Classic Film Club: Dinner at Eight (1933)

Dinner at Eight (1933) is a pre-code comedy, directed by George Cukor, featuring an ensemble of mega-stars such as Jean Harlow, Lionel and John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler and a plethora of others, whose names are now largely forgotten. Fresh from the success of Grand Hotel in 1932, producer David O. Selznick determined to produce an even greater all-star triumph. The result - Dinner at Eight - was selected 90 years later (2023) for preservation by the Library of Congress. Adapted from a Broadway play, it is a comedy with plenty of dark and tragic moments. Made at a time when talkies were still new, it delights in its theatrical origins and remains a statement of artistic intent for the new medium.