One Rainy Afternoon

One Rainy Afternoon (Matinee Scandal)
DVD cover
Directed by	Rowland V. Lee
Produced by	Jesse L. Lasky Mary Pickford
Written by	Screen story: Emeric Pressburger René Pujol Screenplay: Stephen Morehouse Avery Add'l Dialogue: Maurice Hanline
Starring	Francis Lederer Ida Lupino
Music by	Ralph Erwin (music) Preston Sturges (lyrics) Jack Stern (lyrics)
Cinematography	Merritt B. Gerstad J. Peverell Marley
Editing by	Margaret Clancey
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	13 May 1936 January 1948 (re-release)
Running time	94 min. 80 min. (dvd)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$511,383 (est)
Gross revenue	$603,903 (world)

One Rainy Afternoon is a 1936 romantic comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino and featuring Hugh Herbert, Roland Young and Erik Rhodes. It was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, with additional dialogue by Maurice Hanline, from the screenplay for the 1935 French film Monsieur Sans-Gêne by Emeric Pressburger and René Pujol, which was based on the story "The Satyr" by Pressburger.^[1][2] The film was reissued in 1948 under the title Matinee Scandal.

Plot

On a rainy afternoon in Paris, debonair actor Phillipe Martin (Francis Lederer) goes to a darkened movie theatre for a romantic assignation with his married mistress, Yvonne (Liev De Maigret), but sits in the wrong sit and kisses instead lovely Monique Pelerin (Ida Lupino), the daughter of a powerful publisher (Joseph Cawthorn). Monique, who is engaged to powerful Count Alfredo Donstelli (Erik Rhodes), makes a public accusation against Phillip, and the priggish head of the Purity League (Eily Malyon) exploits the incident until it becomes a national scandal, with Phillipe dubbed "The Kissing Monster." When Phillipe is tried, his defense is that he was overcome by Monique's beauty, and that it is a Frenchman's nature to be romantic, even to perfect strangers. His punishment is to spend just three days in jail, but when he is released, he discovers that Monique has paid his fine, supposedly to avoid more publicity, but actually because she is secretly attracted to him. In the meantime, the tabloids have made Phillipe into a national hero, and instead of his producer, Maillot (Roland Young), firing the actor, he gets a raise. His new show will have him re-enact the kissing incident, but on the day of the opening Monique's father has him arrested, only be released when Yvonne, who turns out to be the wife of the Minister of Justice, convinces him to allow Phillipe to do his performance. At the show, Phillipes finds that Monique has taken the place of the actress he was to re-enact the kiss with.^[3][4][5]

Cast

• Francis Lederer as Philippe Martin
• Ida Lupino as Monique Pelerin
• Hugh Herbert as Toto
• Roland Young as Maillot
• Erik Rhodes as Count Alfredo Donstelli
• Joseph Cawthorn as Monsieur Pelerin
• Liev De Maigret as Yvonne
• Donald Meek as Judge
• Georgia Caine as Cecile
• Murray Kinnell as Theatre Manager..
• Mischa Auer as Leading Man
• Richard Carle as Minister of Justice
• Phyllis Barry as Felice (Maillot's secretary)
• Lois January as Mr Perelin's Secretary
• Eily Malyon as President of Purity League

Cast notes:

• Ida Lupino would go on to become one of the few female directors in Hollywood in the last 1940s and 1950s.
• "Toto" is the name of the character played by Hugh Herbert, and is also the name given to the character played by Sig Arno in the Preston Sturges film The Palm Beach Story (1942). Sturges participated in this film as well: he wrote the lyrics to the song "Secret Rendezvous" for it.

Songs

• "One Rainy Afternoon" - by Ralph Erwin (music) and Jack Stern (lyrics)
• "Secret Rendezvous" - by Ralph Erwin (music) and Preston Sturges (lyrics)^[6]

Production

One Rainy Afternoon was the first of a small number of United Artists sound films which were produced by its vice-president, Mary Pickford,^[4], and the first film for Pickford-Lasky Productions. This film also marked Francis Lederer's first starring role for the studio.^[1]

United Artists ran an advertisement in the Hollywood Reporter with "thank-you's" to executives from other studios who allowed their stars to appear in One Rainy Afternoon. The ad states: "We are returning these artists to you with increased box office value."^[1]

The film began production in early January 1936.^[7] It was released on 13 May of that year, and re-released in January 1948.^[8]. The film was made for an estimated $511,383, and grossed $603,903 worldwide.^[9]

References

External links

• One Rainy Afternoon at the Internet Movie Database
• One Rainy Afternoon at the TCM Movie Database
• One Rainy Afternoon at Allmovie