Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Ruggles of Red Gap

  • 19351935
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
4K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
  • Comedy
  • Romance
  • Western
An English valet brought to the American west assimilates into the American way of life.An English valet brought to the American west assimilates into the American way of life.An English valet brought to the American west assimilates into the American way of life.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Leo McCarey
  • Writers
    • Harry Leon Wilson(novel "Ruggles of Red Gap")
    • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
    • Harlan Thompson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Charles Laughton
    • Mary Boland
    • Charles Ruggles
Top credits
  • Director
    • Leo McCarey
  • Writers
    • Harry Leon Wilson(novel "Ruggles of Red Gap")
    • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
    • Harlan Thompson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Charles Laughton
    • Mary Boland
    • Charles Ruggles
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 40User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination total

    Photos68

    Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Zasu Pitts, and Charles Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Charles Laughton and Zasu Pitts in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Charles Laughton and Zasu Pitts in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Charles Laughton and Roland Young in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Mary Boland and Lucien Littlefield in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Leila Hyams and Roland Young in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Leila Hyams and Charles Ruggles in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Charles Ruggles and Roland Young in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Zasu Pitts in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Mary Boland and Maude Eburne in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Laughton
    Charles Laughton
    • Rugglesas Ruggles
    Mary Boland
    Mary Boland
    • Effie Floudas Effie Floud
    Charles Ruggles
    Charles Ruggles
    • Egbert Floudas Egbert Floud
    Zasu Pitts
    Zasu Pitts
    • Prunella Judsonas Prunella Judson
    Roland Young
    Roland Young
    • George--Earl of Burnsteadas George--Earl of Burnstead
    Leila Hyams
    Leila Hyams
    • Nell Kenneras Nell Kenner
    Maude Eburne
    Maude Eburne
    • 'Ma' Pettingillas 'Ma' Pettingill
    Lucien Littlefield
    Lucien Littlefield
    • Charles Belknap-Jacksonas Charles Belknap-Jackson
    Leota Lorraine
    Leota Lorraine
    • Mrs. Belknap-Jacksonas Mrs. Belknap-Jackson
    James Burke
    James Burke
    • Jeff Tuttleas Jeff Tuttle
    Dell Henderson
    Dell Henderson
    • Samas Sam
    Clarence Wilson
    Clarence Wilson
    • Jake Henshawas Jake Henshaw
    Ernie Adams
    Ernie Adams
    • Dishwasheras Dishwasher
    • (uncredited)
    Rafael Alcayde
    Rafael Alcayde
    • Clothing Salesmanas Clothing Salesman
    • (uncredited)
    Augusta Anderson
    Augusta Anderson
    • Mrs. Wallabyas Mrs. Wallaby
    • (uncredited)
    Alyce Ardell
    Alyce Ardell
    • Lisette - French Maidas Lisette - French Maid
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Bernard
    Harry Bernard
    • Harry - Bartender #2as Harry - Bartender #2
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Bowen
    Harry Bowen
    • Photographeras Photographer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Leo McCarey
    • Writers
      • Harry Leon Wilson(novel "Ruggles of Red Gap")
      • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
      • Harlan Thompson(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Les Misérables
    7.7
    Les Misérables
    Naughty Marietta
    6.5
    Naughty Marietta
    The Barretts of Wimpole Street
    7.0
    The Barretts of Wimpole Street
    Alice Adams
    6.9
    Alice Adams
    The Informer
    7.4
    The Informer
    The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
    7.1
    The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
    Three Smart Girls
    6.6
    Three Smart Girls
    Here Comes the Navy
    6.3
    Here Comes the Navy
    One Hour with You
    7.1
    One Hour with You
    A Tale of Two Cities
    7.8
    A Tale of Two Cities
    Broadway Melody of 1936
    6.8
    Broadway Melody of 1936
    Imitation of Life
    7.5
    Imitation of Life

    Storyline

    Edit
    While visiting Paris in 1908, upper class Lord Burnstead loses his butler playing poker. Egbert and Effie Floud bring Ruggles back to Red Gap, Washington. Effie wants to take advantage of Ruggles' upper class background to influence Egbert's hick lifestyle. However, Egbert is more interested in partying and he takes Ruggles to the local 'beer bust'. When word gets out that "Colonel Ruggles is staying with his close friends" in the local paper, the butler becomes a town celebrity. After befriending Mrs. Judson, a widow who he impresses with his culinary skills, Ruggles decides to strike out on his own and open a restaurant. His transition from servant to independent man will depend on its success. —Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca>
    • fish out of water
    • valet
    • self discovery
    • culture clash
    • national film registry
    • 17 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Here they are right from the pages of Harry Leon Wilson's book! See Red Gap society take to Ruggles, the English valet, and see Ruggles take Red Gap! (Print Ad-Daily Times, ((Rochester, Penna.)) 21 May 1935)
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Romance
      • Western
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Edward Dmytryk, the film's editor, said that Charles Laughton became so emotional during the scene in the saloon where he recites the Gettysburg Address that it took director Leo McCarey 1-1/2 days to complete shooting it. According to Dmytryk, the preview audiences found Laughton's close-ups in the scene embarrassing and tittered through the speech. When substitute shots of Laughton from behind were inserted, the audience found the reaction shots of the other people reacting to him very moving, and the second preview was extremely successful.
    • Goofs
      When Effie tells Ruggles to take her husband to the art museums she shows him a book that he uses to record his impressions of the art he's viewed, when the camera angle changes the book has changed from her hands to her husbands hands without any pause in her lines.
    • Quotes

      Egbert Floud: I can be pushed just so fur and no futher.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits are shown over various silhouettes of a butler.
    • Connections
      Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      By the Light of the Silvery Moon
      (uncredited)

      Music by Gus Edwards

      Lyrics by Edward Madden

      Played during the opening credits

      Also sung by Leila Hyams and others

    User reviews40

    Review
    Top review
    Heartwarming and Sentimental Comedy of the 1930's
    "Ruggles of Red Gap" is the kind of comedy film that is rarely made by Hollywood anymore: a film with the emphasis on characterization without the cheap and obvious jokes of today's films. The plot is a good one. The services of a third-generation English Butler (Charles Laughton) are won in a poker game to an American couple (a very funny Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland) who reside in Red Gap, Washington. Ruggles' former employer, Lord Burnstead (a fine Roland Young) reluctantly gives him up to the couple but assures him that he will come back for him as soon as possible. Once in America, however, Ruggles gets a newfound sense of freedom and after being inadvertantly fired by the uncouth American couple, decides to open up his own restaurant with the help of a widow (Zasu Pitts) who he has much affection for. The movie was nominated for Best Picture and the performances are outstanding, particularly Charles Laughton as the butler/servant who sees freedoms and opportunities in America that he never would have had if he remained in England. The standout scene in the movie is when Laughton is in a local Red Gap bar and someone mentions Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. When no one in the bar can seem to remember what Lincoln said, Laughton (the Englishman)recites the speech in its entirety with enough emotion and dramatic flair to bring tears to one's eyes. The underlying theme of the movie is basically about Anglo American relations and the common ground and friendship between both nations. This is a "must see" for anyone still interested in how great Hollywood was in its heyday, and particularly how wonderful and original the comedies were in that early and Golden Age of film-making.
    helpful•31
    2
    • Chuck-185
    • May 20, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 8, 1935 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Ein Butler in Amerika
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees
    Timothée Chalamet could make Oscars history by starring in three Best Picture nominees
    Sep 9Gold Derby
    The Forgotten: Loose Cruise
    Sep 20MUBI

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The 10 Most Anticipated Marvel and DC Movies
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.