A Bill of Divorcement

Play trailer

A Bill of Divorcement

1932

1h 10m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Meg Fairfield (Billie Burke) is set to marry Gray Meredith (Paul Cavanagh), pending a divorce from her first husband, Hilary (John Barrymore), who has spent nearly 20 years in an insane asylum. On Christmas morning, while Meg and Gray are attending church, Hilary returns home, having snapped out of his illness. He is met by his daughter, Sydney (Katharine Hepburn), who is worried she will inherit his mental problems. The Fairfields must decide how Hilary's arrival will change their plans.

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

A rigid examination of social mores regarding marriage and mental illness, it has the potential to be a rousing screwball comedy, but instead hovers on dread and melodrama.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 18, 2020

Full Review

Pare Lorentz

Vanity Fair

John Barrymore and Miss Hepburn brighten the generally pat and stuffy feeling of the movie and make it entertaining.

Jun 5, 2019

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

The dramaturgy is pure 19th-century, yet Cukor gives you Barrymore and the debuting Hepburn cutting through it like a couple of long-stemmed knives

Jul 4, 2011

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Outdated family drama about dealing with mental illness.

Rated: C+

Aug 12, 2008

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Even in 1932, when the melodrama was made, the biological and moral issues of insanity were outdated, but Cukor's film features an original, striking turn from Katharine Hepburn in her screen debut.

Rated: B

Jul 10, 2006

Full Review

Read all reviews

RICHARD S

Without reiterating the plot - I viewed this on YOUTUBE last night and was delighted with the pristine print and sound. It runs at just one hour and covers the story pretty well. Of course the acting style is dated, but you have a chance to see Katherine Hepburn, Billie Burke and John Barrymore at their best for the era. Burke's character not be very well written, however, as she behaves incredibly in scenes with her estranged and sympathetic husband on the eve of her marriage to another man. Enjoy a well done flick for its time! (PS - this print was, unfortunately, very poorly colorized.)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

Full Review

Steve D

Well done from a great cast.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

One of John Barrymore best film while, Katharine Hepburn gives a great performance in her debut film role. The story revolves around a beleaguered father spending years in an instituton after being shellshocked in the great war. He escapes and returns home only to find that all has changed in the Homefront. A great watch for fans of sentimental drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

VERY stagy but interesting film served as Hepburn's screen bow. She's a trifle studied and Barrymore occasionally goes over the top but mixed in with that is some excellent acting by both. Billie Burke, more subdued than usual, delivers the film's best most consistent performance. She does a very fine job of showing the anguish of a life suddenly turned upside down.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

first of many pairings of david selznick & director george cukor

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Entertainingly melodramatic tale of hereditary insanity with a bizarrely unsatisfactory ending. Young Kate is fun to watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

George Cukor

Director

John Barrymore

Hilary Fairfield

Katharine Hepburn

Sydney Fairfield

Billie Burke

Meg Fairfield

David Manners

Kit Humphreys

Henry Stephenson

Doctor Alliot

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

Meg Fairfield (Billie Burke) is set to marry Gray Meredith (Paul Cavanagh), pending a divorce from her first husband, Hilary (John Barrymore), who has spent nearly 20 years in an insane asylum. On Christmas morning, while Meg and Gray are attending church, Hilary returns home, having snapped out of his illness. He is met by his daughter, Sydney (Katharine Hepburn), who is worried she will inherit his mental problems. The Fairfields must decide how Hilary's arrival will change their plans.

Director: George Cukor
Producer: David O. Selznick
Screenwriter: Howard Estabrook, Harry Wagstaff Gribble
Production Co: Selznick International, RKO Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 25, 2016
Runtime: 1h 10m