Gary Cooper, Fredric March, and Miriam Hopkins play a trio of Americans in Paris who enter into a very adult “gentleman’s agreement” in this continental pre-Code comedy, freely adapted by Ben Hecht from a play by Noël Coward and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. A risqué relationship story and a witty take on creative pursuits, the film concerns a commercial artist (Hopkins) unable—or unwilling—to choose between the equally dashing painter (Cooper) and playwright (March) she meets on a train en route to the City of Light. Design for Living is Lubitsch at his sexiest, an entertainment at once debonair and racy, featuring three stars at the height of their allure.
Design for Living is in the true Lubitsch tradition, and I think it his most satisfying sound film. – Cinema Quarterly
The “Lubitsch Touch,” indeed: edged and between the ribs before you know it’s being brandished. – Film Freak Central
| Series | |
| Genre |
ComedyRomance
|
| Runtime | 91 minutes |
| Rated | PG |
| Directed By | Ernst Lubitsch |
| Starring | Fredric March, Gary Cooper, Miriam Hopkins |
| Language | English |
| Country |
USA
|
