History Film / TheGayDivorcee

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: When Guy finally catches up with Mimi in the park, he pulls out a picnic basket and props it on the running board of her car.
-->'''Guy:''' Can I offer you anything? Frosted chocolate? Cointreau? Benedictine? Marriage?\\
'''Mimi:''' [[RepeatWhatYouJustSaid What was that last one?]]\\
'''Guy:''' Benedictine?\\
'''Mimi:''' No, the one after that.\\
'''Guy:''' Oh, marriage?

* YourCheatingHeart: In order to get a divorce from Cyril, Mimi needs evidence of adultery--hers or his. (See also SuperGullible above.)

At the hotel, Mimi [[DanceOfRomance finally starts to warm up to Guy after he dances with her]] to "Night and Day," but then due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity she mistakes him for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[{{Malaproper}} increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

The next morning, Hortense and Egbert, having been unable to find detectives, bring Cyril to the hotel. Although at first defiant and unyielding, Cyril gives in to Mimi's divorce demands when a hotel waiter unwittingly reveals to the group that he had met Cyril under a different name and with a different "wife" in tow. While Mimi and Guy celebrate her impending freedom, Hortense and Egbert announce that they were married on the way back from London.

!!The film contains examples of:

* BriefAccentImitation: After Guy has persuaded Mimi to take his phone number, another car tries to get through the roadblock he has set up. When the (British) driver asks if they can get through, Guy imitates his accent as he answers "Oh, rather. Right you are. Cheerio."

* TheDitz: Hortense.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: At the end of "Night and Day," while Mimi is still dazed from the MatingDance she's just been through, Guy [[SmokingHotSex offers her a cigarette.]]

* HaveAGayOldTime: The title uses "gay" in the sense of "happy."

--> And my torment won't be through\\

Day and night, night and day!

* PimpedOutDress: Mimi gets several, but her two dancing dresses deserve special mention--a foamy, ruffled number for "Night and Day" and another with a dramatically dyed skirt for "The Continental."
** Even her negligee is pimped out with ruffles and a sash (see picture).

* SerialSpouse: Hortense has been married three times and is looking to make Egbert her fourth.

* SillySong: "Let's K-nock K-nees."

--> '''Tonetti:''' At home, my wife, he do not like me to sing.
--> '''Egbert:''' Unquestionably a woman of great perspicacity.
--> '''Tonetti:''' Oh, ''si, si, signor,'' you bet!
* SuperGullible: When Tonetti calls his wife from the hotel, he [[{{Cuckold}} hears a man's voice in the background.]] His wife tells him that their nine-year-old son's voice is already changing. Tonetti believes it and is delighted.

* WeirdTradeUnion: When Guy tries to take Tonetti's place (for free) as the co-respondent in Mimi's divorce case, Tonetti indignantly asks, "Are you a union man?"

* IrrelevantActOpener: The opening sequence at the restaurant in Paris mainly serves as an excuse for some singing and dancing. The second "act" starts at the hotel, where a random cute girl (teenage Betty Grable) sings a SillySong to Egbert called "Let's K-nock K-nees," which doesn't have much to do with anything.

* BetaCouple: Hortense and Egbert.

----

* InnocentCohabitation: Guy and Tonetti both spend the night in Mimi's hotel suite ... sleeping on chairs in the outer room and tied together at the ankle so that neither can try anything without the other one knowing.

A 1934 ScrewballComedy {{Musical}} movie starring Creator/FredAstaire, Creator/GingerRogers, Edward Everett Horton, and Alice Brady. Fred Astaire reprised his role from the stage play ''The [[HaveAGayOldTime Gay]] Divorce,'' as did Erik Rhodes, who played Tonetti. Music for the play was by Music/ColePorter; for the movie, only the big hit of the show, "Night and Day," was retained, and several new songs by other composers were added.

* GoldDigger: Cyril appears to be a male example, since Mimi says she only sees him when he wants money. (This is presumably why he refuses to divorce her, as well.)

--> '''Guy:''' Can I offer you anything? Frosted chocolate? Cointreau? Benedictine? Marriage?
--> '''Mimi:''' [[RepeatWhatYouJustSaid What was that last one?]]
--> '''Guy:''' Benedictine?
--> '''Mimi:''' No, the one after that.
--> '''Guy:''' Oh, marriage?

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: When trying to figure out whether she has invited the right man to her room, Mimi asks Guy some questions about his profession. All his answers could apply equally to a dancer or a gigolo.

* IrrelevantActOpener: The opening sequence at the restaurant in Paris mainly serves as an excuse for some singing and dancing. The second "act" starts at the hotel, where a random cute girl (teenage Betty Grable) sings a song to Egbert called "Let's K-nock K-nees," which doesn't have much to do with anything.

* PoirotSpeak: Tonetti, especially when he's trying to give the password.

At the hotel, Mimi [[DanceOfRomance finally starts to return Guy's affections after he dances with her]] to "Night and Day," but then due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity she mistakes him for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[{{Malaproper}} increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

The next morning, Hortense and Egbert, having been unable to find detectives, bring Cyril to the hotel. Although at first defiant and unyielding, Cyril gives in to Mimi's divorce demands when a hotel waiter unwittingly reveals to the group that he had met Cyril under a different name and with a different "wife" in tow. While Mimi and Guy celebrate her impending freedom, Hortense and Egbert announce that they were married the previous evening.

* SuperGullible: When Tonetti calls his wife from the hotel, he [[Cuckold hears a man's voice]] in the background. His wife tells him that their nine-year-old son's voice is changing. Tonetti believes it and is delighted.

Meanwhile, Hortense, who was once engaged to Egbert, brings the unhappily married Mimi to his office to discuss divorce proceedings. On learning that Mimi's neglectful husband Cyril, an English geologist, has refused to grant her a divorce, Egbert advises her to hire a professional co-respondent[[note]]i.e. a man who will pose as her lover so that adultery can be used as grounds for divorce[[/note]]. Unaware that Mimi is the object of Guy's obsession, Egbert then convinces his lovesick friend to accompany him to a seaside resort, where the co-respondent is to rendezvous with Mimi.

At the hotel, Mimi finally starts to return Guy's affections after he [[DanceOfRomance dances with her]] to "Night and Day," but then due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity she mistakes him for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[{{Malaproper}} increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

* AdaptationNameChange: In the stage show, Guy's friend was named Teddy Egbert. This was changed to Egbert Fitzgerald for the movie.

* DoggedNiceGuy: Guy (although a man who tried that "Road Closed" trick today would probably be called a StalkerWithACrush).

* HaveAGayOldTime: The title.
** Also "Night and Day," which ends with these lines:

* SuperGullible: When Tonetti calls his wife from the hotel, he hears a man's voice in the background. His wife tells him that their nine-year-old son's voice is changing. Tonetti believes it and is delighted.
* TeacherStudentRomance: How Mimi met Cyril. He was one of her instructors at school.

* DoggedNiceGuy: Guy (although a man who tried some of his tactics today would probably be called a StalkerWithACrush).

[[caption-width-right:350:Mimi wonders which of these men she's supposed to spend the night with.[[note]]So she an get a divorce, that's all![[/note]]]]

Soon afterward, Mimi returns the coat anonymously through a hotel bellboy, further frustrating Guy and inspiring him to sing "A Needle in a Haystack" about his determination to find her again. The desperate Guy drives the streets of London in search of Mimi and finally by chance crashes into the back of her car. Mimi takes off, but Guy pursues and eventually corners her in a park. After he proposes to her, Mimi tells Guy she cannot see him again, but she does at least give him her name.

Later, Hortense, who was once engaged to Egbert, brings the unhappily married Mimi to his office to discuss divorce proceedings. On learning that Mimi's neglectful husband Cyril, an English geologist, has refused to grant her a divorce, Egbert advises her to hire a professional co-respondent[[note]]i.e. a man who will pose as her lover so that adultery can be used as grounds for divorce[[/note]]. Unaware that Mimi is the object of Guy's obsession, Egbert then convinces his lovesick friend to accompany him to a seaside resort, where the co-respondent is to rendezvous with Mimi.

This confusion is eventually sorted out, and Egbert and Hortense then rush back to London to secure the needed detectives. Defying Tonetti's orders to stay in the room, Mimi and Guy sneak off, using the shadows of paper dolls to make him believe that they are still there, and pursue their romance on the hotel dance floor. The ensuing dance number, "The Continental" was at the time the longest musical sequence on film at seventeen and a half minutes.

[[caption-width-right:350:Mimi wonders which of these men is her hired lover.]]

A 1934 ScrewballComedy {{Musical}} movie starring Creator/FredAstaire, Creator/GingerRogers, Edward Everett Horton, and Alice Brady. Fred Astaire reprised his role from the stage play ''The [[HaveAGayOldTime Gay]] Divorce,'' which had music by Music/ColePorter. For the movie, only the big hit of the show, "Night and Day," was retained, and several new songs by other composers were added.

At the hotel, Mimi finally starts to return Guy's affections after he dances with her to "Night and Day," but then due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity she mistakes him for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[{{Malaproper}} increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

* DanceOfRomance: "Night and Day" serves as this for Mimi.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: At the end of "Night and Day," while Mimi is still dazed from the DanceOfRomance she's just been through, Guy offers her a cigarette.

** Also, "Night and Day," which ends with these lines:

At the hotel, Mimi finally starts to return Guy's affections after he dances with her to "Night and Day," but then due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity she mistakes him for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[Malaproper increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

* AnywhereButTheirLips: The lyrics of "The Continental" call for the dancers to kiss, as demonstrated by the dozens of chorus members. When they reach this point in their dance, Guy [[IKissYourHand kisses Mimi's hand]] instead.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: At the end of "Night and Day," while Mimi is dazed from the DanceOfRomance she's just been through, Guy offers her a cigarette.

* InnocentCohabitation: Guy and Tonetti both spend the night in Mimi's hotel suite ... sleeping on chairs in a different room from her and tied together at the ankle so that neither can try anything without the other one knowing.
* IrrelevantActOpener: The sequence at the restaurant in Paris mainly serves as an excuse for some singing and dancing. The second "act" starts at the hotel, where a random cute girl (teenage Betty Grable) sings a song to Egbert called "Let's K-nock K-nees," which doesn't have much to do with anything.

* {{Malaproper}}: Tonetti when he attempts to render his code phrase. "Chance is the fool's name for fate" becomes "Chances are fate is foolish" and "Fate is a foolish thing to take chances with."

* YourCheatingHeart: In order to get a divorce from Cyril, Mimi needs evidence of adultery--hers or his.

Soon afterward, Mimi returns the coat anonymously through a hotel bellboy, further frustrating Guy. The desperate Guy drives the streets of London in search of Mimi and by chance crashes into the back of her car. Mimi takes off, but Guy pursues and eventually corners her in a park. After he proposes to her, Mimi tells Guy she cannot see him again, but she does at least give him her name.

Due to a mix-up with the password, [[MistakenIdentity Mimi mistakes Guy for the co-respondent.]] He is understandably confused when she first invites him to her hotel room and then treats him coldly once he gets there. Meanwhile, the real co-respondent--a cheerful, [[TheDandy dandified]] [[FunnyForeigner Italian]] named Rodolfo Tonetti--searches the hotel for his liaison, giving [[PoirotSpeak increasingly mangled versions of the password]] to every woman he meets.

This confusion is eventually sorted out, and Egbert and Hortense then rush back to London to secure the needed detectives. Defying Tonetti's orders to stay in the room, Mimi and Guy sneak off, using the shadows of paper dolls to make him believe that they are still there, and pursue their romance on the hotel dance floor.

* AnywhereButTheirLips: The lyrics of "The Continental" call for the dancers to kiss, as demonstrated by the dozens of chorus members. When they reach this point in their dance, Guy kisses Mimi's hand instead.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: At the end of "Night and Day," Guy offers Mimi a cigarette.

* IrrelevantActOpener: The sequence at the restaurant in Paris mainly serves as an excuse for some singing and dancing. The second act starts at the hotel, where a random cute young girl (teenage Betty Grable) sings a song to Egbert called "Let's K-nock K-nees," which doesn't have much to do with anything.

* {{Malaproper}}: Tonetti when he attempts to render his code phrase. "Chance is the fool's name for fate"

* PimpedOutDress: Mimi gets two--a foamy, ruffled number for "Night and Day" and another with a dramatically dyed skirt for "The Continental."

​

* AnywhereButTheirLips: The lyrics of "The Continental" call for the dancers to kiss, as demonstrated by the dozens of chorus members. Guy kisses Mimi's hand instead.

* IrrelevantActOpener: The sequence at the restaurant in Paris mainly serves as an excuse for some singing and dancing. Also, at the hotel, a random cute young girl (teenage Betty Grable) sings a song to Egbert called "Let's K-nock K-nees," which doesn't have much to do with anything.