Direction: Dorothy Arzner

The best movies, series, and documentaries directed by Dorothy Arzner. Explore exceptional titles that showcase a unique filmmaking vision.


Merrily We Go to Hell

1932 · Movie · 78 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Sylvia Sidney · Fredric March · Adrianne Allen · Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher

Synopsis An aspiring playwright (Frederic March) with a drinking problem marries an heiress (Sylvia Sidney) whose father (George Irving) is skeptical of March’s intentions. When March carries on an affair with a former flame (Adrianne Allen), Sidney despairs, but resolves to...

6.9

131 votes

6.9

131 votes

6.4

197 votes

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

1937 · Movie · 98 min. · United States

Direction Richard Boleslawski · Dorothy Arzner · George Fitzmaurice

Cast Joan Crawford · William Powell · Robert Montgomery · Frank Morgan

Synopsis There is a big charity function at the house of Mrs. Cheyney and a lot of society is present. With her rich husband, deceased, rich old Lord Kelton and playboy Lord Arthur Dilling are both very interested in the mysterious...

6.2

34 votes

6.2

34 votes

The Bride Wore Red

1937 · Movie · 103 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Joan Crawford · Franchot Tone · Robert Young · Billie Burke

Synopsis Count Armalia believes that the luck of birth is all that separates the rich from the poor. To test his theory, he sends Anni, a singer in a dive, to a ritzy resort for two weeks. With fancy new clothes...

6.2

48 votes

6.2

48 votes

Craig's Wife

1936 · Movie · 73 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Rosalind Russell · John Boles · Billie Burke · Jane Darwell

Synopsis A domineering woman marries a wealthy man for his money, and then uses her position to further her own ambitions for money and power.

6.1

43 votes

6.1

43 votes

Christopher Strong

1933 · Movie · 78 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Katharine Hepburn · Colin Clive · Billie Burke · Helen Chandler

Synopsis At a party for Bright Young Things, a "treasure hunt" for attractive yet virtuous people nets Sir Christopher Strong, M.P., and Lady Cynthia Darrington, dashing aviatrix. Their acquaintance is innocent at first; but after he sees her in a spectacular...

6.1

223 votes

6.1

223 votes

The Wild Party

1929 · Movie · 77 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Clara Bow · Fredric March · Marceline Day · Shirley O'Hara

Synopsis Wild girls at a college pay more attention to parties than their classes. But when one party girl, Stella Ames, goes too far at a local bar and gets in trouble, her professor has to rescue her. Gossip linking the...

6.0

21 votes

6.0

21 votes

5.6

26 votes

Sarah and Son

1930 · Movie · 86 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Ruth Chatterton · Fredric March · Fuller Mellish Jr. · Gilbert Emery

Synopsis A ne'er-do-well husband, after years of abusing his wife, disappears with their son, and winds up selling him to a wealthy family. Years later, the wife--now a world-famous opera singer--finally has enough time and money to begin a search for...

Not rated

Not rated

Fashions for Women

1927 · Movie · 70 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Esther Ralston · Raymond Hatton · Einar Hanson · Edward Martindel

Synopsis Celeste de Givray is renowned throughout Europe as the most beautiful and best-dressed model in all Paris. Her press agent DuPont concocts an attention-getting publicity scheme by having Celeste undergo cosmetic surgery, then unveiling her “new” face at a posh...

Not rated

Not rated

Get Your Man

1927 · Movie · 60 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Clara Bow · Charles 'Buddy' Rogers · Josef Swickard · Josephine Dunn

Synopsis A young American girl in Paris falls in love with a handsome nobleman, but he is about to wed in an arranged marriage. She hatches a plan to overcome that obstacle and get her man.

Not rated

Not rated

Working Girls

1931 · Movie · 77 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Judith Wood · Dorothy Hall · Claire Dodd · Frances Dee

Synopsis Two sisters have arrived in New York straight from the country and settle down in one of those boarding houses for single women. May, the older, is a bit naive, while June, the younger, is much more worldly and world-wise....

Not rated

Not rated

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Nancy Carroll · Richard Arlen · Danny O'Shea · Paul Lukas

Synopsis Manhattan Cocktail is a lost film except for a one-minute montage sequence, "Skyline Dance". It was a part-talkie film.

Not rated

Not rated

First Comes Courage

1943 · Movie · 88 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Merle Oberon · Brian Aherne · Carl Esmond · Isobel Elsom

Synopsis Nicole Larsen (Merle Oberon) is a member of the Norwegian resistance in a small town, about to be married to the Nazi commandant (Carl Esmond). When his superiors begin to suspect her, the Allies land an assassin to kill him...

Not rated

Not rated

Anybody's Woman

1930 · Movie · 80 min. · United States

Not rated

Not rated

Honor Among Lovers

1931 · Movie · 75 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner

Cast Claudette Colbert · Fredric March · Monroe Owsley · Charles Ruggles

Synopsis Fredric March, a businessman, is in love with his secretary (Claudette Colbert) but she deserts him for another man; when she realizes her mistake, she goes back to March. Ginger Rogers is Colbert's girlfriend who is love with Charles Ruggles.

Not rated

Not rated

Behind the Make-Up

1930 · Movie · 70 min. · United States

Direction Robert Milton · Dorothy Arzner · Henry Hathaway · Rollo Lloyd

Cast Hal Skelly · William Powell · Fay Wray · Kay Francis

Synopsis Gardoni, a down-on-his-luck vaudeville performer, is taken in by a fellow performer, a clown who has a bicycle riding act. Gardoni shows his appreciation by stealing the clown's act and his girlfriend, whom he marries.

Not rated

Not rated

Paramount on Parade

1930 · Movie · 102 min. · United States

Direction Dorothy Arzner · Otto Brower · Edmund Goulding · Victor Heerman

Cast Maurice Chevalier · Richard Arlen · Jean Arthur · George Bancroft

Synopsis A musical revue that basically has Paramount stars and contract-players doing things some had never done on screen, and wouldn't again; such as Ruth Chatteron , in a French-café setting singing "My Marine" (written by Richard A. Whiting and Raymond...

Not rated

Not rated