The Royal Family of Broadway

The Royal Family of Broadway is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by George Cukor and Cyril Gardner and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Gertrude Purcell from the 1927 play The Royal Family by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman. It stars Ina Claire, Fredric March, Mary Brian, Henrietta Crosman, Arnold Korff, and Frank Conroy. It was shot at the Astoria Studios in New York. As a film published in 1930, it entered the public domain on January 1, 2026.

Plot

The film tells the story of a girl from a family of great Broadway actors who contemplates leaving show business and getting married. The characters are a parody of the American Barrymore-Drew theatrical family.

Cast

Ina Claire as Julie Cavendish
Fredric March as Tony Cavendish
Mary Brian as Gwen Cavendish
Henrietta Crosman as Fanny Cavendish
Charles Starrett as Perry
Arnold Korff as Oscar Wolfe
Frank Conroy as Gilmore Marshall
Royal C. Stout as Joe
Elsie Esmond as Della
Murray Alper as McDermott
Herschel Mayall as Doctor
Lucile Watson as Actress Backstage

Recognition

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Legacy

A 35mm nitrate print of The Royal Family of Broadway was preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive in 1985. The film has not been released on DVD or Blu-Ray. Copyright is held by Universal / MCA.