The Greeks Had a Word for Them
The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932), also known as Three Broadway Girls, is a pre-Code comedy film directed by Lowell Sherman, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and released by United Artists. It stars Joan Blondell, Madge Evans, and Ina Claire and is based on the play The Greeks Had a Word for It by Zoë Akins. The studio originally wanted actress Jean Harlow for the lead after her success in Public Enemy (1931[1]), but she was under contract to Howard Hughes, and he refused to loan her out. The movie served as inspiration for films like Three Blind Mice (1938), Moon Over Miami (1941), and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Also Ladies in Love (1936) has a similar pattern and produced like "Three Blind Mice" by Darryl F. Zanuck.
The Greeks Had a Word for Them | |
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Movie still | |
Directed by | Lowell Sherman |
Produced by | Samuel Goldwyn |
Written by | Zoë Akins (play) Sidney Howard (screenplay) |
Starring | Joan Blondell Madge Evans Ina Claire |
Music by | Alfred Newman |
Cinematography | George Barnes |
Edited by | Stuart Heisler |
Production company | |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date | February 3, 1932 |
Running time | 79 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
Jean, Polaire, and Schatze are ex-showgirls who put their money together in order to rent a luxurious penthouse apartment. They are out to get wealthy boyfriends by dressing and acting like millionaires themselves. Jean shows herself to be determined and ruthless, leaving the other girls behind. The other two are more sensitive and trustworthy but only one woman will be able to find a rich husband. Which is she?
Cast
- Joan Blondell – Schatzi
- Madge Evans – Polaire
- Ina Claire – Jean Lawrence
- David Manners – Dey Emery
- Lowell Sherman – Boris Feldman
- Phillips Smalley – Justin Emery
- Sidney Bracey – The Waiter
- Ward Bond – Taxi Driver
Copyright status
The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.
See also
References
- Harlow in Hollywood. Mark A. Vieira and Darrell Rooney. Angel City Press, 2011.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Greeks Had a Word for Them. |
- The Greeks Had a Word for Them on IMDb
- The Greeks Had a Word for Them is available for free download at the Internet Archive