=68700|title=The Big Pond
*tcmdb title|id=561611|title=La grande mare
*amg title|id=1:85027|title=The Big Pond
*amg title|id=1:85027|title=La grande mare