Sylvia Scarlett

"You will thrill to every unforgettable moment of this different, charming love story of a woman who almost waited too long... before she dared admit that she was a woman!"

1935 1h 37m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 101

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When her father decides to flee to England, young Sylvia Scarlett must become Sylvester Scarlett and protect her father every step of the way, with the questionable help of plenty others.

“You will thrill to every unforgettable moment of this different, charming love story of a woman who almost waited too long... before she dared admit that she was a woman!”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Katharine Hepburn
Sylvia Scarlett
Cary Grant
Jimmy Monkley
Brian Aherne
Michael Fane
Edmund Gwenn
Henry Scarlett
Natalie Paley
Lily
Dennie Moore
Maudie Tilt
Lennox Pawle
Drunk
Harrold Cheevers
Bobby

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Cukor
Writers: Gladys Unger, John Collier, Mortimer Offner
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 78% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

91 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Cukor, shot by Joseph H. August. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jane Loring shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant and Brian Aherne carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Cukor directs. Joseph H. August behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. Jane Loring cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 78% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
391 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
5Directed by George Cukor, shot by Joseph H. August. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jane Loring shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant and Brian Aherne carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "You will thrill to every unforgettable moment of this different, charming love story of a woman who almost waited too long... before she dared admit that she was a woman!".
10IMDB entry: tt0027067 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph H. August
Original score: Roy Webb
Editing: Jane Loring
Costume design: Muriel King
Makeup / hair: Mel Berns
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Status: Released
Budget: $641,000
Box office: $497,000
Return: 78% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Sylvia Scarlett (1935)

Also by

George Cukor

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-19
★ 6/10
Of all of the collaborative efforts that Katharine Hepburn ever made, this one has to be the most bizarre. Not because it is bad - though it isn't actually very good - but because she spends much of it a boy! Upon the death of her mother, her father (Edward Gwenn) must flee his creditors and so she ("Sylvia/Sylvester") determines to accompany him, cutting her Rapunzel-like locks and donning a suit as she goes. They encounter dapper rogue "Monkley" (Cary Grant) on the boat to England where they conduct a series of petty cons. Determined to get straight, she sets them all up as a seaside entertainment troupe and all goes well until she meets the dashing Brian Aherne ("Michael Fane") and starts to want to be a girl again. Can she tell him? How? Things are not helped by his keenness on "Lily Levetsky"... The dialogue is pretty weak, and rather relentless - and once the joke/gimmick wears off we are exposed to a rather lacklustre, almost pantomime, style of of story. Grant and Hepburn look like they are enjoying themselves and that certainly helps, but the humour is just a touch too contrived to last the seemingly long 90 minutes. Glad I've seen it, but I'm not sure I could recommend it.

Production companies