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Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee, William Demarest ... see more see more... , Robert Warwick , Sig Arno , Robert Dudley , Franklin Pangborn , Jack Norton , Esther Howard , Jimmy Conlin , George Anderson , Harry Hayden , Monte Blue , Dewey Robinson , Esther Michelson , Torben Meyer , Robert Greig , Roscoe Ates , Wilson Benge , Al Bridge , Chester Conklin , Frank Faylen , Byron Foulger , Arthur Stuart Hull , John Holland , Arthur Hoyt , Sheldon Jett , John Farrell MacDonald , Edward McNamara , Howard Mitchell , Charles R. Moore , Frank Moran , Mantan Moreland , Victor Potel , Harry Rosenthal , Julius Tannen , Fred 'Snowflake' Toones , Harry Tyler , Max Wagner , Keith Richards (II) , Keith Richards (I)

As for the opening reels, the principal motivating factor is money. After a deliberately confusing pre-credit sequence (not explained until the film's punch line), Tom Jeffers (Joel McCrea) and Gerry ... read more read more...Jeffers (Claudette Colbert) are married. "And so they lived happily ever after," exults a title card, "...or did they?" Well, they didn't. After five years of marriage, Tom hasn't raised a dime with his pie-in-the-sky inventions. Using the sort of logic common to Sturges heroines, Gerry decides that the only way to help her husband is to divorce him, marry a wealthy man, and use the second husband's money to finance Tom's schemes. Borrowing money from a generous self-made business mogul known only as the Wienie King (Robert Dudley), Gerry boards a train to Palm Beach, FL, where all the rich folk go. En route, she is "adopted" by the Ale & Quail Club, a group of perpetually drunken millionaires whose idea of a good time is to shoot their rifles at everything that moves (among the club members are such Sturges regulars as William Demarest, Robert Warwick, Jimmy Conlin, Robert Greig, Jack Norton, and Dewey Robinson). Taking refuge from this rowdy crew, Gerry makes the acquaintance of likeable stuffed shirt John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee), who happens to be one of the wealthiest men in the Western Hemisphere. While Gerry spoons with Hackensacker in Palm Beach, the confused Tom (remember him?) dallies with Hackensacker's man-crazy sister, Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor). How all this straightens itself out is better seen than described, which is pretty much the case whenever one discusses Sturges' singular work, and The Palm Beach Story is vintage Sturges with one side-splitting sequence after another. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Preston Sturges

Release Date: November 7, 1942

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DVD Release Date: February 1, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (196)

  • bottcorecords1
    March 29, 2012
    bottcorecords1
    Written and directed by Preston Sturges ("Sullivan's Travels", "The Lady Eve"), The Palm Beach Story once again shows his knack for wittiness and light-hearted cynicism when it comes to conniving females. This time it's Claudette Colbert who uses her feminine wiles to manipulate... read more wealthy men into doing her bidding. Her husband (Joel McCrea) doesn't want to let her go, but she's decided to leave him for the noble cause of letting him live within his means. This means she'll be free to pursue wealthy old men and live the kind of lifestyle she feels she's meant to live, but this of course is only a lucky coincidence for them both. Even with her self-sacrifice, her husband would rather keep ahold of her, and follows her down to Palm Springs where she's latched onto a wealthy poindexter by the name of J.D. Hackensacker the Third (Rudy Vallee). Of course his sister, The Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor) thinks the husband is a dreamboat, but she'll chase after any guy, apparently. Colbert convinces her wealthy beau that her husband is actually her brother, and this leads to double dating and double courtships.

    The Palm Beach Story stands out from other farcical comedies of it's day because it's rapid fire dialogue and quick pace are still just as clever today as they were when the film was made. Colbert and McCrea are fine as the leads, but it's Vallee and Astor who steal the show. The hedonistic playground of the wealthy is rich fodder for comedies of deceit, and this one takes quite a bit of the cake.
  • hunterjt13
    October 25, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A woman separates from her husband so she can gold dig for his benefit.
    I'm confused by the unanimous approval this film garnered. There are a lot of madcap absurdities from beginning to end, including the most gullible millionaire in film history and some crazy gun-toting club ... read morewho shoot up a train. More importantly, Claudette Colbert's character's objective is to seduce men into giving her money, which, although believable, makes her character difficult to identify with even if she plans to use the money for a "good cause." And the deus ex machina at the end is too ridiculous to believe.
    Overall, after a finished watching this film, I was convinced that it was proof that not all old films are gold, and even after I finished reading critics' uncritical support of it, I can't say I've been swayed.
  • FrizzDrop
    May 4, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    Madcap, screwball, shenanigans and hooligan antics abound in this, another Sturges comedy. Starring Claudette Colbert, in another of her zany roles, and the much underappreciated Joel McCrea, there are some immensely funny moments nestled in between the sheets of this 40's film. ... read moreBesides Colbert's great comedic chops, her character easily falls into desperate situations aboard a train full of gunmen, then takes advantage of a wealthy millionaire to finance her unsuccessful husband's ventures. Great scenes include a featuring of William Demarest (My Three Sons) shooting out a train window with live ammunition, the performance of Sig Arno as the foreign born and unintelligible Toto, and Rudy Vallee serenading his beloved from below while she reconciles with her beau. With some great romantic lighting to set an amorous mood, and the charm of such innocent namecalling as "you cluck" you can't help but enjoy it. The only qualm I hold is that it wasn't a comedy classic such as It Happened One Night or Capra's Platinum Blonde. Still, it holds water.
  • ajv2688
    October 3, 2010
    ajv2688
    I remember loving this movie, but from reading the synopsis on here, it didn't remind me of the plot any, so I can't remember at the moment. I want to see this movie again.
  • rubystevens
    June 10, 2009
    rubystevens
    hilarious if a little heartless. colbert makes a charming gold digger. good stuff on the foibles of the idle rich though the ending is terribly contrived. still, it's sturges and stellar screwball. he burned like a comet in 40's hollywood
  • harrycaul
    April 7, 2009
    harrycaul
    "That's one of the tragedies of this life: that the men who are most in need of a beating up are always enormous!"

    Having come to the conclusion that her struggling entrepreneur husband (Joel McCrea) would be better off without her, Claudette Colbert heads for Palm Beach ... read morein search of a quick divorce and a rich new husband to bankroll his predecessor's pipe dream. One of the problems I have with The Great McGinty is that I'm more concerned for Mrs McGinty than her husband at the end of that picture; similarly here, my sympathies for Mary Astor and, especially, poor Rudy Vallee exceed my happiness for Colbert and McCrea. Ever the craftsman, Sturges does make provision for Astor and Vallee's respective future happinesses, but his solution is too preposterously contrived to completely satisfy. Colbert and McCrea play their parts beautifully, but for much of the movie their characters are rather unattractive: he's surly and jealous and she's a gold-digger. Astor and Vallee provide most of the laughs.
  • mwilliams078
    December 16, 2007
    mwilliams078
    This is my all time favorite Claudette Colbert film. The director, Preston Sturges did a perfect job of filming this story of a lady that is playing a role of a wealthy lady.....this is such a comedy gem that will get you to laugh for sure. As well as one of my favorite comedies.... read more.....
  • guttersnipe28
    October 25, 2006
    guttersnipe28
    Preston Sturges reunites with Joel McCrea one year after his masterwork Sullivan's Travels, presenting us with another savvy, offbeat road movie. The Palm Beach Story finds Joel's character pursuing his wife after she bolts to find a millionaire to marry. Her natural charm and fe... read moreminine whiles help to get across the country on an amusingly absurd train journey, finding a drunk hunting club and a smitten millionaire who she stays with even after breaking two pairs of his glasses! She is wined, dined and treated lavishly, but when Joel makes his reappearance, she is forced to decide between riches or true love. Effortlessly charming, The Palm Beach Story is both comical and heart-warming. Sturges succeeds in creating a richly-textured film of the battle between the sexes for such an early age. Also observe his technical flair, in particular the speedy mini-movie at the start of the picture and the brilliant 'triple-shot' at the end. Unfortunately, as with ST, the film does suffer from 'amusing' black performances of the age ("yes, massa!", etc).
  • SunilJawahir
    September 15, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    It's has quite a few very charming moments but it's annoyingly dated in it's logic. The characters are pretty likeable but their reason for deceptions are more than a bit shady.
  • bottcorecords
    March 29, 2012
    bottcorecords
    Written and directed by Preston Sturges ("Sullivan's Travels", "The Lady Eve"), The Palm Beach Story once again shows his knack for wittiness and light-hearted cynicism when it comes to conniving females. This time it's Claudette Colbert who uses her feminine wiles to manipulate... read more wealthy men into doing her bidding. Her husband (Joel McCrea) doesn't want to let her go, but she's decided to leave him for the noble cause of letting him live within his means. This means she'll be free to pursue wealthy old men and live the kind of lifestyle she feels she's meant to live, but this of course is only a lucky coincidence for them both. Even with her self-sacrifice, her husband would rather keep ahold of her, and follows her down to Palm Springs where she's latched onto a wealthy poindexter by the name of J.D. Hackensacker the Third (Rudy Vallee). Of course his sister, The Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor) thinks the husband is a dreamboat, but she'll chase after any guy, apparently. Colbert convinces her wealthy beau that her husband is actually her brother, and this leads to double dating and double courtships.

    The Palm Beach Story stands out from other farcical comedies of it's day because it's rapid fire dialogue and quick pace are still just as clever today as they were when the film was made. Colbert and McCrea are fine as the leads, but it's Vallee and Astor who steal the show. The hedonistic playground of the wealthy is rich fodder for comedies of deceit, and this one takes quite a bit of the cake.

View All The Palm Beach Story Reviews

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
November 13, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

This Prestton Sturges production is packed with delightful absurdities. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 9, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Rudy Vallee turns in his best performance as a gentle, puny millionaire named Hackensacker in this brilliant, simultaneously tender and scalding 1942 screwball comedy by Preston Sturges. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

It should have been a breathless comedy. But only the actors are breathless -- and that from talking so much. Full Review

July 20, 2002
Chicago Tribune

Sturges' dialogue, as always, is not only sharp, but cutting, delivered with typical flair by the charter members of Sturges' company of actors. Full Review

November 13, 2007
Film4

Sturges at his confident best. Full Review

November 13, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

It remains a delight. Full Review

Chris Barsanti
January 9, 2007
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com

...screwball comedy of the highest order. Full Review

Steve Crum
September 30, 2006
Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

Prime Preston Sturges, which means sublime sophisticated zaniness.

February 9, 2006
Time Out

Hilarious, irresistible, impeccably cast. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
August 1, 2005
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

One of Preston Sturges' best films. Full Review

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    • John D. Hackensacker III: Chivalry is not only dead, it's decomposed.
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The Palm Beach Story Trivia

  • In what movie would you find the following line, refering to chivalry: "It's not only dead, it's decomposed."  Answer »
  • ***Name The Actor/Actress That Was In These Movies*** ***The Palm Beach Story - Union Pacific - Sullivan's Travels***  Answer »
  • What was the name of the band of millionaires that bought Gerry's ticket in The Palm Beach Story?  Answer »
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