Frisco Jenny (1932)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Gerald Beaumont (story)
Lillie Hayward (story)

Release Date:

14 January 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Frisco Jenny was orphaned by the 1906 earthquake and fire and has become the madame of prosperous bawdy house...

Plot Keywords:

District Attorney | Unwed Mother | Barbary Coast | Crap Game | Criminal

Cast

Ruth Chatterton	...	Frisco Jenny Sandoval
Louis Calhern	...	Steve Dutton
Helen Jerome Eddy	...	Amah
Donald Cook	...	Dan Reynolds
James Murray	...	Dan McAllister
Hallam Cooley	...	Willie Gleason
Pat O'Malley	...	Policeman Pat O'Hoolihan
Harold Huber	...	George Weaver
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Jim Sandoval
Willard Robertson	...	Police Captain Tom

Also Known As:

Common Ground (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

73 min | USA:71 min (Turner library print length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Vitaphone

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1933) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1934) | USA:Unrated

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [William A. Wellman]a newspaper reporter phoning in a scoop.

Quotes:

Frisco Jenny Sandoval: Cellars of Chinatown. Yeah, I was there. So was he. It was there I gave him life. He gives me death.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Complicated Women (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Top notch precode Wellman

This is an excellent early film by Wellman, filled with all sorts of lovely detail and efficient film-making. The opening tracking shot through the swinging doors of the whorehouse sets the key note for what will be a pretty stylish little film. The opening scenes in the house are musical and full of bustle, rich in their suggestion of off screen space.

The film is chock full of little musical touches that lend it rhythm and style, like the scene in which Chatteron finds out about her lover's death--Wellman finishes it with a sweet rendition, by nearby musicians, of "My Gal Sal", a very effective and surprising bit of counterpoint. And look at the interesting way he has of presenting all the observers of Chatterton's trial, in a series of little pan shots from one to the the other, each shot tied to the rhythm of Donald Cook's speech. You get the sense that Wellman's creative energy was really flowing here.

Chatterton is always good but particularly so here. Orry-Kelly's gowns really suit her and cinematographer Sid Hickock films her and the gowns well. There are a few frames here worthy of MGM. In her final scene, Wellman strips her of all make-up, a pretty unusual approach for the time, but typical of Wellman, who took pride in deglamorizing his actresses when the film called for it. It was a pretty brave scene for Chatterton. She and Wellman were both difficult to work with but liked each other, oddly enough.

Lots of fun character bits. Donald Cook (resident Warner Brothers good guy) is better than usual. James Murray, from King Vidor's "The Crowd" has an early role as the father of Chatterton's child. I like Harry Holman as the john whose pocket gets picked and Wellman regular Nick Copeland as the drunk in the bar.

This is an underrated film. I made a point of seeing it because Wellman, himself, who could be hard on himself, liked it a lot. He was right--it's top notch.