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Design for Living

Play trailer Poster for Design for Living Released Dec 29, 1933 1h 30m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
76% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Painter George (Gary Cooper) and playwright Thomas (Fredric March) are two Americans sharing a Paris apartment. They're also rivals for the affection of commercial artist Gilda (Miriam Hopkins). When the plucky Gilda moves in, with the express understanding that there will be no funny business, the rivalry between George and Thomas heats up even further. Then Thomas heads to London when one of his plays is being produced there, leaving George free to make his move.

Critics Reviews

View All (17) Critics Reviews
Time Out The script galumphs when it should glide. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Well, maybe it is a little lumpy for Lubitsch, but I think the film more than holds its own. Feb 26, 2003 Full Review Forsyth Hardy Cinema Quarterly Design for Living is in the true Lubitsch tradition, and I think it his most satisfying sound film. Feb 3, 2021 Full Review Harold V. Cohen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All this is handled in Mr. Lubitsch's most delightful manner. Jan 4, 2021 Full Review Shadow Stage Photoplay Plenty of excitement, excellent acting and sparkle. Oct 8, 2020 Full Review Helen Brown Norden Vanity Fair The general effect is as if they suddenly realized that they're in a Noel Coward drama, and are stymied by the thought. Jun 6, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Unless it shocks you it doesn't really work. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/26/23 Full Review Audience Member In this surprisingly risque film made before the Hays code, two men and a woman share an apartment in Paris and talk openly about sex. Lubitsch direction is excellent. March is wonderful as a struggling playwright. Hopkins has one of her best roles as a free loving woman who loves two men but marries a third. Cooper gives a fine comedic performance as a hot tempered artist. There's no music which could make things seem static but Lubitsch keeps it moving at a good pace. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Easy watching movie. Hopkins plays a character that is indecisive that is intertwined between 2 friends and her boss, all 3 of which are platonic/sexual love interest. Good scenery within Paris, glamour clothes, broken down shack apartment, and train rides Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Tom M March and Cooper would eventually win two Oscars each. Hopkins put them to shame here ... she's brilliant ! Miriam Hopkins is among the most talented, beautiful and underrated actresses of the 30s and 40s. Pre-code is a strange thing in 2020. In 1933 Hopkins is taking turns having sex with Cooper and March and in the end it's implied they have a menage a trois. For the next 30 years even married couples in movies would sleep in twin beds. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/11/20 Full Review Audience Member A naughty little pre-code Hollywood gem that seems even a bit risky looking back at it today. Miriam Hopkins falls for best friends Fredric March and Gary Cooper. She can't decide which one to pick, so she moves in with both of them. The film doesn't even try to cover up that she is sleeping with them both. Things seem okay for awhile, but pretty soon another guy comes along and she reels him in. The obvious inspiration for Gregg Araki's 1999 film "Splendor". Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review william k Despite censorship and unusual casting the is still an amazingly open-minded and entertaining ménage à trois comedy, made with Ernst Lubitsch's sure hand for such material. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Design for Living

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Design for Living

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Movie Info

Synopsis Painter George (Gary Cooper) and playwright Thomas (Fredric March) are two Americans sharing a Paris apartment. They're also rivals for the affection of commercial artist Gilda (Miriam Hopkins). When the plucky Gilda moves in, with the express understanding that there will be no funny business, the rivalry between George and Thomas heats up even further. Then Thomas heads to London when one of his plays is being produced there, leaving George free to make his move.
Director
Ernst Lubitsch
Producer
Ernst Lubitsch
Screenwriter
Ben Hecht
Production Co
Paramount, Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 29, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 4, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m