The 1932 musical comedy that sparked a bitter legal battle over directorial credit
In short: One Hour with You is a quintessential pre-Code musical, yet its production was far from harmonious. Behind the scenes of this charming tale of marital temptation, a fierce conflict between its stars and directors erupted, leading to a courtroom showdown that shaped the final credits of this Academy Award-nominated film.
Released in 1932, One Hour with You is a musical comedy centered on a Parisian doctor, Andre Bertier, whose fidelity to his wife, Colette, is challenged when her best friend, Mitzi Olivier, becomes his patient. Based on the play Only a Dream by Lothar Schmidt, the film serves as a musical remake of the 1924 silent feature The Marriage Circle. The production was intended to be a showcase for the talents of Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, with Genevieve Tobin, Charlie Ruggles, and Roland Young rounding out the cast.
The film's direction became a point of significant contention. Ernst Lubitsch, who had supervised the project's preproduction, was initially unable to direct due to scheduling conflicts with his previous film, The Man I Killed. George Cukor was assigned to take the helm, but within two weeks of filming, clashes between Cukor and lead actor Maurice Chevalier forced Lubitsch to return to the set. Despite Lubitsch's return, Cukor remained involved, leading both men to demand sole directorial credit. The dispute escalated into a legal battle in court.
The conflict was eventually resolved before a final judgment was reached. Cukor was granted a credit for assisting the direction and secured the right to terminate his contract with Paramount to direct What Price Hollywood? at RKO. Ultimately, the film was credited to Lubitsch with the assistance of Cukor. The production was a complex international effort, with a French-language version, Une heure près de toi, filmed simultaneously featuring Lili Damita. Today, the film is remembered not only for its music by Oscar Straus and Leo Robin but also for its historical significance as a preserved work, with its original color tints restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: One Hour with You
- Also: Wikidata — One Hour with You · CC0
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