The Wedding Night

Synopsis: Because his finances are low and he is seeking background for a new book, author Tony Barratt and his wife Dora return to his country home in Conneecticut. While he is finding a theme for his book on the lives and customs of the local, immigrant tobacco farmers, his wife returns to New York and, alas, his Japanese servant deserts him. He meets a neighboring farm girl, Manya Novak, and hires her to cook his meals and clean his house. They soon fall in love. But, following the customs of the old country, her father has entered a 'marriage bargain' for her to wed a man, Fredrik Sobieski, not of her choosing.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director(s): King Vidor
Production: United Artists
  1 win & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.8
PASSED
Year:
1935
83 min
100 Views


John, where's your host?

First door to the right.

- Tony.

- Well, he had it coming to him.

Well, I didn't say anything.

I only said your last book was stellar,

first time you wrote it.

But it was kind of dull the last three times.

- Well, I can get it published, at any rate.

- Stop it, you two.

You're just green with envy, Gilly,

that's what.

Well, all I know is what everybody says.

You're through, and you don't know it.

Do you want the other one black, too?

LELAND:
Well, what...

DORA:
Hi, Lee.

Hey, call off your pet author, Heywood.

He's mutilating me.

Well, what's the trouble, Gilly?

Hello, Dora, Tony.

Nothing's the trouble. Here, you.

Better let Dora put a beefsteak

on that eye.

GILLY:
Well, can't a man even have

one opinion in this land of liberty?

DORA:
Well, you can get your book...

This is the only place you can

hear yourself talk. Have a seat.

- Well...

- Well, here.

Don't tell me you read that so soon.

Well, you seemed in a hurry

for the advance.

Listen, I owe so much that

I'm beginning to respect my self-worth.

Mind if I ask you for a thousand?

Five-hundred would just about

pay the liquor bills.

You haven't asked me

what I think of the book.

I don't wanna hear it. I know it's tripe.

I can't accept your book, Tony.

It's not up to our stuff.

Well...

Well, you're entitled to your opinion,

I guess.

It's a good thing for me you're not

the only publisher in the business.

I'd warned you about all this

when your first book was a success.

I told you what this life would do to you.

- Why, I've seen it happen to a lot of you...

- Seen what happen?

- Tony.

- I see. You think I'm through, too.

- I didn't say that.

- Well, why don't you? You want to.

I've published your books, Tony,

for five years,

when no one else would've touched them.

Don't do me any more favors.

I'll dispose of this myself.

If I were you, I'd get out of town and get

some of the liquor out of my system.

- Take a look at yourself.

- Lf I were you, I'd mind my own business.

When you write a good book, I'll publish it.

- Remember that.

- This is a good book.

I said, when you write a good book,

I'll publish it.

What was the matter with Leland?

He went out like a streak.

- We just had a little argument.

- Tony, you didn't.

It wasn't anything serious. He asked me

to rewrite it and I didn't like it, that's all.

- But you got the advance?

- I'll get it. It may take a little time, but...

- Wouldn't he give you an advance now?

- I couldn't let him know I needed it.

- I don't see why not. He's your publisher.

- I'll do it over in a few weeks.

But, Tony, we've got to have some money.

We can't go on like this.

Well, we'll go back to the old homestead

in Connecticut.

Won't have to pay any rent there.

Now, Tony, don't bring that up again.

I won't go to that awful place.

We may have to.

Say, Mr. Barrett.

You know, it don't seem natural,

me calling you mister,

recollecting the names I used to call you

when I chased you out the depot.

- Well, call me what you did then.

- Couldn't do that now.

They tell me you're a pretty big writer.

I wish the critics agreed with you,

Mr. Jenkins.

Say, you make pretty good money writing,

don't you?

If I did, I wouldn't be coming back here.

Well, you make pretty good money here

raising tobacco.

Tobacco, in Connecticut?

Sure, that's tobacco. That's all tobacco.

- I thought that was cabbage.

- Cabbage? Why, that's tobacco!

The Poles raise it.

A whole community of them.

They buy up every part and parcel of land

they can lay their hands to.

- They're women, aren't they?

- Yes, the men work like horses, too.

Never mind the typewriter, Taka.

- Bring this.

- Yes, ma'am.

That's the most important item

in the household.

So much land, nobody use.

He doesn't need to farm.

He must be rich if he writes books.

Manya.

Better we go to back door?

And why the back door?

We're as good as he is.

He must not know that I'm rich,

or price will be high.

But, Father, I told you, Americans

don't act poor to do good business.

All right, front door.

But remember, you do the talking.

All right, Father.

You got everything, right?

Yes, Father. The land is no good.

Nobody used it for 30 years.

- No more than $5,000.

- Right.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

TONY:
Come in!

How do you do?

If you're looking for work,

I turned away six already.

I'd be glad to take you on, though,

if you'll work for nothing.

That is, nothing or old whiskey bottles.

That's the best I can do.

- We're not looking for work.

- No?

Well, you're lucky.

Would you sit down?

No, thank you.

JAN:
Talk, Manya.

Mr. Barrett, we came

to see about a field you had.

Is by my land, on this side.

- Nobody's used it for a long time.

- For 30 years, nobody use.

- It would have to be cleared...

- Is full of rocks and weeds.

- All right, Father, you talk.

- You do okay. Go ahead.

Mr. Barrett, my father wants this field.

If you're interested in selling,

how much do you think you'd want?

Well, as far as I'm concerned,

if you've got an old pair of shoes or...

- What?

- I mean, well...

Well, it's customary for the buyer

to make an offer, isn't it?

- Then we'll offer you $4,000.

- $4,000?

Well, if you don't think that's enough,

we might go to...

To $5,000.

- Cash?

- Yes.

Well, that's different.

I didn't understand, that's all.

You take $5,000?

There are four answers to that.

Positively, absolutely, definitely and yes.

Then it's settled.

If you bring the papers,

you may have the money.

- Well, we can settle that right here.

- There's no hurry.

As long as we have your word.

My dear young lady, you not only have

my word, you have my solemn oath.

Signed, sealed and delivered.

- Come, Father.

- What? Is all right?

- Yes, Father, we have an option.

- Option?

Well, that's all right. Come.

- MANYA:
Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Thanks.

- TONY:
Thanks to you.

DORA:
Bring some ice, Taka.

TAKA:
No ice, missy.

Ice is the second most important item

in this household.

Remember that.

Our neighbors, Dora. My wife.

How do you do?

- Is that your woman?

- Yes, my woman.

My woman tell me,

ask you if you take milk.

Well, I can take it or leave it alone.

My father means that

we sell milk around here.

- He wants to know if you'd like to buy it.

- Yes.

I'm sorry, you'll have to arrange all that

with the cook.

Cook? You no cook?

No, I no cook.

She does so many other things,

Mr. Novak, that...

Well, you know, mixing drinks and...

(CHUCKLING AWKWARDLY)

Well, if you don't mind

going around by the kitchen,

the cook'll tell you

how much milk we need.

Thank you.

- Goodbye, Mr. Barrett.

- Goodbye, missus.

- DORA:
Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mrs. Barrett.

- TONY:
Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mr. Barrett.

Well, we certainly have

delightful neighbors.

We must have them up

to dinner sometime.

Don't make fun of our neighbors.

Mr. Novak is a Polish plutocrat

with a big business proposition.

(IMITATING POLISH ACCENT)

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Edwin H. Knopf

Edwin H. Knopf (November 11, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American film producer, film director, and screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Wedding Night" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_wedding_night_21619>.

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