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Movies / On DVD / Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eight

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Dinner at Eight (1933)

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Reviews Counted:15

Fresh:15

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.7/10

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: This poignant 1930s comedy features nearly flawless performances by an all-star cast under the deft direction of George Cukor. Based on the successful play by Edna Ferber and George Kaufman, DINNER... This poignant 1930s comedy features nearly flawless performances by an all-star cast under the deft direction of George Cukor. Based on the successful play by Edna Ferber and George Kaufman, DINNER AT EIGHT is the tale of a socially scheming Park Avenue hostess (Billie Burke) who performs a series of clever manipulations to bring about a dinner party for an aristocratic English couple. In the process, she largely ignores the troubles facing her ailing husband (Lionel Barrymore); unwittingly, her choice of guests creates a web of intrigue, malice, and romance. Jean Harlow is exceptional as the shrewd wife of Billie's business adversary, as is John Barrymore, in a powerful, somewhat autobiographical turn as a fading star who drinks his future away. Silent-film performer Marie Dressler made a comeback in the role of the aging stage actress Carlotta. [More]

Starring: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery

Starring: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, Billie Burke, Madge Evans, Jean Hersholt, Karen Morley, Louise Closser Hale, Phillips Holmes, May Robson, Grant Mitchell, Elizabeth Patterson

Director: George Cukor

Director: George Cukor
Producer: David O. Selznick
Screenwriter: Frances Marion, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Donald Ogden Stewart

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Mar 1, 2005

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Dinner at Eight, a vastly entertaining behind-closed-doors glimpse into the lives of the troubled and troublemaking Who's Who of people invited to a posh Manhattan party, is served with ample helpings of humor and melodrama. Buoyed by the success of the studio's multistarred, multistoried Grand Hotel the year before, producer David O. Selznick aspired for something grander - and found it in this George Cukor-directed adaptation of the George S. Kaufman/Edna Ferber stage hit. Highlights include Jean Harlow and Wallace Beery's bitter battle of the sexes, hostess Billie Burke's tizzy fit and Marie Dressler's grande dame worldliness. Of course, there's only one way to catch all the great moments. Dinner at Eight. Don't be late.
  • Source: Warner Home Video
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    Reviews for Dinner at Eight

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    1 - 19 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/26/09
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Features a stellar cast of all-star MGM veterans who all know how to overact.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    04/07/08
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    01/26/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Taking advantage of MGM's talent pool, George Cukor directed this witty 1933 comedy with a big-gun cast that includes Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, and Jean Harlow. The exchange between Dressler and Harlow is worth the price of admission

    Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
    12/30/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    Scintillating '30s comedy with an all-star cast and quip-happy script.

    comment Comment
    09/09/05
    Carol Cling
    Carol Cling
    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    A sparkling script and game efforts from an all-star cast easily overcome the creakiness.

    Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
    03/18/05
    Matt Brunson
    Matt Brunson
    Creative Loafing

    The dinner party that closes Dinner at Eight wouldn’t feel like dancing at the end of the world without Renault’s final gesture.

    Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
    03/02/05
    Jeremiah Kipp
    Jeremiah Kipp
    Slant Magazine

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    10/08/04
    Robin Clifford
    Robin Clifford
    Reeling Reviews

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    06/04/04
    Sarah Chauncey
    Sarah Chauncey
    Reel.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    03/08/04
    Jake Euker
    Jake Euker
    Filmcritic.com

    Each star has a memorable moment.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    05/24/03
    Channel 4 Film
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Mordaunt Hall
    Mordaunt Hall
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Sterling film version of the play with some great performances.

    comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Ken Hanke
    Ken Hanke
    Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/08/03
    Nell Minow
    Nell Minow
    Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    03/10/03
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Austin Chronicle

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    12/28/02
    Linda Cook
    Linda Cook
    Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

    the kind of smart, upscale adult comedy-drama that would never get made these days

    comment Comment
    07/29/02
    James Sanford
    James Sanford
    Kalamazoo Gazette

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A masterfully-directed comedy, Dinner at Eight (1933), filled with a tremendous cast of stars all invited

    Full Review Source: Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Tim Dirks
    Tim Dirks
    Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films
     
     
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