LADY BEHAVE! (1937) Sally Eilers, Neil Hamilton & Joseph Schildkraut | Comedy, Romance | B&W

Lady Behave! is a 1938 American film directed by Lloyd Corrigan. The sophisticated comedy was released by Republic Pictures.

SYNOPSIS
It's bad enough that Clarice Kendall Andrews, Paula's irresponsible sister, comes home from celebrating Mardi Gras and drunkenly mentions that she got married during the festivities. What's worse is the fact that Paula knows that Clarice is still married to an equally irresponsible gigolo. Paula learns that the man Clarice married, Stephen Cormack, has skipped the country and his lawyer, thinking that Paula is Clarice, offers the older woman $5000 to annul the marriage. Paula's lawyer convinces her to pretend she's Cormack's husband until he can get Clarice's marriage annulled. Paula moves into Cormack's house and discovers he has two teen-aged children who consider her a gold-digger after their father's fortune. Meanwhile, Clarice's husband refuses to have their marriage annulled and tries to blackmail Paula into giving him $10,000 for his silence.

Prior to leaving for Haiti, two sisters and their godfather/legal advisor are having a holiday in New Orleans. The fun loving Clarice goes out for a night on the town for Mardi Gras, as sensible conservative Paula and godfather Burton Williams remain home and prepare for their journey. Clarice comes back drunk in the morning. Before she passes out, she reveals she married the equally drunk wealthy playboy Stephen Cormack during the night. Clarice has forgotten that she is already married to gigolo Michael Andrews.

Cormack's solicitor shows up and mistakes Paula for Clarice. Used to Cormack's matrimonial antics, he offers Paula $5000 to divorce Cormack. Burton and Paula confer on the matter and discover that Clarice faces a minimum of ten years in prison for bigamy if the marriage is revealed. Paula has to impersonate Clarice until Burton can have the marriage of Clarice and Michael annulled.

Burton and Paula travel to New York City, where Cormack, his two children, and Michael live. Burton hatches a plan with Michael for him to portray a lover of Paula posing as Clarice to anger Cormack. The scheming Michael demands payment for his efforts, then on meeting Cormack's spoiled two children who wish to break up their father's marriage, tells them he will break up the marriage if they pay him $30,000, with $15,000 up front. Skilled in financial matters, Paula is able to acquire the $15,000 the children want without asking what the amount is for.

Over time, Paula keeps her virtue and the secret of her real identity intact, but Cormack's children begin to like her and want her to be their mother. Cormack gets into a brawl with Michael over Paula, posing as Clarice.

CAST & CREW
Sally Eilers as Paula Kendall
Neil Hamilton as Stephen Cormack
Joseph Schildkraut as Michael Andrews
Grant Mitchell as Burton Williams
Patricia Farr as Clarice Kendall Andrews Cormack
Marcia Mae Jones as Patricia Cormack
George Ernest as Hank Cormack
Warren Hymer as Butch
Robert Greig as Alfred
Charles Richman as Howell
Spencer Charters as Innkeeper
Mary Gordon as Cook

Directed by Lloyd Corrigan
Written by Joseph Krumgold (screenplay), Olive Cooper (screenplay), Joseph Krumgold (original story)
Produced by Albert E. Levoy
Cinematography Harry J. Wild
Edited by William Morgan
Music by Alberto Colombo
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date January 5, 1938
Running time 70 minutes, 53 minutes (American edited version)
Country United States
Language English