Hands Across the Table (1935)

82% of users liked it
(340 ratings)

After nearly a decade of nominal "leading lady" roles, Carole Lombard landed her first genuine starring vehicle with Hands Across the Table. Reasoning that the way to a man's heart is through his cuticles, Regi Allen (Carole Lombard) takes a job as a manicurist at a fancy barbershop, unabashedly… More After nearly a decade of nominal "leading lady" roles, Carole Lombard landed her first genuine starring vehicle with Hands Across the Table. Reasoning that the way to a man's heart is through his cuticles, Regi Allen (Carole Lombard) takes a job as a manicurist at a fancy barbershop, unabashedly admitting that she hopes to use this position to snag a rich husband. Sure enough, Regi's charms prove irresistable to Allen Macklyn (Ralph Bellamy) a wealthy and charming invalid, who knows that the girl is a golddigger but doesn't care. The other man in Regi's life is Theodore "Ted" Drew III (Fred MacMurray), who though born into a wealthy family is stone broke, and on the verge of marrying a rich debutante (Astrid Allwyn) to replenish his lost fortune. Hoping to briefly escape this fate and his other financial problems, Theodore hides out in Regi's apartment. It is, of course, a platonic relationship: Having been burned in the past, Regi doesn't want to get romantically entangled with a pauper, while Ted is already promised to someone else. But, as is often the case in 1930s comedies, things don't quite turn out the way that either Regi or Ted expect. Full of delightful, unexpected touches, Hands Across the Table proved to be a major boost for Carole Lombard's career, and didn't exactly do any harm to up-and-coming Fred MacMurray either. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Mitchell Leisen
Written By: Michel Krasna, Herbert Fields
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Oct 18, 1935 Wide
On DVD: Sep 12, 1995
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
... never that funny or intelligent as it appears to be at first glance.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
[Leisen] keeps things moving at a nice pace, and his attention to detail in the sets and costumes makes the film a joy to look at.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Breezy lark with a sparkling Carole Lombard. She and Fred work well together as always and if you only know him from his years as the retiring dad on My Three Sons he's quite dishy here. Ralph Bellamy is the odd man out again but at lest his Allen is afforded some dignity here… More
Breezy lark with a sparkling Carole Lombard. She and Fred work well together as always and if you only know him from his years as the retiring dad on My Three Sons he's quite dishy here. Ralph Bellamy is the odd man out again but at lest his Allen is afforded some dignity here instead of being the poor sap he usually got stuck playing.
Stephen M

<I>Hands Across the Table</I> is a variation on probably the most oft-recycled of all screwball plots, that of the gold-digger whose schemes are derailed by the inconvenient intervention of true love. Carole Lombard, as a designing manicurist, and Fred MacMurray, as the… More
<I>Hands Across the Table</I> is a variation on probably the most oft-recycled of all screwball plots, that of the gold-digger whose schemes are derailed by the inconvenient intervention of true love. Carole Lombard, as a designing manicurist, and Fred MacMurray, as the penniless playboy the former mistakes for her meal ticket, are both wonderful, but there's something odd about the tone of the picture, evidenced by the fact that our sadness for Ralph Bellamy, Lombard's unrequited suitor, outweighs our happiness for Lombard and MacMurray at the close.

Cast

            Carole Lombard as Regi Allen

            Fred MacMurray as Theodore Drew III

            Ralph Bellamy as Allen Macklyn

            Astrid Allwyn as Vivian Snowden

            Ruth Donnelly as Laura

            Marie Prevost as Nona

            Joseph R. Tozer as Peter

            William Demarest as Natty

            Edward Gargan as Pinky Kelly

            Ferdinand Munier as Miles the Butler

            Harold Minjir as Valentine

            Marcelle Corday as Celeste the French Maid

            Murray Alper as Cab Driver

            Sam Ash as Maitre d'

            Albert Conti as Maitre d' in Speakeasy

            Nell Craig as Saleslady

            Bess Flowers as Diner

            Mary MacLaren as Chambermaid

            Jerry Mandy as Headwaiter

            Nelson McDowell as Man in Nightshirt

            Harold Miller as Barber Customer

            Edward Peil Sr.
            
            Francis Sayles
            
            Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
            
            Harold Williams
            
            Jerome Storm
            
            James Adamson as Porter

            Dutch Hendrian as Taxi Driver

            Rod Wilson as Piano Player

            Peter Allen as Jewelry Clerk
See full cast