The Mating Season (film)
| The Mating Season | |
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Belgian film poster
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| Directed by | Mitchell Leisen |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett |
| Written by | Charles Brackett Richard Breen Walter Reisch Caesar Dunn (play) |
| Starring |
Gene Tierney John Lund Miriam Hopkins Thelma Ritter |
| Music by | Joseph J. Lilley |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang |
| Edited by | Frank Bracht |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,625,000 (US rentals) |
The Mating Season is a 1951 classic farce with elements of screwball comedy. A film made by Paramount Pictures, it was directed by Mitchell Leisen and produced by Charles Brackett from a screenplay by Charles Brackett, Richard Breen and Walter Reisch, based on the play Maggie by Caesar Dunn. The ensemble cast stars Gene Tierney, John Lund, Miriam Hopkins, and Thelma Ritter.
Ellen McNulty (Thelma Ritter) gives up her hamburger stand in New Jersey when the bank calls in her loan, and goes to visit her son Val (John Lund) in Ohio. Val has recently married a socialite, Maggie (Gene Tierney). To help Maggie put on a dinner party, Val has an employment service send a cook; Ellen arrives first, and Maggie mistakes her for the cook. Ellen, to avoid embarrassing Maggie, does not correct her. After the party, Val follows her home and persuades her to move in with them.
The next morning Ellen arrives with her things, and continues the deception, explaining to Val that a mother-in-law in the house would only cause friction. Val reluctantly goes along with the charade.
Maggie's mother (Miriam Hopkins) comes to stay with them. She is a snob and disapproves of both Val and Ellen.
Maggie and Val later "lend" Ellen to the Kalinger family, owners of the firm where Val works, for a party of their own, whose guests of honor, Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, own a Maryland firm with which the Kalinger firm is about to make a major contract. While tending to Mr. Kalinger (Larry Keating) in his illness, Ellen finds that his son, Kalinger Junior (James Lorimer) – who had previously courted Maggie – is taking credit for Val's research that led to the contract, and she tells Kalinger Senior so.
Kalinger Senior then invites Val and Maggie to the party, forcing Junior to reveal Val's role, which he does graciously. At the party, Maggie is insulted by Mrs. Williamson (Cora Witherspoon) and storms out. Val, realizing that this woman carries a lot of influence, forces Maggie to call the party to apologize. She does so unwillingly, leading to another fight.
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