Breakfast for Two (1937) User Reviews

fun Stanwyck

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 2 June 2012]

Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall enjoy "Breakfast for Two" in this 1937 comedy which also stars Eric Blore, Brenda Farrell, and Donald Meek.

Stanwyck is Valentine Ransome from Texas, who meets playboy Jonathan Blair one night and ends up spending the night at his apartment. No, it's not precode, it's just that Blair's dog frightened her when she went for the door. Valentine is attracted to Jonathan, but he appears to have a lack of direction. He runs his family shipping company and has just about plowed it into the ground.

Valentine buys the company in the hopes that Jonathan will get in there and make good. Meanwhile, she has to worry about his marriage to an actress (Glenda Farrell) and how she's going to stop it.

Some hilarious scenes, including a chorus of window washers and a funny performance by Donald Meek as the poor justice of the peace. As the dizzy actress Carol, Glenda Farrell is a riot.

There's some slapstick that involves Marshall which I assume was done with a stand-in since he had an artificial leg - but it was done seamlessly.

Beautiful sets and nice production values, a cute comedy, with the young Stanwyck looking beautiful.

Just an OK comedy romance

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 21 February 2015]

Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall had some fine movie performances to their credit when they starred in "Breakfast for Two." Stanwyck was one of the best actresses at the time, equally at home with mysteries, drama, and comedy. She especially excelled in the latter. While he did some comedies, Marshall was more known and regarded for his dramatic works. Some of his comedies were quite good, but others not so. This isn't one of his good roles. It may not be all his fault though. The idea for the plot is a good one, but the screenplay doesn't pull it off well. For instance, Marshall's Jonathan Blair changes so suddenly from his devil-may-care attitude and disinterest in his business, to one of protecting the family tradition that it just isn't believable. The directing and film editing likely played a hand in this as well. There were other little things that didn't quite ring true with Blair's character. He wakes with a hangover after sleeping on a couch. Yet his clothes are neat as can be and not a tussle of his hair appears out of place. He doesn't act like he has a hangover.

Stanwyck's Valentine Ransome is excellent. No more needs to be said about her. There are a couple of very hilarious scenes in the film, but not much witty dialog. Eric Blore and Donald Meek give good performances to enhance the movie. No one can play a butler so amusingly as Eric Blore. His part as Butch is big enough that it helps Stanwyck carry the film.

"Breakfast for Two" isn't full of laughs, but it's a light comedy that most should enjoy. Stanwyck has a large portfolio of very good films, so this isn't one I would keep in my library.

A reform project

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 21 June 2017]

Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall starred in Breakfast For Two with her as a Texas oil heiress and he as dissolute playboy living off his dad's trust fund.

Both Stanwyck and her dad Frank Thomas are in town as minority stockholders of the shipping company that was the business that gave Marshall the fortune he enjoys. The company from poor management looks like it's going under. Stanwyck who wakes up in Marshall's apartment after she brought him home in a drunken state can't leave because of his trusty Great Dane. The film begins here and it's obvious a large portion of film was cut away giving more background to the story.

Stanwyck played a few madcap heiresses in her salad days. Marshall does all right. But his part really calls for someone like Cary Grant or William Powell especially with a lot of physical comedy involved. Given the fact that Marshall was missing a leg due to injuries in the First World War I sincerely doubt he was doing any pratfalls. Those were done in long shot and clearly by a double.

Glenda Farrell does well here as the fiancé Marshall is supposed to marry. Highlight of the film is how Stanwyck breaks up the wedding. Farrell gets hysterical as the justice of the peace Donald Meek who is trying to give out with some boring homily about, yes the birds and the bees. Meek is very funny. So is Eric Blore as Marshall's ever helpful valet.

Too bad Cary Grant wasn't available.

Still Laughing ...

[GLTilson · 8 December 2003]

Watched this 1937 comedy recently on Turner Classic Movies and laughed (out loud) harder than I have in a long while. That's saying something, as I am usually one of those "just smile when something is funny" type of people (those of you like me know what I mean ;)).

Although I am a fan of Stanwyck and Marshall, the incomparable character performances of Eric Blore (the Valet - "Butch") and Donald Meek (the Judge) STOLE the show. I am still laughing as I remember.

You may not remember the names of Blore and Meek, but if you have watched (practically) ANY movie from the 20's, 30's or 40's, you will recognize their faces (usually as butlers, bankers, judges, or valets --combined - the two were in over 200 films in those 30 years!)

As previous reviewers have said, this movie is pure fun, lite comedy, with some of our most loved actors - worth the watch and GUARANTEED for a belly laugh!

Stanwyck and Marshall Get Physical

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 19 April 2015]

Well-dressed Texas heiress Barbara Stanwyck (as Valentine Ransome) wakes up in a wealthy New York stranger's bed. Womanizing resident Herbert Marshall (as Jonathan Blair) passed out on the couch, after Ms. Stanwyck saw him home safely. A well-trained Great Dane named "Pee Wee" doesn't allow Mr. Marshall's female guests leave until after breakfast. So, Stanwyck and Marshall have "Breakfast for Two" and are mutually attracted...

Too bad Marshall is already engaged to flashy actress Glenda Farrell (as Carol Wallace). Marshall could be a ventriloquist, but not a bigamist. Everyone works it out, in fairly amusing fashion. Marshall's stunt double helps his a boxing match, but the film's chief asset is devoted butler Eric Blore (as Butch).

****** Breakfast for Two (10/27/37) Alfred Santell ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Eric Blore, Glenda Farrell

some good fun

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 July 2021]

Rich drunken playboy Jonathan Blair (Herbert Marshall) wakes up in the morning to find Valentine Ransome (Barbara Stanwyck) ready to leave. He had passed out and she brought him home after a night of partying. Actress Carol Wallace, one of his girlfriends, shows up to find them having breakfast. Valentine vows to reform the irresponsible, spoiled, womanizing playboy despite only met him once and then marry him.

Stanwyck has plenty of fun with her smile and her sass. She has a great bit with boxing. She's all kinds of fun. He's a fine foil. It's not the hottest of romances but it's good light fun.

That rare Marshall film I didn't like

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 6/10 · 17 April 2015]

I don't usually think of Herbert Marshall -- one of my favorite old-time actors -- with playboy roles (he was in his late 40s when he made this film), but that's exactly what he plays here. On the other hand, Barbara Stanwyck was pretty diverse at this point in her career, so her role as woman out to get a man not so surprising.

Another of our reviewers said she laughed her head off watching this film. Well, in the whole 67 minutes of this film I haven't laughed out load even once. I smiled a couple of times...at the butler. Actually, despite this being a comedy, Marshall's best scenes are the few which are dramatic.

One thing you will see here that is a bit rare, is a segment where Herbert Marshall is walking with an unobstructed view. Marshall had lost a leg during World War I, and this is one film where it is quite obvious.

This is probably the only Herbert Marshall film I've ever seen that I didn't like. It's just so blah.

This would be a 4 without stanwyck

[Nate-48 · 6/10 · 27 November 2018]

I would have given this a 4 based on the pathetic script but stanwyck is so captivating to that it deserves a 6 just for her sparkle. There are some nice sets and costumes but this was a pretty bad screwball even by generous screwball era standards in my view. I also think that the male leads we're totally miscast opposite stanwyck who is a tour de force by this time. Bad scripts like this led her to protest her contract.

Fun For All

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 23 December 2003]

A New York playboy & a Texas rich girl enjoy BREAKFAST FOR TWO after a wild night on the town.

Here is a screwball comedy which derives its humor more from the fine acting of its cast than from zany situations. When these situations do appear late in the film the characters are well established in the viewer's mind, adding extra zest to some very funny sequences.

Barbara Stanwyck stars as the highly determined young woman who uses her considerable resources to save the man she loves from his improvident lifestyle. This was an actress equally adept at the grittiest drama or the lightest comedy. Her timing was impeccable and her delivery uniquely all her own. As the object of her affections, Herbert Marshall makes excellent use of his suave demeanor and marvelous speaking voice to add a soupçon of sophistication to his character's wastrel ways.

An excellent supporting cast gets fully involved in the zany proceedings. Brassy Glenda Farrell plays the dumb blonde actress who adores Marshall; good-hearted & jolly, the plot really does treat her unkindly. Eric Blore is wonderful as Marshall's faithful, scheming valet. Tiny chittering Etienne Girardot plays Marshall's elderly office manager. Donald Meek, as a flustered little Justice of the Peace, gets to preside over three of the funniest wedding ceremonies ever committed to film.

RKO has given the film very fine production values, as epitomized by the mansion sets shown in the opening sequence. And what about those crazy window washers?!

Blame It on the Night

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 6 August 2014]

Texas socialite (Barbara Stanwyck) falls for bankrupt playboy (Herbert Marshall) dating a ditzy actress (Glenda Farrell). With help from Marshall's butler (Eric Blore), she sets out to reform him. First step is to buy his business to cut off his income so perhaps he will be forced to work. Then she tries to get him untangled from Farrell. Delightful little romantic comedy with a great cast. Stanwyck may not be a believable Texan but she's still likable and fun. Marshall is also a little hard to swallow as shiftless but his charm overcomes that. Eric Blore and Glenda Farrell offer terrific support. Wait til you see how Stanwyck breaks up a wedding. Kind of gave me the creeps!

Breakfast at nine, boxing at twelve....

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 3 July 2015]

Certain actors of the golden age of Hollywood don't get the quodos they deserve, simply because they seemed so dependable, just showing up to potentially be eaten up by one of the big, dramatic ladies who dominated that time. Certainly, the 1930's had its share of great leading men who are timeless: Cagney, EGR, Bogart, Flynn, Gable, Tracy, etc., but there are a ton of them who worked pretty much every leading lady available that today only us movie aficionados know if. George Brent, Warren William, Robert Montgomery, Ricardo Cortez, Ian Hunter, and in this screwball comedy's case, Herbert Marshall. Of course, he'll always be famous for allowing Bette Davis to chew him up and spit him out in "The Little Foxes", but he was so much more than that.

Here, Marshall is opposite Barbara Stanwyck, and gives as much as he gets, and then some! The story has him as a formerly wealthy playboy, now a drunk on the risk of losing his fortune. One night out on the town has him being helped home by Stanwyck who sleeps in his bed while he's passed out on the couch, covered in her fur. When valet Eric Blore (playing "Butch" which he is anything but) brings him his morning hangover remedy, he finds Stanwyck in his shower searching for a towel and Marshall covered in rabbit hair. After being locked in by Marshall's giant pooch, Stanwyck agrees to stay for breakfast. Barbs are tossed, and it appears that they are making romantic headway when Glenda Farrell (playing an allegedly untalented actress) arrives, claiming her rights to Marshall as his fiancée, leaving Stanwyck no other choice but to skedaddle. Stanwyck, a wealthy heiress from Texas, plots revenge by gaining the stock his company is losing, and this leads to a hysterical boxing match where Stanwyck gets the upper knob, oops, I mean upper hand, by giving both Marshall and "Butch" black eyes.

Hysterical comedy ensues when Farrell arranges an impromptu wedding as Stanwyck's wealthy Texas dad keeps interrupting the festivities posing as a window washer determined to make everything squeak so the bride and groom won't hear the vows. Stanwyck is one determined broad, and proves to Marshall that he needs her more than she needs him, even though it is obvious that she certainly wants him. They have a wonderful chemistry here, proving that Marshall wasn't just the seemingly bland, staid man of culture he played in many other films. George Brent had played this part in a few screwball comedies already, so its a nice change of pace to see him lighten up.

Oh, that supporting cast, between Blore as the very effeminate valet who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Etienne Giradot as one of Marshall's business associates, suffering from laryngitis who after taking one of Blore's concoctions loses his voice entirely, and Donald Meek as a very flustered minister. Farrell makes the most of her bad actress part, and even though her character is certainly annoying and whiny, Farrell makes her more than tolerable. Frank M. Thomas also has many amusing moments as Stanwyck's rambunctious father. This isn't up in the ranks with "My Man Godfrey", "Nothing Sacred", "Bringing Up Baby" or "Merrilly We Live", but its better than many other attempts at screwball comedy which when compared to these classics seem more like dumbbells than screwballs.

"Turn off your brain" fun

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 8 August 2007]

The film begins with rich and drunk playboy Herbert Marshall being taken to his home by nice girl Barbara Stanwyck. The butler's reaction (Eric Blore) at seeing her in the shower instead of his master is priceless! It seems that the Stanwyck and Marshall met the night before while he was on a bender and they share some sweet moments over breakfast. However, the nice moment is interrupted when Marshall finds that the fun and games are over, as he is practically broke and his family steamship line is about to be sold. Unknown to all, Barbara is loaded with cash and she buys the business and plans on letting Marshall run it--hoping to make him more responsible and her future husband! When Marshall discovers her plan, he is understandably miffed and immediately proposes to another woman!

This is a film that fans of old time Hollywood can enjoy. More "sophistsicated" viewers might see the premise of the film as very contrived and silly (which it is), but the point of the film is to enjoy the journey and NOT question the implausibility. Let me explain.... The film stars some excellent actors (Herbert Marshall and Barbara Stanwyck) and are very ably supported by some wonderful familiar faces--in particular, Eric Blore and Donald Meek. Unlike more modern films which often rely heavily on the stars, like some of the best 1930s films the supporting players give the film life and provide great laughs--providing a wonderful balance that is often missing in newer films. Heck, considering Blore's performance alone, I'd strongly recommend this movie. His appearances in TOP HAT and many other films of the 1930s did so much to improve the films, so I look forward to him at least at much as I looked forward to Stanwyck and Marshall! Also, while the plot is silly, the writing of the characters and dialog is amazingly witty and clever. In particular, the last 15 minutes of the film are sparkling and you can't help but laugh out loud--it's THAT good! Just turn off your brain and enjoy!

Blame it on the script

[michaelprescott-00547 · 6/10 · 20 August 2021]

Ultra-lightweight screwball comedy that works in spots, thanks to the heroic efforts of the cast. The premise is ridiculous even by genre standards, and Stanwyck's obsessive campaign to win Marshall by hook or crook borders on the psychopathic. Still, most of it goes by pleasantly enough, and the two wedding scenes are funny. The last act, though, loses focus, and the ending is pretty weak.

In short, it's both watchable and forgettable. What I can't figure out is why they called it Breakfast For Two when Stanwyck offers a far better title in a throwaway line: "Blame it on the night."

Stanwyck

[Michael_Elliott · 27 February 2008]

Breakfast for Two (1937)

** (out of 4)

A tough as nails Texas woman (Barbara Stanwyck) tries to break a playboy (Herbert Marshall) from some of his bad habits. This screwball comedy didn't really work for me mainly because I didn't feel anything between the two main characters. Eric Blore steals the show as the butler and the highlight happens at the start of the film when he goes into the bathroom to drop off some towels and notices it's not his boss in the shower but Stanwyck. There's also a talking dog on hand, which is somewhat more eerie than funny. There's also a subplot dealing with Marshall marrying a woman but I'm pretty sure you know how this romantic comedy will end.

"You're the sort of woman who wants to wear the . . . "

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 29 October 2020]

" . . . bath towel in the family," steamship company scuttling specialist Jonathan growls at Valentine, who's just appropriated his loo's lone lavatory sop-upper for her private personal use. If BREAKFAST FOR TWO's pair of star-crossed fighters were stranded in a Turkish bath house, or washed up on a Polynesian Beach, drying their forbidden zones would not be such a contentious matter. However, they're confined to a big city high-rise smack in the middle of a major American metropolis, where platoons of gawking window washers eagerly erupt into choruses of catcalls and wolf whistles at the barest provocation. Despite being trapped in a strange dude's john, Valentine resolves to make a clean breast of things, and eventually she manages to get all of her W.C. bathos off her chest.

great fun

[evso · 10/10 · 9 September 2002]

This movie was my first Barbara Stanwyck experience, so I perhaps enjoy it for more sentimental reasons than most. However, it is a terrific screwball comedy. Where else do you get Eric Blore (being his wonderful self), a talking dog, and Barbara Stanwyck wearing a boxing glove? I strongly recommend it to any Stanwyck fan. It is quite humorous and enjoyable. It's a cute little film and one of my all-time favorite comedies.

Arthur (the Pre-quel) with a twist

[svaihingen · 9/10 · 13 December 2012]

Drunken New York playboy with kindly, British butler who cares for him like his son, is tamed by savvy young woman who sees the good in him and saves him from marrying the wrong woman. A wedding is interrupted (twice), his fortune is threatened, and everything turns out well in the end.

The twist here is that the savvy woman who saves the playboy is an heiress herself. When they meet, he does not realize who she is, he just assumes that she is just one more in a long line of party girls who end up sharing a Breakfast for Two with him in his penthouse apartment.

Barbara Stanwyck, a Texas heiress who out painting the town on what was to be her last night in New York before returning to Texas, learns of his financial troubles during their first, magical night together (they actually get "lost between the moon and New York City").

She recognizes his wasted potential and sets out to break him like they would break a horse back in Texas. So she buys his shipping company in an effort to cure him of his poor management, spendthrift habits and the gold-digger fiancé that all threaten to ruin his old, family business.

There is a cute dog, a boxing match, six Hasidim window washers, three weddings, a daffy Justice of the Peace, a couple board meetings, a proxy fight, a receivership hearing and a happy ending.

great cast. good script.

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 4 February 2021]

Jonathan has picked up Miss Ransome. or has Miss Ransome picked up Jonathan? Stanwyck and Marshall star as hot new romantic couple. and the awesome Eric Blore is the sarcastic guardian butler. Donald Meeks is in here too! it just doesn't get better than that crew. big star Glenda Farrell is in here as the "first" girlfriend. that's trouble. and Jonathan has a HUGE dalmation. more trouble. and Jonathan is broke again. MORE trouble, considering he's written checks all over town. when the chips are down, Miss Ransome takes advantage and makes a shrewd business deal that puts her on top. but now Jonathan is mad at her. can they iron it out? it's a fun romp. made in the peaceful, happy pre-war time. directed by Al Santell. started in the silents. made this one and Interns Can't take Money with Stanwyck in the same year. story by David Garth. it's a really clever script. and it's Barbara Stanwyck!