One Hour with You
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Written by Samson Raphaelson from a play by Lothar Schmidt
1932/US
Paramount Pictures
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/my DVD collection
Dr. Andre Bertier: [singing] I can squeeze you here, I can squeeze you there, And I’m never told to handle with care, I don’t have to stop when I kiss your hand.
Colette Bertier: It’s lawful!
Dr. Andre Bertier: Oh, it’s grand…
The last of Ernst Lubitsch’s pre-Code musicals maintains the high standard of all the others.
The setting is Paris, France. The story begins with a policeman interrupting Colette (Janette MacDonald) and Andre Bertier (Maurice Chevalier) from their make-out session on a park bench. They have no problem finding another place to make love. They are married and simply head for home. Their ardor seems to have withstood their three years of marital bliss.
Then Colette introduces Andre to her so-called best friend Mitzi Olivier (Genevieve Tobin). Mitzi begins a relentless pursuit of her friend’s husband. This suits Mitzi’s husband (Roland Young) to a tee as he is seeking grounds for divorce. With Charlie Ruggles as Andre’s friend who is sweet on Colette.
There is nothing wrong with this movie and it certainly has the Lubitsch touch in spades. The songs are also quite nice. I just personally had a hard time finding the homewrecker/infidelity premise all that funny.
One Hour with You was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar
