User Reviews

American comedy was at its strongest in the 1930s and '40s. Ruggles of Red Gap is a great representative of that era. There hasn't been an American movie in the past two, maybe three decades that's as funny as this one. Ruggles of Red Gap begins with one of the funniest premises imaginable: a British butler, Marmaduke Ruggles (Charles Laughton), is won from his lord (Roland Young) in a poker game by a wily American (Charlie Ruggles) whose pretentious wife (Mary Boland, Ruggles' constant co-star) wants the butler to teach him some manners. The first half-hour is easily the strongest section in the film, with Ruggles (I'll be referring to the actors) the fish-out-of-water in Paris, trying to sidestep his conniving wife and teach Laughton, steeped in the servant tradition, to let himself go and have some fun. When the two men are supposed to be at the Louvre, Ruggles drags his new manservant to a sidewalk establishment and orders them some beers. A fellow resident of Red Gap (the town in Washington State where Ruggles and Boland live, and to where they will later take Laughton) sees Ruggles there and they cause a huge scene with their Wild West antics. They even get poor Laughton drunk, for perhaps the first time in his life, and he learns the most useful of American phrases: "Yippee!" He also learns how to smile. Boland is at her strongest in the first section, as well. Her attempts to speak French are hilarious. "Trays amazing!" she bungles.

When the crew arrives in America, the film loses a bit of its steam, but not much. It has a great story, unlike many of the other great comedies being made at the time (which relied on caricatures like W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers), and that keeps it entertaining. Laughton is such a delight to behold, and he meets up with a lovely woman played by the undervalued character actress Zasu Pitts, best remembered for her neurotic wife role in Erich von Stroheim's 1925 masterpiece Greed. I have only seen her in two non-Greed movies, counting Ruggles of Red Gap, but she's obviously a huge comic talent. Laughton may be the star, but Charlie Ruggles, also a semi-forgotten comic master, steals the movie from him. Boland is funniest when the film is in Paris, but she's still pretty good afterwards. Another scene stealer is Roland Young. I love his mumbling way of speaking. He comes back later in the movie and has a great scene where he learns to play the drums. Leo McCarey is one of comedy's finest directors in comedy's finest era. What a wonderful film this is! 9/10.

Ruggles of Red Gap is the warm and tender story of Charles Laughton, gentlemen's gentlemen to Lord Roland Young who loses his services in a poker game to American western tourist Charlie Ruggles and his wife Mary Boland. Ruggles has some ideas about class distinction and one's proper place in society and he's in for quite a culture shock when he's brought back to the western town of Red Gap in Washington State.

In a way Ruggles of Red Gap is the polar opposite of The Earl of Chicago where an American gangster Robert Montgomery inherits an English title and experiences a reverse culture shock. In that film Montgomery has an English valet in Edmund Gwenn who indoctrinates him in reverse of what Laughton experiences. Of course things turn out a whole lot better for Marmaduke Ruggles than for the Earl of Kinmont.

In a way Ruggles of Red Gap may have been Charles Laughton's most personal film. In his life he became an American citizen because he preferred the American view of no titles of nobility and that one had better opportunities here than in Europe. It caused a certain amount of friction between Laughton and some other British players.

Laughton up to then had played a whole lot of bigger than life parts like Nero, Henry VIII, Captain Bligh, Edward Moulton Barrett, parts that called for a lot of swagger. Marmaduke Ruggles is a different kind of man. Self contained, shy, and unsure of himself in new surroundings. But Laughton pulls it off beautifully. It's almost Quasimodo without the grotesque make up. Also very much like the school teacher in This Land is Mine.

Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland never fail to entertain, they worked beautifully together in a number of films in the early Thirties. They always were a married couple, Boland a very haughty woman with some exaggerated ideas of her own importance and her ever patient and somewhat henpecked husband Charlie. In Ruggles of Red Gap, Charlie Ruggles is a little less henpecked.

My guess is that Zasu Pitts played the role she did because Elsa Lanchester might have been busy elsewhere. I believe she was making the Bride of Frankenstein around this time. Pitts's scenes with Laughton resonate the same way as some of Charles Laughton's best work with his wife.

The highlight of Ruggles of Red Gap has always been Laughton's recital of The Gettysburg Address. In a scene in a saloon where none of the American born people can remember anything of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Laughton the immigrant recited it from memory. It was a harbinger of some of Laughton's later recitals which I remember as a kid on the Ed Sullivan show. The scene is a tribute to all the immigrants who come here because of the ideals this country is supposed to represent. Sometimes our immigrants have taken it more seriously than those who were born here. Immigrants like Charles Laughton.

Director Leo McCarey, in his heyday a famous director and rival of Frank Capra's, and now largely forgotten, made one of his best films, Ruggles Of Red Gap, adapted from Harry Leon Wilson's novel, in 1935. It tells the story of a meek English butler named Ruggles, who is "lost" in a poker game by his boss, an English earl. Living out west, in Washington state, he is gradually assimilated into American life, makes himself somewhat of a local celebrity, and falls in love along the way. That's about all there is to the story, and it's more than enough in director McCarey's capable hands.

As Ruggles, Charles Laughton is more restrained than he's ever been, and gives a fine comedic performance of rare delicacy. There's none of the usual hamming one expects of him. As his new "bosses", Egbert and Effie Floud, Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland are wonderful as middle-aged denizens of the Pacific northwest. As Ruggles' girl, Prunella, Zasu Pitts is at her dithering best; while Roland Young is sly and stylish as the earl. The actors interact with exquisite timing, with no one missing a beat, as was nearly always the case with McCarey, who had a rare feeling for the way people actually behave,--as opposed to the way movie people do--which makes his films, when good, a special treat.

This movie is a classic, if a quiet one, and used to be far better known than it is today, which is a pity. Capra's films are shown all the time, while McCarey', aside from his two "Catholic" films of the mid-forties, Going My Way and Bells Of St. Mary's, tend by be neglected. There are no "big scenes" in this one, but an awful lot of brilliant little ones, as when Roland Young learns how to play the drums; or when Charle Laughton recites the Gettysburg Address, the latter the high point of the film, and its most famous moment. One can't help but think, after seeing this movie, that all's right with the world. It isn't, of course, and never has been, but it's awfully nice to feel that way without having to resort to drugs or alcohol. For that one can think Mr. McCarey.

"Ruggles of Red Gap" is one of Leo McCarey's greatest masterpieces, a witty and trenchant commedia dell'arte, based on a 1915 play by Harry Leon Wilson. It stars the charismatic Charles Laughton as the well-mannered, eccentric English manservant Marmaduke Ruggles who is hilariously Americanized in an American Wild West town of Red Gap, Washington. Ruggles is the devoted servant of the Earl of Burnstead, George Van Bassingwell (Roland Young), who unfortunately loses his efficient servant in a poker game to a wealthy American cattle baron Egbert Floud (Charles Ruggles). Marmaduke leaves his master and moves to Red Gap, where he opens a restaurant and learns to admire the wild west and American mannerisms.

Charles Laughton is nothing short of perfection in one of his wittiest and warmest roles. His extraordinary recital of Lincoln's Gettysburg address to a barroom of speechless cowboys, along with Roland Young and Leila Hyams hysterical rendering of "Pretty Baby," is unforgettable. A must-see!

It's my favorite movie. I love it beyond all reason. I have it on VHS (need DVD NOW!) as well as a still reproduction of Charles Laughton in the title role. I named one of my cats Ruggles. In other words, my recommendation is high! That said, I don't want to oversell it. While it contains some admirable themes about throwing off tradition and becoming your own person, it's above all a charming character comedy distinguished by Leo McCarey's signature style of improvisatory naturalism (particularly in comparison to the usual run of mainstream fare). Jean Renoir's famous quote about McCarey being one of the few directors who understood human beings (or words to that effect) is made clear here.

While there's plenty of broad humor, my favorite scenes involve smaller, character-centered moments, such as the sly little courtship scene in which a piano-playing Leila Hyams coaches a smitten Roland Young as he attempts to accompany her on drums.

It's full of colorful characters, priceless dialogue and emotionally involving story arcs. Seek it out -- if you like it one-tenth as much as I do, you'll consider your time well spent.

CHARLES LAUGHTON plays a staid British butler who is brought to western U.S.A. (which he imagines is still highly uncivilized), to act as a valet for the incorrigible hick CHARLIE RUGGLES. Indeed, Laughton is so subdued for most of his role that it's Ruggles who manages to steal their scenes together with his "Yahoos" and broadly comic playing.

MARY BOLAND, as Charlie Ruggles' pretentious wife, matches him for broad comedy style while the other supporting performances are a bit more realistic. But Laughton's butler commands the spotlight in a quiet, more restrained way than usual. His expressions have endless variety and there's a gleam in his eyes when he's amused. Director Leo McCarey allows for one highly sentimental moment--which seems to be a staple of any Leo McCarey film.

This time, it's Laughton reciting The Gettysburg Address in a saloon, where he captures the intense concentration of all the noisy patrons the moment he begins to recite Lincoln's address.

Actually, it's a highly implausible moment but McCarey prepares the viewer for it by making it clear that everyone else in the saloon has forgotten whatever it was that Lincoln said. Still, it seems too stylized and dramatic a moment to mesh with the rest of the story, but it's meant to establish that Laughton gets what the great statesmen meant about all men being created equal.

ZASU PITTS is charming and fluttery as a servant who attracts Laughton's attention and to whom he lends some culinary advice.

The script lags here and there while telling a rather rambling tale about the exploits of these people, but the performances are all first rate and command the attention throughout.

I thought I saw everything until I saw Charles Laughton do comedy. His range is phenomenal. In one film he is playing Captain Bligh, and here he plays a shy, insecure British butler who ends up out west. Some scenes, although subtle, are hilarious. Laughton, besides being an actor, gave performances in oral reading and recital. Here he does a recital of the Gettysburg Address that is just fantastic. I mean, who would think something every grade school kid had to memorize could be moving. But it is. This movie is for anyone who really appreciates a truly gifted actor.

Charles Laughton was an incomparable actor (did anyone else ever go over the top as much as he did, yet still give brilliant performances?), and he's at the peak of his form in this classic. Laughton is just right as the staid butler who is won in a poker game by a couple from the Old West, circa 1908. Everyone is excellent--Mary Boland and Charlie Ruggles were one of the more popular screen couples of the day, and you'll see why--but it is Laughton who steals the film. His recitation of the Gettysburg Address is a demonstration of his mastery. It should fall flat, but it plays beautifully. See it.

This isn't a great movie, but it is certainly an enjoyable one. An English gentleman's gentleman is taken to America when he's won in a game of cards by a wealthy American's husband. (No, that doesn't make any sense. A gentleman's gentleman isn't an indentured servant. You just have to buy the premise.) At first he is like a fish out of water. Eventually, he finds advantages and pleasure in what are touted as American virtues: all men are created equal, etc. Nothing profound, certainly, but the cast is uniformly good, as are their performances. Some, like Mary Boland's or Zsa Zu Pitt's, are yet another iteration of what they always played. Some, like Charlie Ruggles', are interesting exaggerations. The only performance I found strange was Charles Laughton's. He had a very strange way of showing what I suppose was meant to be seen as bewilderment.

A pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.

Last night I watched this film for the first time in several years, though it has always been a favorite. Why did it suddenly come to my mind? Because I knew that it would be a great remedy for cynicism and could lift my spirits. It worked: this minor masterpiece is heart-warming without being sappy-sentimental, primarily because so much of the actions and portrayals is hilarious; especially the early scenes in Paris, when the tradition-bound valet Ruggles learns that he has been the stakes in a poker game and that his "master" has lost him to a rugged millionaire from far-west America and his social-climbing wife (both parts played to perfection). What had never impressed me quite so much before is the subtlety of Laughton's portrayal. He could convey more humor with a simple twist of his lips or lowering of his eyelids than a Jerry Lewis or Jim Carrey can with their overdone mugging. Brilliant! And of course he had one of the great recital voices of all time; he was called on to repeat his recitation of the Gettysburg Address over radio many times, especially during World War II. Anyone who wants to take a course in acting would be advised to view Laughton's performances in a wide range of roles over a 20 year period. He even pulled off a potentially weepy "It's a Wonderful Life" type ending, simply by standing before the "He's a Jolly Good Fellow"-singing crowd with a broad smile that radiates joy, then reverting to his innate reserve and heading back into the kitchen of his restaurant. No pretty wife and cute kids to hug: only a former servant who realizes he has come into his own as a man in a new country where (ideally) class structures do not exist and a man is valued for what he is, not who.

RUGGLES OF RED GAP (US 1935) is a unique viewing experience to me because it is the only film that I remember trying to watch three times, and on all those occasions I fell asleep about halfway. This time I actually woke up in time to watch the ending - which is so general that I might have done better if I had slept instead.

I have gone back and tried to watch the missing bits, to try to grasp the rest and I found Laughton unusually understated as a British butler lost in gambling. That understated approach does not hurt his performance - in fact, he holds the film together - but the overall product is full of spurious and dated humor, with some over the top American behavior thrown in to contrast with Laughton's stiff upper lip. Unfortunately, that attempt at contrast is more annoying than successful.

I doubt I will ever to try to watch this film again.

Aren't words amazing: somehow Charles Laughton's sincere rendition of The Gettysburg Address exudes such beautiful emotion straight into your heart that you feel something stir deep inside....and I'm not even American.

Even in his early serious films such as PAYMENT DEFERRED or OLD DARK HOUSE, Charles Laughton had always injected some subtle English humour - much of which often went undetected. In this however his inner comedian is no longer hidden under a bushel but free for all to see. Acknowledging the brilliance of (one of the funniest films of all time) DUCK SOUP, Laughton procured the directorial services of Leo McCarey to direct this. Whilst of course nothing could come remotely close to DUCK SOUP in terms of comedy, this is reasonably funny....but it's a film in which you'll find yourself slightly chuckling rather than one with any laugh out loud moments. Nice though.

For those of you who watch a lot of old films, you'd probably recognize this as having a "Paramount style" (the more you watch, the more you recognize these things.) For those of you who don't: it's that Quasimodo bloke in the wild west.

There's a nice cosy warm feel to this. You know that nothing too unpleasant is going to happen and that everything's going to work out fine in the end. It's not sentimental but it's possibly just a little too cosy. Laughton himself is sublimely funny but the story, even though it has a lovely theme behind it, isn't in any way whatsoever exciting. Providing you're not expecting anything too special, you'll be glad you watched this.

"Ruggles of Red Gap" is the kind of comedy film that is rarely made by Hollywood anymore: a film with the emphasis on characterization without the cheap and obvious jokes of today's films. The plot is a good one. The services of a third-generation English Butler (Charles Laughton) are won in a poker game to an American couple (a very funny Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland) who reside in Red Gap, Washington. Ruggles' former employer, Lord Burnstead (a fine Roland Young) reluctantly gives him up to the couple but assures him that he will come back for him as soon as possible. Once in America, however, Ruggles gets a newfound sense of freedom and after being inadvertantly fired by the uncouth American couple, decides to open up his own restaurant with the help of a widow (Zasu Pitts) who he has much affection for. The movie was nominated for Best Picture and the performances are outstanding, particularly Charles Laughton as the butler/servant who sees freedoms and opportunities in America that he never would have had if he remained in England. The standout scene in the movie is when Laughton is in a local Red Gap bar and someone mentions Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. When no one in the bar can seem to remember what Lincoln said, Laughton (the Englishman)recites the speech in its entirety with enough emotion and dramatic flair to bring tears to one's eyes. The underlying theme of the movie is basically about Anglo American relations and the common ground and friendship between both nations. This is a "must see" for anyone still interested in how great Hollywood was in its heyday, and particularly how wonderful and original the comedies were in that early and Golden Age of film-making.

Marmaduke Ruggles travels to Red Gap, Washington (circa 1908) after the Floud family wins him in a poker game. Ruggles, afraid he will not adjust to wild western life, has his fears come true. When he arrives in town, the citizens think he is a retired British Army officer, and Ruggles has to go on pretending to be something he is not. Originally believing that all he can ever be is a valet, he gets the idea of opening the town's first restaurant with the help of the widow Judson. However, the return of Ruggles' former employer (the Earl of Burnstead) may make Ruggles think of going back into servitude, making think of what Lincoln said is true about all men being equal. While what I wrote seems to play like a drama, don't be fooled it is quite a witty comedy with Laughton giving one of his most best (and surprisingly) best performances actually doing much of it with facial expressions & body language. Everyone else in the cast gives great stereotypical acting jobs, and the script gives plenty of chances for everyone, especially thanks to McCarey's lively direction. Best scene is obviously Ruggles reciting the Gettysburg address in the saloon, another driving point in the film's theme of all men being created equal. Rating, 9.

This certainly is a hilarious study of opposites -- staid British decorum transplanted to America's rough and tumble Old West. Laughton's excursion into comedy is along the buffoonery line at times (said with all due respect, of course) and anyone can see his true talent lies in drama. I'd say the real scene stealer is Charles Ruggles as Egbert who displays a wry wit all his own as he endures his wife's determined efforts to remodel him. His choice of words are so amusing: "Hey cab, give us one with a horse on it," and, to his wife when dining, "Effie, what you need is some of this imprisoned laughter of the pleasant maids of France." Also, it brought back memories to hear the old song, "By the Light of the Silver Moon" sung by Nell in the movie. A very comical film that's enjoyed more each time you see it.

A wonderful comedy of class manners from 1935. Paris at the turn of the last century finds an English butler in the employ of some nouveau riche Americans (recently oil rich) when the butler's former employer loses him in a game of draw poker (his words). What becomes more culture shock w/a little class shock thrown in, our intrepid Ruggles must adapt to a culture where exclusivity is a new thing for him since he's always has been at the beck & call of his master during his professional career but once in the States, that all changes. Drinks are shared, opinions are asked & more importantly a sense of independence is fostered whereby he falls in love & decides to open an eatery. Charles Laughton stars here in one of his early starring roles (this is probably the slimmest I've ever seen him) & milks the comedy for all its worth. There is still a sense of the theatrical in the staging where the actors tend to deliver their lines to the back rows of the proscenium but the running time & good natured performances trump any drawbacks you may encounter.

Some pretty good reviews have been turned in so far. I recommend "All's Right With the World" (telegonus from brighton, ma; 16 August 2002). Also, jayjerry regards it as "My All-Time Favorite" (jayjerry from Burbank, CA; 2 February 2007).

In "Making Your Way In A New World" (bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York; 6 October 2006) we get good background on Charles Laughton's personal interest in the story. In "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" (lugonian from Kissimmee, Florida; 18 December 2010) we are provided the film history of the story.

In "What did Lincoln say at Gettysburg, anyway?" (theowinthrop from United States; 20 May 2006) we get criticism of the pacing of some scenes, along with the gags that don't entirely work.

"Ruggles at Red Gap" starts out as a (not laugh-out loud) comedy about manners. As the story moves from Paris to the Western US, it acquires great depth by way of Laughton's extraordinary reciting of Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" to a saloon filled with cowboys who can't recall a word of it.

As freedom and liberation emerge as new themes, love also arrives. Laughton's Ruggles (convincing as a heterosexual) finds a widow (Zasu Pitts as Mrs. Judson) with whom a restaurant adventure is undertaken. Among the first patrons of this restaurant is his former Parisien employer (Roland Young as the Earl of Burnstead) who has found a very charming Washington socialite (Leila Hyams as Nell Kenner).

Acquiring richness until the satisfying finale, "Ruggles at Red Gap" should be regarded as among the best films about Americana. Three scenes are standouts: Laughton's exceptional Gettysburgh recitation, Roland Young's musical flirting scene with Leila Hyams and the restaurant sequence climaxed by a rousing finish.

Laughton's transformation from a dour and proper man servant to a more popular figure comes with the help of two instigators; i.e., wealthy ranchers Egbert (Charles Ruggels; yes that's confusing) and Effie Floud (Mary Boland). Egbert is a particularly corrupting influence on Ruggles by introducing him to drink and repeatedly insisting that they both share the same class.

Each cast member is superb. Leo McCarey is very interesting visually. Note how in this cinematic period how few closeups there are; how often there seems to be a bit much space above characters heads and how far away a group stands from the viewer's perspective, as if seen from a stage.

In real life in Washington State (around 1908) there probably would be more than one enemy for Ruggles to contend with; for being out of place, foppish, proper, literary and theatrical. As with many of the other films from the 1930s, common people are depicted idealistically.

Somehow McCarey made this beautiful, rich and rewarding commentary about liberty, finding love and gaining acceptance before he appeared as a friendly witness to the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) witch hunt. This is not explained by "Ruggles."

Ruggles Of Red Gap (1935) : Brief Review -

Laughton with tons of laughs! Never saw any American comedy using British characters to prove American propaganda for righteous virtue. Leo McCarey hasn't just been good with comedies, but he has also made good, meaningful dramas. It's hard to believe that the man who has made nice comedies like "Duck Soup" (1933) and "My Favorite Wife" (1940), or even this film, Ruggles Of Red Gap, that I'd like to add to the list now, has made meaningful and painful dramas like "Make Way For Tomorrow" (1937), "Love Affair" (1939) and " Going My Way" (1944) too. His social sense in comedies made them more believable and logical. This film has too many factors working correctly, but moreover, it has some social calls made from some ends, which lift it from the regular bar. Like I said, propaganda. Well, that's my way of looking at it. Others may differ, and I don't think that'll make any difference until you are enjoying the storyline and its motive. That Abraham Lincoln part made me like the propaganda, and it's not necessary that every time the propaganda has to be termed as an offensive adjective. A disciplined and loyal English valet is brought to the American west after his owner has lost him in a gamble. Obeying the order of the boss, he assimilates into the American way of life and finds himself for his own good. Charles Laughton as the valet is terrific. Loved his expressions and the transformation his character goes through. The real fun statue is Charlie Ruggles. Every wild action of his, every quirky dialogue of his, makes you go crazy for him. Mary Bolland's chaotic and that's what the character needed, while ZaSu Pitts's simple, according to her character. Leo McCarey makes a decent screenplay look better and more exclusive with his additional humour, but all I wanted was a positive, thought-provoking process, and he gave me that - adding another superb movie to his legitimate filmography.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Anyone who loves Hollywood screwball comedies will find this film a revelation. Ruggles of Red Gap is one of the most obscure treasures of Hollywood's screwball comedy era of the 1930s. It boasts a sterling cast led by the stupendously multi-faceted Charles Laughton, as well as hilarious character actors, Charlie Ruggles (a name coincidence)and Zasu Pitts. It has razor sharp dialogue, acrobatic physical comedy, and a growing sweetness that leaves one feeling better about life at the end. Laughton and the other actors make this possible by imbuing their characters with subtle, three-dimensional traits that make you love them, laugh at them, and root for them. Find a way to dig this one out of the mothballs, via Amazon (you can rent it for $3 bucks), or another vendor. It's truly a little gem!

Ruggles, an English butler, who after initially dreading his obligated relocation to a remote American town, begins to admire his new country. Charles Laughton is good in the eponymous role, a servant of the old fashioned kind who for sitting with a superior or divulging their first name would be out of the question in his old environment.

A film that wants to be lighthearted comedy celebrating American values but rings false. Not a particularly funny beginning with its lame culture clash gags (Parisians shocked at the rowdy Americans greeting one another) but if it concentrated on the fish out water antics of the main character it could have been passable. Things become increasingly risible the more it's message that the US is free of the class problems of Europe. The repeated phrase "all men are created equal" is undermined by the conspicuous lack of non-white characters. It would be awkward if the characters talked about equality with Black and Asian people present. I'm happy if someone can throw off the shackles of class and also for an outsider to be accepted in society but this film gives the impression that because this White Englishman can assimilate that anyone can do it which is nonsense.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I watch it several times a year still. To see the comedic genius, the timing, the facial gestures and physical comedy coming out of Charles Laughton, who is generally known for his more serious roles, is marvelous. He is light as a feather and sharp as a knife as "Ruggles"...and as the movie progresses, he transforms. It's a "coming of age" type movie and shames "born" Americans by buying into the American dream and educating them to their "taken for granted" hard won history and lives...and the sappy ending, in which you are rooting for his success, always brings a tear to my eye, much like George Bailey at the end of "It's a Wonderful Life". Charles Laughton, comedic genius, among other skills of the screen, carries off this "sappy" ending to perfection...enjoy...