Don't understand why. Strong cast giving satisfying and thoughtful performances. First 'Big Picture' for Peter Cushing where he really had something to do. Then again THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934) was a failure also back then. Who can figure?!?
shareGo figure, right. Carole Lombard delivers one of the greatest dramatic performances in film history, on top of everything else which is great about "Vigil in the Night," and then audiences hardly notice.
Another prime example of a good film losing at the box office would be
"The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939).
Maybe downbeat films didn't cut the mustard back in the day, and it's understandable why audiences would prefer Escapism, but they're still great films.
WhoDo-Youdo; Part of the problem with THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE as well as GUNGA DIN and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME was they were all in the 'Class Of 39'. Alot of pictures would have done far better if they had not had to go up against GONE WITH THE WIND (1939). It was still the 'Great Depression' and money was not flowing.
This was particularly unfortunate for RKO the producer of all three (3) of the before mentioned. All three were big budget (over budget) productions and lost money and of the 'Big Five' Majors, RKO had the least cash flow. Any time things got tight, KING KONG (1933) was re-released! Notice that after '39' they never produced 'Big Films' like these, even during the cash flush 'War Years'. CITIZEN KANE (1940) was made on a shoe-string compared to GUNGA DIN or the HUNCHBACK.
Good points. A great many RKO-Radio contract players, leading or supporting, were re-signing elsewhere, such as Fred Astaire, Ann Sothern, Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn.
Stanwyck and Cary Grant would alternate studios during the 1930's, and head back and forth from Columbia to RKO and beyond, and even RKO headliner Irene Dunne would continue at other studios after her RKO tenure. Ginger would stick around for a bit, and venture out in 1942, when RKO quality were on the wane.
But those are good points to explain the reason why this small great studio remained more small than great into the 1940's, before eventually segueing into Desilu Studio for television, before that became somenthing else in the late 1960's.
WhoDo-YouDo: WELL, that was a long time for a reply! But better late then never when it has a quality response. RKO just had a stream of bad timing or luck. Big budget, but quality features like SHE or BECKY SHARP just did not get the response monetarily wise from the public. Interestingly those pictures are more appreciated by a 21st Century audience then they were back in the mid 1930s. Like you stated there was also a 'Star Drain' to the other studios with RKO becoming like middle tier UNIVERSAL a renter of quality.
Of course post WWII it did not help to have Howard Hughes run the Studio into the ground. Other then the 'film noir' films with Robert Mitchum most of the films were at best IMDB******Six or a standard rating of Two**Stars. A far cry from their 1930s triumphs.
I can understand why it flopped.
The plot was very unlikely and her character had no depth. I came here expecting to see others in agreement with my assessment. But I see I am in the minority.
Always the officiant, never the bride.
http://www.WithThisKissITheeWed.com
Echo_in_big_sky: No support here for your contention. From personal experience plot was not that unlikely and character was pretty self evident. This just was not your cup of tea. Our explanation of the competitive nature of these years of production and the decline of RKO is a more likely scenario.
shareOr maybe it wasn't a lot of people's 'cup of tea' for the same reasons I mentioned.
We won't agree, which is fine.
I thought it was a really stupid movie that did not showcase her talent as she had hoped it would. Unless walking through a movie with a dead pan expression is anyone's idea of serious acting in a drama. Anyway, it is worth a watch for a Lombard fan since her films are relatively rare. That's why I endured it.
Always the officiant, never the bride.
http://www.WithThisKissITheeWed.com
Echo_in_big_sky says > The plot was very unlikely and her character had no depth. I came here expecting to see others in agreement with my assessment. But I see I am in the minority.I disagree with everything you've said in regards to the plot and the character. I happened to enjoy the movie and thought Ms. Lombard's performance was very good. I did not have a problem believing the story either.