Enchanted April (1935 film)

Enchanted April (1935 film)
Directed by	Harry Beaumont
Written by	Samuel Hoffenstein Ray Harris
Based on	The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Produced by	Kenneth Macgowan
Starring	Ann Harding Frank Morgan Katharine Alexander Reginald Owen Jane Baxter Ralph Forbes Jessie Ralph Charles Judels Rafaela Ottiano
Cinematography	Edward Cronjager A.S.C.
Edited by	George Hively
Music by	Roy Webb
Production company	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	February 1, 1935 (1935-02-01)
Running time	66 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$346,000
Box office	$165,000

Enchanted April is a 1935 American comedy drama film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Ann Harding, Frank Morgan and Katharine Alexander. It was made by RKO Pictures. The original 1922 novel The Enchanted April has also been adapted for the stage multiple times, and adapted for the 1992 film by screenwriter Peter Barnes.

Plot

At Hampstead Court Housewives Club, two women sit in the living room with a fireplace. Outside it's raining. One of the women reads a book (a Biography of Madame Du Barry); the other woman is nervously looking in the room and finally decides to look up the newspaper. When she sees a certain announcement she has to talk, saying to the other woman how beautiful it would be to leave dreadful London and go south to Italy, renting a Castle for two or more people and splitting the costs. So they find the way to San Salvatore, and the Enchanted April is there from the very minute they arrive.

Their husbands and lovers are soon popping up and passing by, and the Italians who know, understand the English people. A mixture of slapstick comedy and on the other side the rarefied figure of Ann Harding.

Cast

• Ann Harding as Lottie Wilkins
• Katharine Alexander as Rose Arbuthnot
• Frank Morgan as Mr. Wilkins
• Reginald Owen as Mr. Arbuthnot
• Jane Baxter as Lady Caroline Dester
• Ralph Forbes as Mr. Briggs
• Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Fisher
• Charles Judels as Domenico
• Rafaela Ottiano as Francesca

Home video

As of 2017, Enchanted April has only seen one authorised home video release: a 2005 region 2 French DVD on the Éditions Montparnasse label, titled Avril enchanté. It features a very clean print from an unconverted NTSC-PAL master, hence its unaltered 66 minute running time, and optional French subtitles in a small yellow font. Additionally, there is an informative 2½ minute intro – in French, without subtitles – by film historian and restorer Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films. There is also a lesser-quality counterfeit 2013 Spanish DVD, titled Un Abril Encantado.

External links

• Enchanted April at IMDb
• Enchanted April at TCMDB
• Enchanted April TCMDB article
• Enchanted April 1935 New York Times review