The Royal Family of Broadway

...but don't let that stop you from enjoying this film. Specifically, Fredric March's second billing on top of his Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role of Tony Cavendish in this film might lead you to believe that you are going to be treated to a big dose of March as a thinly disguised version of John Barrymore, as in fact the whole Cavendish family is supposed to be a parody of the Barrymore clan. That is not the case. I'd say March's role is a supporting one and his billing is probably due to the fact that he has the biggest role of any male in the film. That is because this film is in fact a close study of the hopes and angst of three generations of the female members of the Cavendish clan as they try to find a balance between the homes they want to have and the profession they love. It really is more of a drama examining the theatrical life from a woman's point of view than anything else.

The real star of the show is Ina Claire as Julie Cavendish, a 40ish actress who realizes mid-life is upon her and this has caused her to reflect upon her life. Specifically she is wondering if it is time to settle down with a long time somewhat bland but stable male acquaintance and leave the theatrical life behind. Julie's daughter Gwen is beginning her career on the stage and is contemplating marriage to a stock broker with old-fashioned ideas. He doesn't really want her to even start down a career road that he feels has ruined her mother's life. Julie's mother Fanny is considered a grand dame of the stage, but her dependence on a cane for walking has robbed her of the spotlight, and it is a hole in her life that she feels mightily. Much of this film thus focuses on these three women contemplating life in conversations with their significant others and each other - there is not that much action.

That's where Fredric March comes in. With his larger than life portrayal of Tony Cavendish/John Barrymore he periodically invades the ancestral home bringing the residual troubles of his wild life with him. He's either hiding from process servers fearing a breach of promise lawsuit or practicing his dueling with the servants. It is truly an inspired and hilarious performance, and if the Academy had supporting actor awards in 1930, March likely would have been nominated for that award instead and probably won. He really balances the film, keeping it light and preventing it from turning into pure soap opera.

Without March I'd consider this a well acted but a somewhat archaic 6/10. With March as Tony Cavendish it rises to an entertaining 7/10.

The Royal Family Of Broadway whom everyone in America knew to take as the Barrymores was a successful play on Broadway written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber of the Algonquin Round Table. It ran 345 performances in 1927-28 and was immediately snapped up by Paramount once it was decided sound was here to stay. The wit of Kaufman/Ferber just would not have cut it on the silent screen with cue cards.

The family currently consists of grand dame Henriette Crossman, daughter Ina Claire, son Fredric March and granddaughter Mary Brian. Crossman is the kind that will carry on the theatrical tradition of the Cavendishes come what may. The theater is a religious calling and she's instilled that in her offspring. Ina Claire whose resemblance to Ethel Barrymore was unmistakable carries on, but she's starting to yearn for a quieter existence and she might have it with millionaire platinum king Frank Conroy. Her daughter from a former marriage Mary Brian is an eager young hopeful who has young playboy and future Durango Kid Charles Starrett panting after her. In real life Ethel did marry into the Colt Arms Manufacturing company and her daughter did pursue a stage career as well.

But the part of Tony Cavendish whom everyone took as John Barrymore provides the real spark in this work. Fredric March got his first Oscar nomination for this wonderful satire on a most outrageous man in John Barrymore. Barrymore's dissipation came later on, the result of the high flying, high living that you March brag on here. The tabloids of the day were filled with the doings of the Barrymores/Cavendishes and John provided most of the copy.

There's no Lionel equivalent here. Not that Lionel wasn't colorful in his own right, but he managed to keep his vices out of the public eye.

Ethel who took her position as First Lady of the American Theater quite seriously considered a law suit against any and all who had something to do with the play and film. But John who saw Fredric March do a stage version in California as well thought the play outrageous and funny and he congratulated March on getting him down so well. I guess without a Barrymore united front, Ethel really couldn't consider a lawsuit.

I saw the film years ago and then just saw it and I remembered back then how March just dominates the film, it's that kind of part. You enjoy Tony Cavendish when he arrives and you just wait for him to come back.

Although the play's been revived a lot, I doubt will see a remake of this film. The hijinks of the Barrymore clan are really not known to today's movie-going public and a lot of the jokes will be dated except to people like me. Still seeing this sparkling comedy might make you want to find out about the American theatrical tradition known as the Barrymores.

If this movie got better in the second half, I didn't find out about it. Loosely based on the "royal" Barrymores who reigned on Broadway in the early 20th century, Ina Claire, Henrietta Crosman, and Fredric March play an eccentric, dramatic family of actors and actresses. Having come from a theatrical background myself, my patience wore through pretty thin, since I've known people like that. I can't imagine how quickly a non-theater person would have turned the movie off.

Mary Brian is sick of her family's ups and downs, so she considers marrying her regular boyfriend instead of continuing a life onstage. Naturally, her family doesn't support her decision, because it threatens their own decisions. From what I saw, the actors were talking nonstop, as they often did in early talkies, losing their tempers at the drop of a hat, shouting about nothing, and being very theatrical. The only scene of any consequence that I saw was Fredric March's shower scene, because it would never have passed the Hays Code four years later-maybe that's why he was nominated for Best Actor for this movie! He plays a caricature of John Barrymore, and he has many conquests and drunken episodes that make his backstage life even more entertaining than his onstage personas. In one scene, he's entertaining his family with a lengthy gossip story, and during his monologue, he takes off his clothes. Clark Gable may have received all the hype about not wearing an undershirt in It Happened One Night, but Fredric March didn't wear one either in 1930. Only when he unbuttons his boxers does he sneak out of view from the camera, but the entire family gathers around the glass shower to continue to listen to his story, and the shower door frequently opens. . .

Besides that, the movie isn't very shocking, or interesting. But if you like loud early talkies like Bombshell, you'll probably really like it. I don't usually like that style.

Well the Print I watched this motion picture was scratchy and a little bit blurry I could barley hear most of the actors talk at time but I and persevered continue watching the film. While I have admiration for early talkies this film was intriguing when it came to film history I watched solely on it portraying the Barrymore family. Ina Claire and Fredric march make the movie entreating as it may seem slow at times. Fredric solely steals the show and the film becomes more fast paced and is no wonder he was nominated during the 4th academy awards in 1931. While Not a spoiler I was taken back from the first few minutes of the film of a piano reciting "Sobre las olas" a mexican piece.

Fredric March may have gotten the Oscar nom playing Tony, the most histrionic of the fabulously emotive Cavendish family of Broadway stars, but Ina Clair should have copped the statuette. The film's pedigree is impeccable: Cukor directing, a dynamic screenplay from Herman Mankiewicz from the play by Kaufman and Ferber, running the gamut from hilarious to deeply touching. Ina Clair, who was only in 12 films and whom I don't know, has the funniest lines and the beautifully sad and triumphant final shot. I don't know what formats this fine film is in, but it is posted on YouTube.