Filmography
1931 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture (Release date: 12 December 1931)
Screenplay by Hans Kräly, Richard Schayer and Claudine West; Produced by Irving Thalberg; Directed by Sidney Franklin: Cinematography by Ray Binger;
Cast: Norma Shearer (Amanda Prynne), Robert Montgomery (Elyot Chase), Reginald Denny (Victor Prynne), Una Merkel (Sibyl Chase)
Three of Noël Coward’s plays had previously been adapted as silent movies by British film studios during the 1920s (including The Queen Was in the Parlour as Forbidden Love in 1927, Easy Virtue directed by Alfred Hitchcock, also in 1927, and The Vortex starring Ivor Novello in 1928) but Private Lives was the first of his plays to be made as a “talking picture”.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio production head Irving Thalberg loved the play after he saw the Broadway production starring Coward and Gertrude Lawrence in New York and arranged for MGM to acquire the film rights, viewing it as a star vehicle for his wife, the Canadian-born actress and film star, Norma Shearer.
When Coward heard that Shearer was to play the lead role of Amanda Prynne, he harboured severe doubts the actress would be able to deliver the sophisticated witticisms which roll off the tongue in rapid fashion. However, on hearing of the playwright’s criticism, the actress responded, “I don't care what he thinks—he thinks in theatre terms—I think in film terms. It doesn't seem to occur to Mr. Coward that we both may turn out to be right!”
To ensure that the film would capture the authentic mood of the play, Thalberg made arrangements to film the stage production with Coward and Lawrence so that the lead cast members and director could study the unusual rapidity of dialogue that made the play so popular. (Regrettably the film footage of Coward and Lawrence is not known to survive, with some reports indicating that it was destroyed after the completion of the MGM motion picture.)
Norma Shearer recommended Robert Montgomery for the Coward role of Elyot Chase, marking the actor's third movie co-starring with her. While British actor, Reginald Denny and American actress, Una Merkel were cast in the supporting roles of Victor Prynne and Sibyl Chase.
Hans Kräly, Claudine West and Richard Schayer were tasked with adapting Coward’s play for the screen and although not hampered by the strict screen censorship that would come into force with Hollywood’s adoption of the Motion Picture Production Code in 1934, it was felt that the original script’s dialogue was too British for the American market and so the wording of Coward’s lines was altered to make them “less English” in tone and, in doing so, the screenwriters significantly blunted the razor-like quality that made the original such a great success. The screenplay also “opened up” the original stage setting of two scenes (a Hotel Terrace in France and Amanda’s flat in Paris) with many additional settings peopled by subsidiary characters, including a new character, ‘Oscar’ played by Jean Hersholt. Such scenes included Elyot and Sybil’s church wedding and, in place of Elyot and Amanda fleeing from their respective spouses to her Parisian flat, they run off to a chalet in St. Moritz, Switzerland instead (which included a mountain climbing scene shot on location in the Glacier National Park in Montana doubling for the Swiss Alps.)
The catfights between Amanda and Elyot were retained with their sharp-edged, biting language, and an occasional gramophone record broken over the head. In one sequence, Shearer delivered a knock-out punch to Montgomery's jaw. The actor claimed he actually lost consciousness after her hit. Montgomery's performance as Elyot was so popular with audiences it elevated his star power immensely.
Like most MGM films of the 1930s, the production values were first class from start to finish, slick, glossy, and attractive, and director Sidney Franklin (noted for his skill with actresses) kept the film moving at a smart pace, with the result that Private Lives was the seventh most popular movie at the U.S. box office for 1931.
Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called the film “a swift and witty picture” and “one of the most intelligent comedies that has come to the screen.” He added, “Sidney Franklin's direction is excellent and Norma Shearer as Amanda Prynne gives an alert, sharp portrayal . . . Robert Montgomery struggles with matters at the outset, but he soon succeeds in doing well enough with his rôle . . . Una Merkel and Reginald Denny both deserve a great deal of credit for their work.” (“THE SCREEN: Spatting Couples of ‘Private Lives’ Meet With High Favor” 19 December 1931).
There are conflicting reports of how Noël Coward felt about the film, but in his volume of autobiography Past Conditional (written between 1965–67, but not published until 1986) Coward recalled: “It was in one of these [Hollywood] projection rooms that I first saw Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery in Private Lives. I remember that just before the lights went out Bob, who was sitting next to me, slipped into my hand an expensive watch with my initials on it. ‘This,’ he hissed, ‘is to prevent you from saying what you really think of my performance!’ It didn’t, because I thought his and Norma’s performance charming and was not required to dissemble. At all events it was a beguiling and typical gesture.”
1939 British Broadcasting Corporation TV production
A studio presentation of Private Lives was broadcast on BBC television from the Alexandra Palace, London on Saturday, 12 August 1939 from 9.10 to 10.25 p.m. (with a repeat broadcast on Wednesday, 16 August from 3 to 4.15 p.m.)
The cast included Diana Churchill as Amanda; Dennis Webb as Elyot; Molly Rankin as Sibyl, Guy Verney as Victor and Jane Ingram as the maid, Louise.
Production was by Reginald Smith with settings designed by Malcolm Baker-Smith.
(Although television plays were known to be filmed at this period, in order to allow for repeat broadcasts, no known footage from the telecast is known to survive.)
1959 ITV Television Playhouse
A studio presentation of Private Lives was broadcast by the ITV (Independent Television) in Britain as an episode of its Television Playhouse anthology series on 16 January 1959 in an adaptation by Nicholas Palmer.
The cast included Maxine Audley as Amanda; Peter Gray as Elyot; Yolande Turner as Sibyl, Gordon Chater as Victor and Brigid Panet as Louise.
The production was directed by Lionel Harris.
1976 BBC TV movie
A TV movie version of Private Lives was broadcast on BBC television on Tuesday, 28 December 1976 at 9.45 p.m.
The cast included Penelope Keith as Amanda; Alec McGowen as Elyot; Polly Adams as Sibyl, Donald Pickering as Victor and Françoise Pascal as Louise.
The director was John Gorrie and the producer, Cedric Messina. Production design by Stuart Walker and costume design by Robin Fraser-Paye and Sally Cairney.
The movie was subsequently released on DVD by BBC Worldwide Ltd. as part of the 7 Disc set The Noël Coward Collection issued in 2008.
2013 CinemaLive and Digital Theatre Video
The cast included Anna Chancellor as Amanda; Toby Stephens as Elyot; Anna-Louise Plowman as Sibyl, Anthony Calf as Victor and Sue Kelvin as Louise.
Directed by Jonathan Kent, with Production and costume design by Anthony Ward.
This was a video of the stage production first presented at the Chichester Festival Theatre 2012 at the Minerva Theatre, followed by a London West End transfer to the Gielgud Theatre. Anna Chancellor was nominated as ‘Best Actress in a Play’ for the 2014 Olivier Awards for her performance.
1968 excerpts featured in Star!
The 1968 20th Century Fox biopic Star! featured a screenplay by William Fairchild based on the life of stage and screen actress Gertrude Lawrence and starred Julie Andrews in the lead role, with Daniel Massey in the featured role of Noël Coward (the son of Raymond Massey and Adrienne Allen, Daniel was a godson to Coward.)
Reuniting Julie with her Sound of Music director, Robert Wise the film featured re-enactments of two scenes from Private Lives as Lawrence and Coward give a private performance of the love scene from the play for the benefit of the Lord Chamberlain, who was responsible for the censorship and licensing of plays performed in Britain at that period of time. A recreation of the famous balcony scene performed by Andrews and Massey before a theatre audience was also featured in the film.
The film was released in the U.S. initially as a Roadshow attraction (with reserved seating) on 22 October 1968 and then subsequently as a general release and has been issued on video and DVD. It may also be viewed in full via YouTube, with the excerpts from Private Lives performed by Andrews and Massey starting at the 1 hour 36 minute mark.
Discography
1930 original cast recorded excerpts
Two excerpts from Private Lives were recorded by Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence for the Gramophone Company—“His Master’s Voice” on 15 September 1930 (9 days before the London opening at the Phoenix Theatre)—the LOVE SCENE from Act 1 (including “Someday I’ll Find You” by Coward) (matrix no. Cc20202) with the New Mayfair Orchestra conducted by Ray Noble and Harry Jacobson at the piano; and SCENE from Act 2 (including the songs “I Never Realised” by Cole Porter and Melville Gideon; “If You were the Only Girl in the World” by Clifford Grey and Nat Ayer and a reprise of “Someday I’ll Find You”) (matrix no. Cc20203). These were issued on both sides of a 12 inch 78 rpm record—catalogue number: HMV C2043 and preserve the unique chemistry of Coward and Lawrence “in performance”.
The excepts were subsequently reissued on Lp record, on the compilation albums: Noël and Gertie in 1954 (HMV cat. no. CLP 1050 & RCA Victor (US) cat. no. LCT 1156); (Capitol Records 1963 reissue, cat. no. T-6013; World Record Club 1972 reissue, cat. no. 3166), Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence—“We Were Dancing” by Monmouth-Evergreen Records (New York) (cat. no. MES/7042); and the 2 Lp Noël Coward—The Master issued in 1978 by EMI (Retrospect series) (cat. no. EN 260065 3) and the World Record Club (cat. no. SHB 50)
The excerpts have also been included on the CD compilations: Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence (Flapper—Pavilion Records Ltd.) issued in 1990 (cat. no. PAST CD 9715); the 4 CD box set The Masters’ Voice—Noël Coward: His HMV Recordings 1928–1953, issued by EMI in 1992, (cat. no. 0777 7 80580 2 1); reissued as a 4 CD set in 2016 by Warner Classics as Noël Coward—His HMV Recordings, (cat. no. 3311182); Noël Coward—London Pride (Happy Days—Conifer Records Ltd.) issued in 1993 (cat. no. CDHD 216); the 2 CD set Noël & Gertie (Past Perfect) issued in 1999 (cat. no. PPCD 78135); Noël Coward—A Room With A View The Complete Recordings Volume 1: 1928–1932 (Naxos Nostalgia) in 2001 (cat. no. 8.120529); The Plays & Poems of Noël Coward (Forum—Regis Records Ltd.) in 2012 (cat. no. FRC 6146); Gertrude Lawrence—Star! (ASV—Living Era) in 1999 (cat. no. CD AJA 5265) and Gertrude Lawrence—Gertie—Original Recordings 1927–1936 (Naxos Nostalgia) in 2001 (cat. no. 8.120560)
1975 BBC Radio play
The cast included Patricia Routledge as Amanda; Paul Scofield as Elyot; Miriam Margolyes as Sibyl, John Rye as Victor and Carole Boyd as Louise, with announcements by Peter Donaldson.
Adapted by Cynthia Pughe with direction by Ian Cotterell and music by William Davies.
First broadcast on Saturday Night Theatre: West End Winners on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, 20 December 1975 at 8.30 p.m.
Originally released on cassette in 1988 and reissued on a 2 CD set as part of the Classic Radio Theatre series by BBC Audio in 2010—(cat. no. ISBN 978 1408 426944)
1995 BBC Radio play
The cast included Imogen Stubbs as Amanda; Stephen Fry as Elyot; Louise Lombard as Sibyl, Simon Ward as Victor and Annable Mullion as Louise.
Introduced by Sheridan Morley, with direction by Ned Chaillett.
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 30 January 1995 and repeated on Monday, 25 December 1995 at 7.45 p.m.
Issued on a double cassette (with Hay Fever) as part of the BBC Radio Collection by BBC Worldwide Ltd. in 1999, (cat. no. ISBN 0-563-55869-5) and included as an “audio” bonus track on Disc 2 of the 7 DVD set The Noël Coward Collection issued by BBC Worldwide Ltd. in 2008
N.B. Numerous radio versions of Private Lives have been broadcast in Britain, Australia (including those by Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard for ABC radio in 1933 and 1951) and the U.S. from the 1930s onwards, but only productions that have been commercially issued are listed and not broadcasts that survive only as non-commercial archival recordings.
Listen to Noël and Gertie in the Love Scene from Act 1 of Private Lives:
Listen to Noël and Gertie in a scene from Act 2 of Private Lives:
