Manolescu, a Romanian con man whose memoir was published in 1905, and became the basis for two silent films. Made before effective enforcement of the Production Code, the film is an example of pre-Code cinema containing adult themes and sexual innuendo that was not permitted under the Code. In 1935, when the Production Code was being enforced, the film was not approved for reissue, and it was not seen again until 1968. Paramount was again rejected in 1943, when the studio wanted to make a musical version of the film. The Art Deco sets for Trouble in Paradise were designed by the head of Paramount's art department, Hans Dreier, and the gowns were designed by Travis Banton. Reception Trouble in Paradise was the film that first had people talking about "the Lubitsch touch," and it was, in fact, one of the director's favorites. Critic Dwight Macdonald said of the film that it was "as close to perfection as anything I have ever seen in the movies." The New York Times named the film as one of the ten best films of 1932. In 1998, Roger Ebert added it to his Great Movies collection. Wes Anderson and Ralph Fiennes both said the movie was an inspiration for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes reports an 89% approval based on 27 critics. Awards and honors Trouble in Paradise was named by the National Board of Review as one of the top 10 films of 1932. Preservation Trouble in Paradise was preserved and restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation from the 35mm nitrate studio print and a 35 mm acetate dupe negative. References External links Trouble in Paradise: Lovers, On the Money an essay by Armond White at the Criterion Collection 1932 films 1932 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American black-and-white films American crime comedy films American films based on plays Films directed by Ernst Lubitsch Films set in Paris Films set in Venice Paramount Pictures films United States National Film Registry films Films about con artists 1930s English-language films 1930s American films