Perfect Understanding

1933

1h 20m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

1 Video

4 Images

Romance

Comedy

Drama

A young couple decide to marry under the condition that they agree never to disagree. That agreement is soon put to the test when the husband finds himself attracted to a beautiful young woman.

Directors

Cyril Gardner

Writers

Michael Powell(screenplay by)

Miles Malleson(dialogue by)

Garrett Graham(dialogue by)

Stars

Gloria Swanson

Laurence Olivier

John Halliday

See production, box office & company info

Videos1

Trailer
Watch Perfect Understanding - Trailer

Top cast

Judy Rogers

Nicholas Randall

Ivan Ronnson

Lord Portleigh

George Drayton

Kitty Drayton

Lady Stephanie Fitzmaurice

Dr. Graham

Mrs. Graham

Sir John Fitzmaurice

Butler

Cook

Announcer

Judge

Bradley, Nick's Counsel

Charles Childerstone

Judy's Counsel

Syd Crossley

Butler

Evalyn Bostock

Maid (Uncredited)

Directors

Cyril Gardner

Writers

Michael Powell(screenplay by)

Miles Malleson(dialogue by)

Garrett Graham(dialogue by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

I can't help thinking that Cyril Gardner may have done better with this had it been a silent film. There are some stunning photographic scenes and at times, it verges on the travelogue as Gloria Swanson ("Judy") and a very dashing Laurence Olivier ("Nick") meet, fall in love and engage in an early thirties version of a "open marriage". They travel the length and breadth of Europe before he ends up in Cannes visiting a friend whilst she decants home to prepare their flat in London. In Cannes, "Nick" gets a bit sozzled and hooks up with old flame Nora Swinburne ("Lady Fitzmaurice") after getting injured in a high speed (and quite entertaining) power boat race... Riddled with guilt, he goes home and tells his wife. Ostensibly she forgives him, but does she? Does she, really - or is the green eyed monster about to rear it's ugly head? It's got it's fair share of schemers and plenty of rather childish tit-for-tat antics to keep the plot moving - sometimes quite amusingly, and there is definitely a chemistry between the two stars, but the dialogue just clutters things up and the whole thing is just a bit lightweight. Nothing wrong in that, I suppose, but I really wanted more from this pairing...

Geronimo196713 Jun, 2022