Dinner at Eight (1933)
An ambitious New York socialite plans an extravagant dinner party as her businessman husband, Oliver, contends with financial woes, causing a lot of tension between the couple. Meanwhile, their high-society friends and associates, including the gruff Dan Packard and his sultry spouse, Kitty, contend with their own entanglements, leading to revelations at the much-anticipated dinner.
- George Cukor
- Joseph M. Newman
- Cullen Tate
- John Meehan
- George S. Kaufman
- Edna Ferber
- Frances Marion
- Herman J. Mankiewicz
Rating: 6.732/10 by 99 users
Alternative Title:
Dinner at 8 - US
Freitag abends um acht - AT
Les invités de 8 heures - BE
Jantar às Oito - BR
Večera u 8 - HR
Middag kl. 8 - DK
Päivälliset klo 8 - FI
Les invités de huit heures - FR
Freitag Abend um 8 - DE
Dinner um acht - DE
Το βραδύ στης οκτώ - GR
Vacsora nyolckor - HU
Miðdegisverður kl. 8. - IS
Pranzo alle otto - IT
晩餐八時 - JP
Om 8 uur aan tafel - NL
Middag kl. 8 - NO
Kolacja o ósmej - PL
Jantar às Oito - PT
Zvečer ob 8. - SI
Обед в восемь - SU
Cena a las ocho - ES
Middag kl. 8 - SE
Saat 8'de ziyafet - TR
Vecera u osam - YU
Večera u 8 - YU
Zvečer ob 8. - YU
8시 석찬 - KR
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 51 minutes
Budget: $435,000
Revenue: $2,156,000
Plot Keyword: adultery, new york city, businessman, blackmail, great depression, based on play or musical, alcoholism, social satire, debt, extramarital affair, socialite, pre-code, eviction, financial problem, heart condition, financier, shipping magnate, dinner party, socialite party, shipping company, unhappy marriage, stage actress, fading star, stage actor, suicide by gas, corrupt businessman, theatrical agent, theatre producer
Excellent. Part of my TCM Jean Harlow 4-pack, and the bonus feature-length doc on Harlow's short life and career is exemplary. Highly recommended to any Pre-Code connoisseurs--and I know you're out there...
One of great director George Cukor's best films, Dinner at Eight is a prime example of a Pre-Code era classic, and an excellent star vehicle for the combined multifarious talents of Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Brothers Barrymore (Lionel and John), Jean Harlow, and Billie Burke, among others. Coupled with the great acting is the offbeat and alternately dramatic and humorous story line of the flighty hostess who plans an extravagant dinner party for a wealthy and highly-esteemed British couple who never do show up. The audience is introduced one by one to the various guests, as well as the host and hostess, and by the conclusion of the film, the viewer knows how and why each of them has chosen whether or not to accept the invitation, with each character's situation shown in an intimate, behind-the-scenes manner. Would I recommend? Yes, but please, don't go into this thinking you're in for a hyper, all-out screwball comedy. It's not. It's a comedy/drama leaning more toward the latter, and it's very...different. That's all.
