Design for Living is a film both of and beyond its time, a comedy for the ages, and a Movie I fear, were Ben Hecht shopping it today, might never get made. After all, it approaches its subject so openly, so earnestly, so lightly that it renders lesser, later takes on the menage a trois hopelessly mundane. Dated in their morality. And not acceptable by today's conservative Hollywood standards (that's a whole other argument, friends). Anyway, pre-code Hollywood is, no doubt, a very delightful thing. Seems to me, by movie's end, we all know the score on what a gentlemen's agreement is really worth. Only a matter of time.
4 BANANAS
Written by Ben Hecht
From the play by Noel Coward
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
1933
