Four's a Crowd (1938)

Interesting facts

Four's a Crowd is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell and Patric Knowles. The picture was written by Casey Robinson and Sig Herzig from a story by Wallace Sullivan. This was the fourth of nine films in which Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland appeared.

Production

The film began with the working title of "All Rights Reserved", and was supposedly based on the career of noted public relations man Ivy Ledbetter Lee, who worked for the Rockefeller family. The film's title was changed to Four's a Crowd in February.

David Lewis, who produced, said the original story was bought to him by an agent friend of his, Dick Polimer. Lewis liked the story, and took it to Hal Walls' assistant, Walter MacEwen, who was enthusiastic. Lewis said that Hal Wallis "had little faith in the film, maybe because of me, but Warner liked the project" in part because the author had written Libeled Lady.. Lewis said that Warner wanted to cast the Lane sisters and Jeffrey Lynn.

The first draft was written by staff writer Sig Herzig, a staff writer, who Lewis said "did a decent job, again without structure" so Lewis assigned the script to Casey Robinson.

Lewis said that Olivia de Havilland was keen to do it, as was Errol Flynn "as a change of pace". Patrick Knowles, also under contract to Warners, played the second male lead. Lewis wrote Knowles was "kept in reserve to keep the mercurial Errol in line... But Knowles was a pale image instead of a threat. Flynn was unique—attractive, dynamic, sexy, and a real throwback to the predatory male. I was enormously fond of him."

Warner Bros. borrowed Rosalind Russell from MGM for the film., replacing Bette Davis, who wished to take six weeks of a holiday before starting on Comet Over Broadway. "Four's A Crowd was a real “A” picture because of the casting," wrote Lewis.

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