C. Aubrey Smith, Charles Ruggles, Edward Everett Horton

Two jewellery thieves break into a rich woman's house in Paris, but one of them falls in love with her.

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91% liked it

2,945 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

22 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.

Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch

Release Date: January 1, 1932

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DVD Release Date: January 7, 2003

Stats: 186 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (186)


  • August 24, 2009
    A delightful -- not a word I normally use but it fits here -- comedy about two con artists, male and female, who fall in love, decide to bilk a rich woman out of her millions, and then the male crook complicates matters by falling in love with his prey. The script, the situations...( read more) and the acting are all first-rate.

    Miriam Hopkins and Kay Francis were both good, but it's Herbert Marshall who I really liked. I've always found him to be rather one-dimensional -- the urbane but weak leading man to strong actresses such as Bette Davis. To see that same character hiding a true snake in the grass was so much fun. Edward Everett Horton and Charlie Ruggles were entertaining as well, as the side story of the two men vieing for Kay Francis' hand.

    I've read that Ernst Lubitch was the father of screwball comedies. Without him films such as Bringing up Baby and My Man Godfrey may not have existed. I've seen several of Ernst Lubitch's films -- Ninotcka, Shop Around the Corner, etc. -- and have enjoyed every one. He might just become one of my favorite directors.
  • January 10, 2009
    A wonderful "blast from the past" - a roller coaster ride of a film that grabs you from the beginning and holds you to the end. A film of thieves, secret identities, purloined purses and stolen hearts as Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins, who fall in love while robbing each oth...( read more)er, create a scam to rob Perfume Heiress Kay Francis. What starts as a love triangle borders on being a love pentagram as rejected suitors and robbed victims come and go at the most inopportune times. The plot, camera work and the sharp witty dialogue keep the film at a pace that almost makes you feel like you're running through a maze at 100 mph. Made me wish Lubitsch had made Casablanca...
  • July 24, 2008
    Lubtisch does it again! A witty sophisticated con man/woman romance.

    "...(If) you made any attempt to handle your own business affairs, I would give you a good spanking - in a business way, of course."
  • February 10, 2008
    marvelous, witty and sophisticated tale of two charming con artists. a forgotten classic from the sadly neglected ernst lubitsch, the first of the great european directors to come to hollywood and change everything. fabulous wardrobe too! see it to experience the 'lubitsch tou...( read more)ch.' they don't make 'em like this anymore...
  • August 15, 2009
    Fun and charming Lubitsch film about two grifters that try to steal from a young widow. You can definitely see the Lubitsch touch in this film. His films have a different feel than most comedies of the 30's. It's not just theme and style,but mainly how the actors carry themselves...( read more) and interact with each other. I was really surprised how good Herbert Marshall was in this, and shocked he never had a bigger career. Miriam Hopkins is great as Marshall's cohort, and their relationship is original with great chemistry. Kay Francis really shines as a aloof and charming young widow. What makes this film different is that Marshall falls for both women and you want to see him with both. Lubitsch doesn't vilify any of the characters, but shows their short comings with great detail. Good film that is driven more by a great story and acting than comedy.
  • November 14, 2009
    youve got trouble,trouble,trouble.........
  • October 3, 2009
    "I have a confession to make to you: Baron, you are a crook. You robbed the gentleman in 253, 5, 7 and 9. May I have the salt?"


    Trouble in Paradise is a sly, sophisticated pre-Code comedy from 1932. It was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and stars Miriam Hopkins, Ka...( read more)y Francis, and Herbert Marshall, with comedians Edward Everett Horton and Charles Ruggles in supporting roles. The film is about two jewel thieves/con artists and their attempted scheme to rob a wealthy widow. Unfortunately, that widow happens to be Kay Francis in all her slouching sensuality and she proves to be hard for Herbert Marshall to resist. But his partner-in-crime and in love is Miriam Hopkins and she's not so bad herself. A looker and quite the spitfire, Hopkins steals practically every scene she is in.

    Lubitsch is a very celebrated director today and for good reason. He practically pioneered this genre. He served as a mentor to Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot, The Apartment), who had these words framed and hanging on the wall of his office: "How would Lubitsch do it?" George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story, Adam's Rib) also followed in Lubitsch's footsteps. Supposedly, this film is the best place to see the famed "Lubitsch touch" in action. It was actually his favorite of all of the films he made.

    This movie is like a fine chocolate truffle wrapped in sparkling sterling silver, just waiting for the viewer to discover and unwrap, savoring its sheer deliciousness. It is the very epitome of sophistication. Stylish. Witty. Classy. Elegant. Divine. These mere words cannot do it justice.

    There was one camera montage in particular that really wowed me. Francis is describing her and Marshall's possible future together as they are locked in an embrace. She says "we have weeks..." and you see a shot of the couple reflected in her round Art Deco boudoir mirror. Then she says "months..." and it's another shot from a different mirror but this time a close-up of the couple is reflected back. And then she finally says "years..." and it shows this amazing shot of her stylish bed complete with satin sheets and a shadow of the couple embracing in silhouette is framed in the center of the bed. It was gorgeous and uniquely creative. Awe-inspiring even.

    A sense of unrepentant mischief pervades throughout the film. This is pre-Code, yes but it's not as overtly salacious as other pre-codes I've seen. It's more about witty banter and highly sophisticated sexual innuendos. Robert Osborne on Turner Classic Movies informed me that Paramount wanted to re-release this a few years later but couldn't do so because of the new rules put in place by the strict enforcement of the Production Code, which began in 1934. So sadly, this film basically sat in a vault for about 30 years until the code was finally lifted in the 1960s. I would imagine that its unapologetic amoral tone overall is what got it into trouble the most. Luckily, that same tone helps to make it all the more enjoyable and modern today.

    For someone like me who is in love with Old Hollywood glamour, this film is a treasure trove indeed. This is the charm of the 1930s (or at least a stereotypical Hollywood artifice version) distilled into one picture. A good example of this is the Art Deco goodness that can be seen throughout. Little things such as clocks (which play a prominent role), phones, overall decor, clothes, staircases, and signs are all sleek, stunning, and presented in high style.

    Sparkling visually and verbally, this is a charming delight from start to finish. It's a true masterpiece of sophisticated romantic comedy that is not likely to be equaled. A must-see for all who enjoy a touch of class to go with their chuckles. Highly recommended.


  • July 7, 2009
    A pleasant experience overall.
  • December 28, 2008
    Definitely has the 'Lubitsch touch' - though I'm not entirely sure I'm a fan of said touch.
  • August 20, 2008
    What?s interesting about this movie is that it could have never been made at any other time than it was. As a pre-code film it was able to use a lot of sexual innuendos that could have never been used a few years later, and it wouldn?t have worked today as most of its humor is r...( read more)ooted in the way it gets around the standards of 1930s decency. Of course censoring this movie would be silly, all the innuendos would have gone straight over the heads of any children watching, and that?s a big part of why this is so innovative, it?s a Hollywood movie from the early 30s with distinctly adult sensibilities. This is one of the first screwball comedies, even pre-dating It Happened One Night, and its status as a pre-code film means it could go a lot further than the movies it inspired. I can?t say I personally found the movie all that funny, but I can appreciate the way this was comically put together, looked at in the context of its time, this is a real achievement.

Critic Reviews


April 3, 2001
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The situations are adult. The sexual innuendo is pointed and unmistakable. There's a golden glow to the print, and the actresses are extraordinary. full review

April 3, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is about people who are almost impossibly adult, in that fanciful movie way -- so suave, cynical, sophisticated, smooth and sure that a lifetime is hardly long enough to achieve such polish. They g... full review

View more Trouble in Paradise reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Trouble in Paradise Trivia


  • Who directed such romantic comedies of the thirties and forties as Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, and Trouble in Paradise?  Answer »
  • Anne Heche starred with Vince Vaughn in this movie about the trouble drugs can get you in.   Answer »
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