This week’s mystery movie was the 1939 MGM picture Idiot’s Delight, with Norman Shearer, Clark Gable, Edward Arnold, Charles Coburn, Joseph Schildkraut, Burgess Meredith, Laura Hope Crews, Skeets Gallagher, Peter Willes, Paterson, William Edmunds, Fritz Feld, Virginia Grey, Virginia Dale, Paula Stone, Bernadene Hayes, Joan Marsh and Lorraine Krueger.
Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood.
From the Pulitzer Prize play Idiot’s Delight by Robert E. Sherwood. Produced by The Theatre Guild Inc.
Music score by Herbert Stothart.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons, Wade B. Rubottom.
Set decorations by Edwin B. Willis.
Gowns by Adrian.
Photographed by William Daniels.
Hairstyles for Miss Shearer by Sydney Guilaroff.
Montages by Slavko Vorkapich and John Hoffman.
Dance direction by George King.
Edited by Robert J. Kern.
Produced by Hunt Stromberg.
Directed by Clarence Brown.
Further information about Idiot’s Delight is available from the AFI Catalog.
Idiot’s Delight is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video. It’s also being released on Blu-ray.
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I picked Idiot’s Delight by going through the trades and I wanted something with big-name stars since I was only doing it over four days instead of five. Idiot’s Delight is an oddball film in many ways. In breaking free of the stage version, Robert Sherwood’s script meanders all over the place in entertaining but irrelevant ways. And yes, we get to see Clark Gable as a song and dance man – and I have to say he was game for it.
Given its origins on Broadway (with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne), I’m going to guess that The New York Times didn’t hate the movie too much, but one never knows.
And we get a rave from B.R.C., which I assume was the alphabet designation of Bosley Crowther (Feb. 3, 1939):
It is with boundless enthusiasm, with uncritical hornpipes in the street, and wild huzzas of approval that finally, at long last, we hail the arrival of an adult picture on the local screen. As a profoundly bitter preview — profound because its bitterness wears the mask of comedy — of the trivial circumstances which will undoubtedly attend the beginning of the next World War, Idiot’s Delight at the Capitol is as timely as tomorrow’s front page…. Did we say that Idiot’s Delight makes a swell movie? If you don’t see it you’ll be missing one of the year’s events.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Laura Hope Crews.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious gent and Back of the Head Person.
Update: This is William Edmunds and Norma Shearer (in Phyllis Dietrichson wig) as Back of the Head Woman.
We also have this mysterious gent.
Update: This is Joseph Schildkraut.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious psychic) and Dan Nather (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious psychic).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have some mysterious women.
Update: Oh my. This is “Les Blondes”: Virginia Grey, Virginia Dale, Paula Stone, Bernadene Hayes, Joan Marsh and Lorraine Krueger.
We also have this mysterious gent.
Update: This is Edward Arnold.
And also this mysterious gent and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Burgess Meredith with Clark Gable as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Woman), Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Roget-L.A. (Wednesday’s mystery man No. 1).
For Friday, we have a mysterious song and dance man.
Update: Gable as a song and dance man!
And our mysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Norma Shearer, sans phony Russian accent.
Brain Trust roll call: Greg (mystery movie), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery men, Back of the Head Guy, and mystery blond), Dan Nather (Thursday’s mysterious men, mystery blonds, and Friday’s mysterious leads), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious gents), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery men, mysterious blonds, and Back of the Head Guy), Sarah (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious men) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Laura Hope Crews in IDIOT’S DELIGHT.
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Grace Hayle in THE MIND READER.
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An excellent guess! But, alas, it’s a different mind reader this time.
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IDIOT’S DELIGHT
Laura Hope Crews Monday, feiyltz Feld with both Norma Shearer, and Joseph Schildkraut.
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IDIOT’S DELIGHT (1939), Laura Hope Crews as Madame Zuleika.
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Marie Dressler?
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KING OF THE UNDERWORLD. Jessie Busley.
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“Idiot’s Delight” co-starring Laura Hope Crews and Joseph Schildkraut.
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Idiot’s Delight (1939) w/Norma Shearer, Joseph Schildkraut, Clark Gable, Laura Hope Crews, Edward Arnold, Charles Coburn, Burgess Meredith…
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William Edmunds, Norma Shearer; Joseph Schildkraut.
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William Edmunds, and Norma Shearer as BOTH Gal. And then there’s Joseph Schildkraut.
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Paul Lukas today, I think. Could this be “Captured!”?
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Will Kuluva
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Laura Hope Crews and Joseph Schildkraut, ‘Idiot’s Delight’?
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Laura Hope Crews, William Edmunds, Norma Shearer and Joseph Schildkraut in
IDIOTS DELIGHT.
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Also, the first gentleman for Hm Wednesday, is William Edmunds. BOTHG is Norma Shearer, no less.
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For “Hm Wednesday,” William Edmunds and George Sorel in Till We Meet Again (1944)?
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Idiot’s Delight, 1939.
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Virginia Grey, Edward Arnold, and Burgess Meredith.
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And here we have the women of Les Blondes, Clark Gable’s supporting cast in more ways than one. In no particular order: Virginia Grey, Virginia Dale, Joan Marsh, Paula Stone, Bernadine Hayes, and Lorraine Krueger.
Then the monocled Edward Arnold, and last but not least, Burgess Meredith with the back of Clark Gable’s head.
Awaiting Gable and Shearer for tomorrow!
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This film is either a puzzle maker’s delight or I’m the idiot.
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Is that Edward Arnold and Burgess Meredith in Idiot’s Delight?
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Virginia Grey, Virginia Dale, Paula Stone. Joan Marsh, Lorraine Krueger, Bernadine Hayes, Edward Arnold, Burgess Meredith and Clark Gable.
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Thanks for posting Burgess Meredith today. I can tell from the wallpaper that this is “Idiot’s Delight.” Laura Hope Crews as Madam Zuleika. William Edmunds as Dumpsty. Joseph Schildkraut as Captain Kirvline. Virginia Grey, Virginia Dale, Paula Stone, Bernadene Hayes, Joan Marsh, and Lorraine Krueger as Les Blondes (who all look like clones). Edward Arnold as Archille Weber.
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Thursday: Edward Arnold and Burgess Meredith in Idiot’s Delight (1939)
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Our movie is Idiot’s Delight with Burgess Meredith, Edward Arnold, and Viriginia Grey. I couldn’t think of Joseph Schildkraut’s name yesterday.
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Clark Gable BOTH guy.
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Clark Gable and Norma Shearer.
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Clark and Norma together again.
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