No, No, Nanette

No, No, Nanette is a 1930 American pre-Code musical comedy film with Technicolor sequences that was directed by Clarence G. Badger and released by First National Pictures.[3] It was adapted from the play of the same title by Otto A. Harbach and Frank Mandel. No, No, Nanette was a popular show on Broadway, running for 321 performances, and was produced and directed by Harry Frazee.[4]

Jim Smith, a millionaire due to his Bible publishing business, is married to the overly frugal Sue. They desire to teach their ward Nanette to be a respectable young lady; she, in turn, has an untapped wild side. Nanette wants to have some fun in Atlantic City, while she is being pursued by Tom Trainor.

With so much unspent income at his disposal, Jim decides to become the benefactor for three beautiful women, but soon realizes his good intentions are bound to get him in trouble. He enlists his lawyer friend Bill to help him discreetly ease the girls out of his life. Sue and Billy's wife, Lucille, learn about the women and assume their husbands are having affairs with them.

Eventually, Bill and Jim explain the situation and are forgiven by their wives. Likewise, Nanette and Tom sort out their difficulties and decide to get married.

According to the George Eastman Museum 2015 Book "The Dawn of Technicolor, 1915-1935" the BFI National Archive holds a 35mm incomplete nitrate print 160 ft.

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $839,000 domestically and $612,000 foreign.[2]

Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times wrote, "No, No, Nannette, proves to be quite a merry affair with tunes that are now well known and players whose activities were rewarded with gusts of laughter from the first-night audience at Warners' Strand. It is a show that stirs up mirth from persons who might desire a more sophisticated type of entertainment, for its comedy of wives discovering the more or less harmless deceit of their husbands is invariably unfailing. The technicolor sequences are not always as well lighted as one would wish, but the staging of these tinted episodes is wrought with no little imagination, especially the glimpses of an airship with turquoise lights and a variety of colors on the fuselage. It is from this stage contrivance that Bernice Claire as Nanette sings one of her songs. Her partner, Tom Trainor, played by Alexander Gray, is also moved to song. The most effective stretches of this diversion, however, are those in black and white."[5]