Trouble in Paradise (1932)

91% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(3,644 ratings)

Ernst Lubitsch used Laszlo Aladar's play The Honest Finder as a springboard for one of his most delightful early-'30s Paramount confections. Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins play Gaston and Lily, a pair of Parisian thieves, both disguised as nobility, who decide to rob lovely perfume company… More Ernst Lubitsch used Laszlo Aladar's play The Honest Finder as a springboard for one of his most delightful early-'30s Paramount confections. Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins play Gaston and Lily, a pair of Parisian thieves, both disguised as nobility, who decide to rob lovely perfume company executive Mariette Colet (Kay Francis); Gaston gets a job as Mariette's confidential secretary, while Lily installs herself as the woman's typist. Love rears its head, forcing Gaston to choose between marriage to Mariette and a fast getaway with Lily. Filled with marvelous throwaway gags and sophisticated innuendo, Trouble in Paradise was described by one critic as "as close to perfection as anything I have ever seen in the movies." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.
Directed By: Ernst Lubitsch
Written By: Aladar Laszlo, Grover Jones, Samson Raphaelson
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1932 Limited
On DVD: Jan 7, 2003

Critic Reviews

, TIME Magazine
Trouble in Paradise is a triumph of direction and decor which could have been accomplished only by that scowling, heavy-jowled Teuton who is Paramount's chief contribution to the civilized cinema, Ernst Lubitsch.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
It's possible to prefer other Ernst Lubitsch films for their more serene stylings and more plangent emotions, but this 1932 production is probably the most perfectly representative of his works.
Variety Staff, Variety
Despite the Lubitsch artistry, much of which is technically apparent, it's not good cinema in toto.
Charles Taylor, Salon.com
It's a movie that feels both of its time and ahead of all the times that have followed.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
This comedy of jewel thieves is itself the prize sparkler of Lubitsch's enterprising career.
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
In virtually every scene the lively imagination of the German producer shines forth and it seems as though he were the only person in Hollywood who could have turned out such an effective entertainment from such a feathery story.
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine
Not a false note in the whole piece. The performances, visuals and screenplay are all exsquisite.
, Film4
Lubitsch at the height of his powers as a director of deft, inconsequential and sophisticated comedy.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The lighthearted Depression-era comedy clearly has the famed Lubitsch touch.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
What sticks with you long after the movie is over is the terrific, European cosmopolitan humour, and unrelenting sexiness of it all
, Time Out
If ever a film slipped down a treat, this one does.
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide
This is, without a single word of hyperbole, one of the most taut scripts and perfectly-executed pieces of comic direction in the history of film.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
A couple of visual gags are still on target and the acting is swell, but on the whole the story is too simple, too flat, and too uninteresting to stand the test of time.
Derek Smith, Apollo Guide
'The satire is sharp, the comedy is witty and urbane, and the characters are so full of life it feels as if they might just walk off the screen.'
Michael S. Smith, PopMatters
Trouble in Paradise is full of perfectly executed scenes.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
While I could always see where I was going, I could not for the life of me tell where I was going to end up

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Okay, okay, I was wrong. Frank Capra's It Happened One Night apparently was NOT the first romcom ever ... it appears as if this one, a glittering gem cut in the early 30's by nigh forgotten German wunderkind Ernst Lubitsch, has the honor of begetting a veritable host, a… More
Okay, okay, I was wrong. Frank Capra's It Happened One Night apparently was NOT the first romcom ever ... it appears as if this one, a glittering gem cut in the early 30's by nigh forgotten German wunderkind Ernst Lubitsch, has the honor of begetting a veritable host, a steaming, teeming slew of imitators that extend to even this very week in cinema houses everywhere (beat THAT for florid prose!) But why? Sophistication, wit, and sex wrapped in ... sophistication, wit and sex!
Saskia D

A lovely, simple and clever movie. It was clever because the outcome is never what you expect. Gaston (Herbert Marchall) is a master in diverging a subject and manipulating a conversation. A movie that holds your interest from beginning to end. Although I'm not a fan of this… More
A lovely, simple and clever movie. It was clever because the outcome is never what you expect. Gaston (Herbert Marchall) is a master in diverging a subject and manipulating a conversation. A movie that holds your interest from beginning to end. Although I'm not a fan of this theatrical way of acting, here I didn't mind it at all.
AJ V

I loved this movie, it was hilarious.
Cindy I

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 and… More
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 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.
Ken S

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."
jay n

Breezy if dated comedy of manners.
Stella D

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… More
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 touch.' they don't make 'em like this anymore...
Matthew Y

A delightfully fun story about two lovebird jewel thieves who plot to enter themselves in the lives of a wealthy single woman in an effort to rob her blind. Herbert Marshall plays the suave male jewel thief who woos the impressionable bachelorette, but is it all just an act or is he… More
A delightfully fun story about two lovebird jewel thieves who plot to enter themselves in the lives of a wealthy single woman in an effort to rob her blind. Herbert Marshall plays the suave male jewel thief who woos the impressionable bachelorette, but is it all just an act or is he really falling for the girl and what will his lover/partner in crime thin about it? Kay Francis is enchanting as Mariette Colet, the aforementioned target, and it's easy to see why Marshall's character is led a bit astray. A fun romantic triangle with a twist.
cody f

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… More
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 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.
MJS M

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 rooted… More
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 rooted 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.
Marion R

This film was a lot of fun and engaging to watch.
Tom S

Gimme gimme more. It's as funny as a Marx Bros. movie, as well-written as a Hawks comedy, and not-quite-Wellesian in it's visual ambition. No wonder my favorite directors list Lubitsch as an influence.