When it comes to the concept of the comedy-of-manners, few films are more spiritually and narratively guided than Ruggles of Red Gap, in which director Leo McCarey (arguably one of the pioneers of comedy during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and someone whose work in both humour and melodrama are some of the greatest in history) and writers Walter DeLeon and Harlan Thompson explore when telling the story of a mild-mannered English butler who is forced into the servitude of a crude American couple, voyaging across the Atlantic in order to become the first (and likely only) personal valet in the entirety of the hamlet of Red Gap, a place where the majority of people did not even understand the concept of having a personal servant at your beck and call. Adapted from the classic novel by Harry Leon Wilson, the film is a delightful and irreverent romp that carefully pieces together many fascinating ideas as it voyages through the story, which contains as many hilarious jokes as it does thought-provoking conversations are subjects like culture, economic and social conventions, all of which are tied together neatly and presented as the foundation for the film, which manages to be one of the most intriguing comedies of this era. Produced just after the introduction of the Hayes Code, in which strict censorship was applied to films produced in Hollywood (essentially ending the fascinating streak of films that contained questionable but captivating subject matter), but still revolutionary in its own way, Ruggles of Red Gap is a remarkable piece of filmmaking, pieced together with total commitment by McCarey and his team, who commit entirely to the process of adapting this unique novel and bringing it to life on screen, entertaining not only the audiences at the time, but also those in future generations, who can still appreciate the subversive and unique commentary that defines this film and makes it such a cherished work of comedy.

Ruggles of Red Gap is a film that gets the majority of its humour from the theme of division in various forms. The primary goal of the film seems to have been to showcase the supposed radical differences between English and American culture, which is especially interesting considering this film was produced during a period where the divide between them was significant. The blurring of national boundaries we’d receive in a few decades wasn’t fully established, and while there was a European presence within the United States (and vice versa, although to a lesser effect), the expectation seemed to be that one needed to fully embrace the culture of their chosen home, rather than bringing new traditions to a place that was not always welcome to them. This is essentially the foundation for most immigrant stories, and ties directly into the theme of the American Dream, which McCarey does explore here, making it the theoretical heart of the film in its later portions. This film has a very different goal in this regard, showing that the blending of cultures is not only possible, but also incredibly encouraged, and that new perspectives allow for a renewed efforts to see different ways of living. Naturally, the intention here was primarily to entertain, so everything is filtered through the lens of being outrageous and excessive, while still showing some degree of restraint, which was absolutely vital to the entire film and its overall intentions, which were a lot more observant of underlying themes than we’d imagine. It offers a very charming glimpse into the clash of cultures, focusing on a sophisticated and reserved Englishman who has defined his life by the strict principles of decorum and sacrosanct etiquette, which are thrown into disarray quite literally overnight, his new journey seeing him interact with a group of people who do aspire to represent themselves in the same sophisticated way, but who seemingly lack the foundation needed to fully masquerade as members of the high society. The humour that comes from the cultural collision is only matched by the very sweet and sentimental tone that complements it, making Ruggles of Red Gap a much more endearing film than we’d imagine, based on a cursory glance.

By virtue of its narrative and structure, Ruggles of Red Gap is a film that essentially depends entirely on its central performance, that of the dedicated butler who finds himself treated like a commodity when he is “won” in a game of poker between his employer and a pair of vulgar Americans desperate to give off the illusion of being elegant, and thus want to go through the motions associated with wealth. Charles Laughton was quite simply one of our finest actors, the rare kind of performer who could be both subtle and a ham (depending on the context), and feels genuine either way. Ruggles of Red Gap was not his breakthrough role, as he had already established himself as one of the premiere actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, someone versatile enough to play any role, but also finding a particular style of character that he could effectively work within without feeling like he was relying too heavily on tics, carving a niche for himself that essentially set the standard for character actors that were to follow. His performance here is a well-constructed, carefully-choreographed demonstration of subtle acting, being mostly internal with only a few moments of intentional excess, mainly designed to show that beneath this refined, elegant gentleman there is something of a revolutionary, an ambitious and dedicated individual whose entire life has been in service of others, and who suddenly realizes that he is worth so much more than just being seen as a human commodity, a form of currency to be bandied about between the wealthy class as part of their high society antics. Laughton commands the screen, and even when he doesn’t speak, he manages to convey a wealth of emotions, many of the film’s strongest moments coming through in the more intimate details, which is odd for a film that is promoted as an outrageous, off-the-wall comedy. He is helped along by Charlie Ruggles, ZaSu Pitts, Mary Boland and Roland Young, all of whom help round out this cast and make Ruggles of Red Gap such a terrific curio of a film.

However, despite being exceptionally funny and often quite outrageous, Ruggles of Red Gap is not entirely driven by irreverence. There’s a very particular level of detail afforded to this film that we don’t often see in many of the broader comedies from this era, especially those that were aiming to capture the same madcap energy of the slapstick-driven silent era, just adding dialogue to enrich and guide the story, rather than fully developing them to be as rich and evocative as they could have been. This is not a slight to those works produced purely for the sake of entertainment (especially not when we’re discussing Leo McCarey, whose comedies ran the gamut of emotions, even when they were truly outrageous), but rather resounding praise for this film, which is a complex, poignant depiction of a man working through cultural differences and discovering his own self-worth in the process. Ruggles of Red Gap is a very funny film, but it has a certain elegance and class that makes it feel so much more complex in how it explores the titular character’s journey between the continents. It is mostly based around very upbeat, hilarious scenarios, but there are tinges of genuine emotion that are peppered liberally throughout the film, and Laughton’s performance reflects many of these themes. To circle back to the theme of the American Dream, this film is focused squarely on being an unconventional version of the immigrant tale, a parable about someone venturing to a foreign country and deciding that he will take advantage of the promise of prosperity and liberty (it is known as The Land of the Free after all), only to find that there are several obstacles that stand in his way. McCarey was a director whose work often varied in terms of story and tone, but his general intentions as a filmmaker was often to look into the American experience in some way, offering new insights while celebrating the country and its people, which is done here so beautifully and with the right amount of wit and empathy that makes for such a compelling and meaningful comedy.

Ruggles of Red Gap is a film that has its priorities in order, enough to be a well-crafted and succinct comedy that knows how to create unforgettable scenarios, each one a developed vignette in the life of the titular character, who undergoes a serious case of culture shock when he realizes that his entire existence is about to be shaken up by several changes, including those that force him to reevaluate his entire existential trajectory. These are very serious ideas for a film that is presented as a comedy – but sometimes the most effective humour is that which is both funny and insightful, and with someone as experienced as McCarey at the helm, it’s not surprising that he finds the perfect balance between humour and pathos in constructing this film. As a whole, Ruggles of Red Gap is just a delight – an irreverent and very funny comedy with a lot of heart, and anchored by a truly impressive performance by one of our great actors, who delivers a tremendous perfomance, committing entirely to the role and finding the time and space to develop a character that is far more complex than we initially are led to believe. There’s so much elegance and humour embedded deeply in this film, and a genuine sense of compassion for its characters, which is a rare commodity, especially for a film as seemingly straightforward in its attempts to entertain as this one. It’s not a perfect film, and some aspects feel slightly dated – but as a satire on class division and cultural differences, as well as a thought-provoking analysis of those same themes, it is an absolute triumph, and quite simply one of the best comedies of this period.