He Stayed for Breakfast

He Stayed for Breakfast
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Alexander Hall
Screenplay by	P. J. Wolfson Michael Fessier Ernest Vajda
Based on	Ode to Liberty by Sidney Howard
Produced by	B. P. Schulberg
Starring	Loretta Young Melvyn Douglas
Cinematography	Joseph Walker
Edited by	Viola Lawrence
Music by	Werner R. Heymann
Production company	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	August 31, 1940 (1940-08-31) (New York City)
Running time	86-89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

He Stayed for Breakfast is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Hall, based on the 1934 play Ode to Liberty by Sidney Howard, itself adapted from the French play Liberté provisoire by Michel Duran.

Plot[]

The plot follows a banker’s wife, Marianne (Loretta Young), who lives in Paris and meets a Communist man who’s attempting to lay low in her apartment to avoid persecution from the law. Interested in the man, she lets him take refuge in her apartment. Marianne soon finds out that this man, Paul (Melvyn Douglas) attempted to assassinate her banker husband, Maurice (Eugene Pallette). Paul becomes trapped in the apartment due to guards surrounding the building. Paul and Marianne slowly fall in love as the film goes on. Their newfound love becomes endangered when Paul is asked to surrender himself by the Communist party he is involved with, but knowing blame would be placed on Marianne, he refuses. Paul is then shortly after discovered by Marianne's husband who turns him over to the police. To have the charges dropped, Marianne agrees to stay with her husband, but this doesn’t last long as Marianne, annoyed by her husband, flees to Paul's where they then head for America. At the time, Communism was a very controversial topic, and this film delved deep into the thick of it. This film was a comedy which was an increasingly popular genre at the time. However, it was also a political drama which made this film less of a success at its release.

Cast[]

Reception[]

He Stayed for Breakfast received less than great reviews at the time of its release receiving mediocre reviews from publications like Variety and Los Angeles Times

"Lacking a sustained pace, and with several slow spots that might have been lifted by better direction, picture will roll through the key spots as bill topper for moderately satisfactory biz."^[1]

"With most of the action confined to the apartment, picture has its weak moments with series of repetitious happenings that might not be so apparent with better direction that would have smacked over toppers to the gags and situations at hand. These rather dull passages prove a burden to the bright and sparkling comedy that is liberally sprinkled throughout, and prevent the picture from reaching the laugh hit class."^[1]

"It may lack the ideal smoothness of the Ernst Lubitsch production as a comedy: but its hilarities are immense."^[2]

References[]

External links[]

• He Stayed for Breakfast at IMDb 
• He Stayed for Breakfast at AllMovie
• He Stayed for Breakfast at the American Film Institute Catalog
• He Stayed for Breakfast at the TCM Movie Database

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