Trouble for Two
Encyclopedia
Trouble for Two is a 1936 film starring Robert Montgomery
and Rosalind Russell
. It is based on The Suicide Club
, a short story collection by Robert Louis Stevenson
. A European prince, unhappy over an impending arranged marriage
, finds intrigue at an unusual London club.
).
Traveling incognito, Florizel meets a mysterious woman, Miss Vandeleur (Rosalind Russell) aboard the ship bound for London. She asks him to keep an envelope and return it to her after they arrive. Intrigued, he saves her from a menacing man who demands the papers, but waits in vain for her at the dock. When Geraldine opens the envelope, they find only blank paper.
In London, they are dining at a restaurant when a young man (Louis Hayward
) enters with a servant bearing a tray of cream tarts and asks a woman patron to eat one. Suspicious, she refuses, so he consumes it himself. When the man asks Florizel, the prince not only accepts, he splits up the remaining ten tarts with the man and Geraldine, and asks to hear his story. The man, Cecil Barnley, confesses to having frivolously squandered his fortune and has embarked on one last silly lark before ending his life at the Suicide Club, which arranges deaths in such a manner as to avoid embarrassing its members or their families. Florizel, disbelieving but curious, pretends that both he and Geraldine also want to commit suicide, and get Barnley to take them to the club.
They are scrutinized before being admitted by its president (Reginald Owen
). Inside, Florizel (going under the name of Theopholus Godall) is surprised to find Miss Vandeleur, the sole woman in a roomful of men. The president then deals each person a card: the one who gets the ace of spades is to be killed by the one dealt the ace of clubs. On this night, it is determined that Barnley is to be dispatched by Miss Vandeleur following the instructions of the president.
The morning newspaper reports Barnley's death. The next night, the procedure is repeated. This time, Miss Vandeleur is to do away with Florizel. She takes him to the zoo, where he is to be torn apart by a lion. However, she is unable to go through with it. She confesses that she convinced Barnley to keep on living and gave him some money to go to Paris. She reveals that she ran away to avoid marrying a "pig in a poke". Florizel then realizes that Miss Vandeleur is really Princess Brenda. She recognized him aboard the ship.
The next day, Florizel is lured to a meeting. It turns out that the club president is Dr. Franz Noel, a Carovian exiled for treason. Noel sentences Florizel to death by hanging. He is rescued by Geraldine, but Noel gets away with Geraldine as his captive.
Noel offers to spare his prisoner's life if Florizel will agree to a duel
to the death. Florizel accepts, but takes the precaution of bringing along some others; a wise decision, as Noel had intended to simply hang Florizel. Instead, the prince kills Noel in a fair fight.
Robert Montgomery (actor)
Robert Montgomery was an American actor and director.- Early life :Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery, Jr. in Beacon, New York, then known as "Fishkill Landing", the son of Mary Weed and Henry Montgomery, Sr. His early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was president of the New...
and Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
. It is based on The Suicide Club
The Suicide Club (Stevenson)
The Suicide Club is a collection of three 19th century detective fiction short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson that combine to form a single narrative...
, a short story collection by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. A European prince, unhappy over an impending arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
, finds intrigue at an unusual London club.
Plot
Prince Florizel of Carovia (Robert Montgomery) is unpleasantly surprised to learn that negotiations for his marriage to Princess Brenda of Irania are far advanced. He has not seen his intended bride since they were children, and at the time, he was not impressed. Luckily for him, Brenda is equally unwilling to marry a "pig in a poke". However, his father, the King (E. E. Clive), reminds him of his duty and their somewhat precarious position; only three years earlier, a revolution was suppressed, and the ringleaders are still at large. The King sends his son to London to think things over, accompanied by Colonel Geraldine (Frank MorganFrank Morgan
Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
).
Traveling incognito, Florizel meets a mysterious woman, Miss Vandeleur (Rosalind Russell) aboard the ship bound for London. She asks him to keep an envelope and return it to her after they arrive. Intrigued, he saves her from a menacing man who demands the papers, but waits in vain for her at the dock. When Geraldine opens the envelope, they find only blank paper.
In London, they are dining at a restaurant when a young man (Louis Hayward
Louis Hayward
Louis Charles Hayward was a British actor born in South Africa.-Biography:Born in Johannesburg, Hayward began his screen work in British films, notably as Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris' The Saint in New York.] In 1939 he played a dual role in The Man in the Iron Mask.During World War II,...
) enters with a servant bearing a tray of cream tarts and asks a woman patron to eat one. Suspicious, she refuses, so he consumes it himself. When the man asks Florizel, the prince not only accepts, he splits up the remaining ten tarts with the man and Geraldine, and asks to hear his story. The man, Cecil Barnley, confesses to having frivolously squandered his fortune and has embarked on one last silly lark before ending his life at the Suicide Club, which arranges deaths in such a manner as to avoid embarrassing its members or their families. Florizel, disbelieving but curious, pretends that both he and Geraldine also want to commit suicide, and get Barnley to take them to the club.
They are scrutinized before being admitted by its president (Reginald Owen
Reginald Owen
John Reginald Owen was a British character actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American movies and later in television programs.-Personal:...
). Inside, Florizel (going under the name of Theopholus Godall) is surprised to find Miss Vandeleur, the sole woman in a roomful of men. The president then deals each person a card: the one who gets the ace of spades is to be killed by the one dealt the ace of clubs. On this night, it is determined that Barnley is to be dispatched by Miss Vandeleur following the instructions of the president.
The morning newspaper reports Barnley's death. The next night, the procedure is repeated. This time, Miss Vandeleur is to do away with Florizel. She takes him to the zoo, where he is to be torn apart by a lion. However, she is unable to go through with it. She confesses that she convinced Barnley to keep on living and gave him some money to go to Paris. She reveals that she ran away to avoid marrying a "pig in a poke". Florizel then realizes that Miss Vandeleur is really Princess Brenda. She recognized him aboard the ship.
The next day, Florizel is lured to a meeting. It turns out that the club president is Dr. Franz Noel, a Carovian exiled for treason. Noel sentences Florizel to death by hanging. He is rescued by Geraldine, but Noel gets away with Geraldine as his captive.
Noel offers to spare his prisoner's life if Florizel will agree to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
to the death. Florizel accepts, but takes the precaution of bringing along some others; a wise decision, as Noel had intended to simply hang Florizel. Instead, the prince kills Noel in a fair fight.
Cast
- Robert Montgomery as Prince Florizel
- Rosalind Russell as Miss Vandeleur
- Frank MorganFrank MorganFrank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
as Colonel Geraldine - Reginald OwenReginald OwenJohn Reginald Owen was a British character actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American movies and later in television programs.-Personal:...
as President of Club - Louis HaywardLouis HaywardLouis Charles Hayward was a British actor born in South Africa.-Biography:Born in Johannesburg, Hayward began his screen work in British films, notably as Simon Templar in Leslie Charteris' The Saint in New York.] In 1939 he played a dual role in The Man in the Iron Mask.During World War II,...
as Young Man with Cream Tarts - E. E. Clive as King
- Walter KingsfordWalter KingsfordWalter Kingsford was a British stage, film and television actor born in Redhill, Surrey, England. He was born Walter Pearce and had several sisters...
as Malthus - Ivan F. Simpson as Collins (as Ivan Simpson)
- Tom Moore as Major O'Rook
- Robert Greig as Fat Man
- Pedro de CordobaPedro de CordobaPedro de Cordoba , was an American actor.Pedro de Cordoba, who appeared in his first film, a 1915 version of Carmen, was actually a classically trained theatre actor who confessed he did not enjoy appearing in silent films nearly as much as he liked working on stage...
as Sergei - Leyland Hodgson as Captain Rich (as Leland Hogdson)