The Toy Wife (1938)

Interesting facts

The Toy Wife is a 1938 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Luise Rainer and Melvyn Douglas. The period film was produced by Merian C. Cooper and written by Zoë Akins.

Production

The film is based upon the French play Froufrou by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac, premiering in 1869. The film is often referred to as a costume drama. 1938 in the film industry was the year of the revival of interest in the American Civil War. Gone with the Wind was a huge success and a movie adaption was already in the works. With Warner Bros. distributing Jezebel as well, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer knew they couldn't be left behind.

The film starred Luise Rainer, an actress who was labeled as difficult to work with. She had become famous in a short period by winning two Oscars for her portrayal of Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and O-Lan in The Good Earth (1937). Suddenly, the public didn't care about her anymore and she angered studio head Louis B. Mayer by constantly demanding a higher salary. His reaction was casting her in B-films only, including The Toy Wife.

There was a schedule conflict during the production, which forced director Richard Thorpe to withdraw from the direction of The Shopworn Angel (1938), a drama film starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart. There was a lack of a big budget. By casting Rainer, the studio couldn't afford a famous male lead and assigned Melvyn Douglas instead.

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