Herbert Marshall
Herbert Marshall lost a leg in battle during World War I and his limp cut into plans by Paramount to transform his suave, upper crust demeanor into that of a dependable romantic lead. Which makes his successful casting as a cat burglar all the more ironic. As might be suspected, those scenes where the cat burglar is scrambling up and down the stairs at Madame Colet's were most assuredly done by a double. Marshall would take his impeccable decorum and easy conversationalist manner through a series of memorable character roles well into the 1960s.
Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins actually received top billing for the film, but was paid less than her two co-stars, Marshall and Francis. Right around the time this was made—but especially in light of her truly carnal performance as the object of a certain Mr. Hyde’s desire—Hopkins was on her way to becoming one of the biggest stars of the 1930s. Something happened along the way, however—rumor is that she was “difficult” to work with and her career never quite took flight as expected.
Kay Francis
Kay Francis already was a huge star by the time the film came out. Although practically forgotten now—though experiencing something of a long-delayed reappraisal thanks to Turner Classic Movies—Kay Francis was actually more important to the studio than Bette Davis. That configuration would be reversed by the end of the decade.
Charles Ruggles
Charles Ruggles had a career that stretched from one of the earliest silent shorts based on The Wizard of Oz all the way to providing the voice of Aesop in those Bullwinkle cartoons where he relates a fable to his son. Along the way, he also managed to appear in a movie titled The Ruggles of Red Gap and a TV series titled The Ruggles.
Edward Everett Horton
Joining Ruggles on those Bullwinkle cartoons (and in The Ruggles of Red Gap for that matter) is the infinitely familiar voice of Edward Everett Horton whose career was nearly as long as his co-star.
C. Aubrey Smith
Smith possessed a face and a demeanor made for a certain type of stiff-upper-lip personality who naturally seems to project a feeling of sincerity and instill trust. Which made him, of course, perfect for the role of the seemingly sincere and trustworthy business manager who turns out to be anything but.
