Goodbye Again is a 1933 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz.
Kenneth Bixby (Warren William) is an author famous for writing cheesy romance novels with titles like Purple Passion. He and his hypercompetent secretary Anne (Joan Blondell) are on a cross-country tour promoting his latest book. In Cleveland, he is surprised to be greeted by one Julie Wilson (Genevieve Tobin). It seems that years ago Julie and Kenneth had a fling. He's completely forgotten about her, but she has this idea that she was the love of his life. Kenneth can still barely remember even after Julie reminds him, but she's hot, so they have another fling before he leaves town.
Kenneth thought he'd get laid and then proceed to Albany, but he is unpleasantly surprised when Julie follows. He's even more unpleasantly surprised when Julie's self-righteous sister Elizabeth and Elizabeth's smarmy prig husband Arthur follow in Julie's wake. And if that's not bad enough, they also bring along Julie's mild-mannered husband Herbert, the whole party following Kenneth and Anne to Albany for an unpleasant confrontation.
Not to be confused with the 1961 drama film of the same title starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins.
Tropes:
- Alcohol Hic: Herbert does this, after drinking quite a bit while waiting in vain for hours for Kenneth to return to the hotel. (Kenneth has been away having sex with Herbert's wife.)
- Call-Back: Julie is convinced that she was the inspiration for the protagonist of Miriam, one of Kenneth's cheesy romance novels. He finally gets her to leave when he and Anne convince her that "Miriam" was actually someone different (and that he and "Miriam" had a love child).
- Camp Gay: A random gag typical of The Pre-Code Era has the bellboy at Kenneth's hotel coded as gay. He has an effeminate manner, he talks with a lisp, and he appears to be the only man in the world who reads Kenneth's romance novels. He's a fan who asks for and gets an autograph.
- Curse Cut Short: Herbert's reaction when Julie says that she's "Miriam" (that is, the inspiration for Kenneth's romance novel Miriam).Herbert: Who the he—who's Miriam?
- Forgotten First Meeting: Kenneth and Julie had a fling when they were in college. She is under the impression that it was a grand romance, that she was to wait for him, and that she betrayed him when she married Herbert. He has completely forgotten who she is.
- Gilligan Cut: As Herbert's leaving for work Julie spots food on his tie. She's been rhapsodizing about Kenneth Bixby all morning, leading Herbert to roll his eyes and say that there's no way Kenneth Bixby would ever get food on his tie. Julie says "Certainly not! Kenneth Bixby is much too refined!" Cut to Kenneth, in his hotel bathroom, scratching his butt and gargling.
- Lingerie Scene: Kenneth is pretty surprised to find Julie on the train, clad in only a slip, ready for more sex. He obliges.
- No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me: When Kenneth is slow on the uptake at their first meeting, Julie cheerfully asks "Have I changed so much?" She doesn't get that it's not that he doesn't recognize her, it's that he's forgotten her completely.
- Romance Novel: What Kenneth writes, with titles like Ecstasy, The Boudoir Cloister, A Saint in Scarlet, and Purple Passion. Kenneth is said to be "the man who understands women,", and while he definitely doesn't, they definitely like his books.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: Julie takes Kenneth to her country farmhouse for a night of passion. The camera pans away from their embrace on the couch to the candle on the end table—which Julie snuffs out with her fingers!
- Sexy Secretary: Anne, Kenneth's highly efficient secretary who wears a lot of snug tops. It isn't very surprising when the last third of the film reveals that they were once a romantic item.
- Shout-Out: Apparently back when Kenneth was a would-be author and they were dating, Julie pushed him to write highbrow fiction. When he finally remembers who she is, Kenneth says "Oh, you wanted me to write books like If Winter Comes
." - Stop Copying Me: Kenneth manages to get Elizabeth and Arthur to clear out by the simple device of repeating back everything they say.Arthur: That's a child's game!
Kenneth: That's a child's game! - Video Credits: Of all the main players at the start of the film, as was house style for Warner Bros. and First National films in the early 1930s.
- Worst News Judgment Ever: "NOTED AUTHOR IN ALBANY" is the top headline, complete with a big photo of Kenneth, in the local paper.
