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Let Us Be Gay

Production: Not Available;
Premiere: July 11, 1930;
Released: August 9, 1930;
Production/Distribution Companies: Metro Goldwyn Mayer;
Runtime: 78 min;
Country: USA;
Language: English;
Color: Black and White;
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Sound System);
Not available on VHS or DVD;

Cast: Norma Shearer as Kitty Brown; Rod La Rocque as Bob Brown; Marie Dressler as Mrs. Bouccicault; Gilbert Emery as Townley; Hedda Hopper as Madge Livingston; Raymond Hackett as Bruce; Sally Eilers as Diane; Tyrrell Davis as Wallace; Wilfred Noy as Whitman; William O'Brien as Struthers; Sybil Grove as Perkins;

Production Credits:
Produced by: Irving Thalberg; Robert Z. Leonard;
Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard;
Writers: Frances Marion; Lucille Newmark;
Cinematography: Norbert Brodine;
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons;
Gowns by: Adrian;
Editing: Basil Wrangell;

Reviews:

Mordaunt Hall in the New York Times, July 12, 1930: "Rachel Crothers' brief history of the life that is lived along certain shores of Long Island has come by devious methods to the screen at the Capitol. It has some fairly complete- perhaps a little more than that- with the dowager and the divorced Browns up to their old tricks. It is a mirthful affair, eight reels (or is it?) of carefree madness. Then there is an ending- a happy ending. Life continues on Long Island."

Richard Dana Skinner in The Commonwealth, July 23, 1930: "Norma Shearer takes the role once played so delightfully by Francine Larrimore and carries it off with grace and point. Her voice matches her personality and records with smoothness and variety. Her scenes with Gilbert Emery have almost the lightness, vivacity, and naturalness of life itself. Mr. Rod LaRocque talks in the fashion of a traveling salesman who has about half-finished a course in elocution. His dictation is deliberately monotonous and marred by strong sectional blur. In contrast with the accomplished performance and speech of Gilbert Emery he gives one the impression of being hastily rehearsed amatuer."

Notes/Trivia:

-Rushed into production after Norma found out she was expecting a child during the filming of The Divorcee.
-Critical response was mixed, but the film was an astounding box office success, bringing in a profit over $500,000. With this, and her triumph a few months earlier in The Divorcee, Norma had successfully transformed herself into a major screen sex symbol.
-During the final weeks of filming, Norma's condition was begining to show. Adrian had designed new gowns, while Cedric Gibbons redecorated the sets with huge, over dramatic furniture to hide Norma's growing stomach.

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