| The Perfect Gentleman | |
| Director: | Tim Whelan |
| Producer: | Harry Rapf |
| Based On: | the unproduced play, |
| Starring: | Frank Morgan Cicely Courtneidge |
| Music: | William Axt |
| Cinematography: | Charles G. Clarke |
| Editing: | George Boemler |
| Studio: | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributor: | Loew's Inc. |
| Runtime: | 73 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Perfect Gentleman (also known by the alternative title The Imperfect Lady) is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Frank Morgan, Cicely Courtneidge and Heather Angel. It was based on a play by Edward Childs Carpenter (which was based on a story by Cosmo Hamilton). The screenplay concerns the father of a British country vicar, who almost brings scandal on the family when he becomes entangled with an actress.
Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a poor review, summarizing his review as "to be avoided at any cost". Noting that Cicely Courtneidge had come from a theatrical background and that her acting skills were adequate for the stage, Greene described her aspect in this film as "fling[ing] her facial contortions to the back of the gallery", and expressed sorrow that so many of the stage's most capable comedians were today "going the Pagliacci way". Greene took particular dislike of the scene where Courtneidge played the part of a young soldier.[1]