Hands Across the Table (1935)

Interesting facts

Hands Across the Table is a 1935 American romantic screwball comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and released by Paramount Pictures. It stars Carole Lombard as a manicurist looking for a rich husband and Fred MacMurray as an impoverished playboy, with Ralph Bellamy as a wealthy former pilot in a wheelchair. The teaming of Lombard and MacMurray was so well received, they went on to make three more films together, The Princess Comes Across (1936), Swing High, Swing Low (1937), and True Confession (1937).

Production

The film was intended primarily as a vehicle to promote Lombard's comedic acting abilities. She had originally wanted Cary Grant in the role of Theodore Drew III, but scheduling conflicts made him impossible to get.

MacMurray was not known for his comedic acting abilities and found it difficult to be humorous enough for the role. Director Mitchell Leisen and Lombard both worked extremely hard to get the performance they wanted out of him. Lombard at one point sat on MacMurray's chest, pounding on him with her fists and yelling, "Now Uncle Fred, you be funny or I'll pluck your eyebrows out!" Lombard and MacMurray were unable to create the chemistry that they…

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