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Cluny Brown

  • 19461946
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
A free-spirited parlor maid and a Czech refugee surprise an English village with their unconventional ways.
Play trailer2:48
1 Video
48 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Romance
  • War
A free-spirited parlor maid and a Czech refugee surprise an English village with their unconventional ways.A free-spirited parlor maid and a Czech refugee surprise an English village with their unconventional ways.A free-spirited parlor maid and a Czech refugee surprise an English village with their unconventional ways.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Ernst Lubitsch
  • Writers
    • Samuel Hoffenstein(screenplay)
    • Elizabeth Reinhardt(screenplay)
    • Margery Sharp(based on novel by)
  • Stars
    • Charles Boyer
    • Jennifer Jones
    • Peter Lawford
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ernst Lubitsch
  • Writers
    • Samuel Hoffenstein(screenplay)
    • Elizabeth Reinhardt(screenplay)
    • Margery Sharp(based on novel by)
  • Stars
    • Charles Boyer
    • Jennifer Jones
    • Peter Lawford
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 33User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:48
    Trailer

    Photos48

    Sara Allgood in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer, Reginald Gardiner, and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)
    Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones in Cluny Brown (1946)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Boyer
    Charles Boyer
    • Adam Belinskias Adam Belinski
    Jennifer Jones
    Jennifer Jones
    • Cluny Brownas Cluny Brown
    Peter Lawford
    Peter Lawford
    • Andrew Carmelas Andrew Carmel
    Helen Walker
    Helen Walker
    • Betty Creamas Betty Cream
    Reginald Gardiner
    Reginald Gardiner
    • Hilary Amesas Hilary Ames
    Reginald Owen
    Reginald Owen
    • Sir Henry Carmelas Sir Henry Carmel
    C. Aubrey Smith
    C. Aubrey Smith
    • Col. Charles Duff Grahamas Col. Charles Duff Graham
    • (as Sir C. Aubrey Smith)
    Richard Haydn
    Richard Haydn
    • Jonathan Wilsonas Jonathan Wilson
    Margaret Bannerman
    Margaret Bannerman
    • Lady Alice Carmelas Lady Alice Carmel
    Sara Allgood
    Sara Allgood
    • Mrs. Maileas Mrs. Maile
    Ernest Cossart
    Ernest Cossart
    • Syretteas Syrette
    Florence Bates
    Florence Bates
    • Dowager at Ames' Partyas Dowager at Ames' Party
    Una O'Connor
    Una O'Connor
    • Mrs. Wilsonas Mrs. Wilson
    Norman Ainsley
    • Mr. Tuphamas Mr. Tupham
    • (uncredited)
    Billy Bevan
    Billy Bevan
    • Uncle Arn Porrittas Uncle Arn Porritt
    • (uncredited)
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Archieas Archie
    • (uncredited)
    Bette Rae Brown
    • Girl at Partyas Girl at Party
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Coleman
    Charles Coleman
    • Constable Birkinsas Constable Birkins
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ernst Lubitsch
    • Writers
      • Samuel Hoffenstein(screenplay)
      • Elizabeth Reinhardt(screenplay)
      • Margery Sharp(based on novel by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the last film director Ernst Lubitsch completed himself. He died the following year during the filming of That Lady in Ermine (1948).
    • Goofs
      When Cluny and Adam and Hilary are in Hilary's living room, just after Cluny says "It's so wonderful to be a cat and read the Daily Mail," the boom mic can be seen in the mirror above Adam's head.
    • Quotes

      Adam Belinski: In Hyde Park, for instance, some people like to feed nuts to the squirrels. But if it makes you happy to feed squirrels to the nuts, who am I to say, "nuts to the squirrels?"

    • Connections
      Edited into I Love Lucy: The Fox Hunt (1956)

    User reviews33

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A masterpiece of comedy - or a big mouth nightingale under his window
    This is a very clever, witty, wacky, screwball, satire comedy of people, place and manners. From its source to the script, acting and production, "Cluny Brown" is a masterpiece of film comedy. This is one of the cleverest, funniest and most entertaining movies I've ever seen. The script is witty, filled with hilarious dialog, and sprinkled with frequent clever sidesteps and detours. Such would normally make a film disjointed and hard to follow. But here the short distractions work beautifully to make it like a screwball comedy. All of this makes for a very funny, wacky and subtly satirical film.

    The film begins in London in June of 1938. World War II had not yet begun. The book on which the film is based, was a 1944 novel of the same title. The world was deeply into the war when Margery Sharp wrote the novel, but the outcome was far from certain. Yet, the war was well over by the summer of 1946 when this film came out. Part of the spoofery of the film is of the ignorance about the world scene among some of the upper peerage of England.

    Ernst Lubitsch directed some of the best political satire films, and this was the last movie he completed before his death in 1947 of a heart attack at age 55. Besides a great plot and excellent screenplay, this film has a marvelous cast. The acting is superb from the leads down to the smallest of roles. The supporting cast reads like a who's who of U.K. actors of the day.

    The script is so chock-full of humor that this film needs a second, third and even fourth viewing. It gets better each time as one notices more of the short retorts, smart snippets and wacky lines. Many of the cast were worthy of Oscar nominations in 1946. But it was a year of many great films, most of which were serious fare in the aftermath of war. Still, "Cluny Brown" was a hit on both sides of the pond. Had it been made three or four years later, it surely would have captured some major awards.

    As Cluny, Jennifer Jones shows her aptitude for comedy as well as drama. She was nominated for an Oscar in another film of 1946, the Western drama, "Duel in the Sun." She won an Oscar and Golden Globe for "The Song of Bernadette" in 1943. Jones clearly is one of the great actresses of the silver screen.

    Cluny's fixation for plumbing is matched by Adam Belinski's observance of the squirrels and nuts in Hyde Park. Charles Boyer is at his comedic best as the Czech writer who fled his native Budapest ahead of the Nazis.

    Each one of the rest of the cast who play English lords, ladies, servants and tradesmen, is ideal in his or her role. Reginald Owen is hilarious as Sir Henry Carmel. Margaret Bannerman has a role much like one that Billie Burke often played. She is something of a dingbat with moments of clarity. Peter Lawford is very funny as Andrew Carmel, and Helen Walker is a scream as Betty Cream. The pretentious Andrew can't stand the pretentious Cream, but he pines for her constantly. Richard Haydn is howlingly funny as the snobbish chemist (we Yanks would call him a druggist), Jonathan Wilson. Una O'Connor was never funnier, without saying a single word. The servants of the Carmels are a hoot, and Reginald Gardiner, Billy Bevan and all the rest provide shots of humor.

    Author Margery Sharp (1905-1991) was a sort of Jane Austen of the 20th century. With more than two dozen novels and many short stories and plays to her credit, she was well known. A number of her stories have been put on film. "Julia Misbehaves" of 1948 is another great comedy with Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and Cesar Romero.

    Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more great dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.

    Hilary Ames, "If plumbing's going to make a go of it in this country, the plumbers jolly well better get into the spirit of the thing."

    Andrew Carmel, "Good heavens." Betty Cream, "What's the matter?" Andrew, "It's Belinski." ... Betty, "Is he a gangster?" Andrew, "Don't be an idiot, Betty. He's a Czech."

    Sir Henry Carmel, "You mean to tell me young girls go in for plumbing nowadays?... When I was a young man, we never even discussed plumbing. As a matter of fact, we didn't have any."

    Lady Alice Carmel, "If England must produce Belinskis, why we will produce Belinskis. Britain has never failed. Now have your tea, dear."

    Andrew Carmel, "Oh, you can't call a man broke just because he hasn't any money."

    Lady Alice Carmel, "So many foreigners do have foreign names, don't they?"

    Syrette, "What do you expect? Maid without references, and a foreigner who isn't even in the diplomatic service."

    Cluny Brown, "Poor little sheep. It hasn't much future, has it? Just mutton." Jonathan Wilson, "And where would England be without it? If I was a sheep, I should be proud to serve the empire."

    Jonathan Wilson, "Mother doesn't waste words on flattery. If she speaks, it's to correct faults."

    Adam Belinski, "No, Sir Henry. I know Hitler." Sir Henry Carmel, "Oh, yes, he's written a book, hasn't he?... What's it called? Oh, yes, "My Camp." Belinski, "Yes, it's a kind of outdoor book. The old German idea of sport. Not your kind of sport.

    Syrette, "I shall never forget the day she dusted the left eye out of Sir Henry's moose."

    Cluny Brown, "You know, Mr. Belinski, men just don't marry plumbers."

    Cluny Brown, "He told me what he thought of me. Some of it was in Latin."
    helpful•11
    1
    • SimonJack
    • Dec 10, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 2, 1946 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cluny Brown auf Freiersfüßen
    • Filming locations
      • 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $17,155
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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