Originally titled Jerry and Joan during production, this charming and exquisitely directed pre-code melodrama was later renamed to the slightly controversial Merrily We Go to Hell. The film features Sylvia Sidney as a wealthy woman who marries a journalist (brilliantly portrayed by Fredric March), only to struggle with her husband’s alcoholism and his unexpected reunion with an old flame. Typical of its studio of production, Paramount, and reflective of some of the bolder pre-code films, the marriage—which quickly deteriorates—is depicted in an open, sophisticated manner, set against the backdrop of lavish art deco sets.
The film was directed by Dorothy Arzner, who, by the time of its production, had already developed a fascination with deep-focus cinematography and directing scenes with multiple spatial layers, often explored through complex tracking shots. Arzner's formal complexity, particularly in her examination of gender, sexuality, women at work, and female independence, cements her status as one of the greatest figures in American cinema. Her distinction as the only woman filmmaker active in classical Hollywood further underscores the uniqueness of her contributions to film history. Merrily We Go to Hell remains one of Arzner’s most beloved films, even if it lacks the subversive edge found in some of her other works, such as Craig’s Wife and Dance, Girl, Dance.
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