Elmer, the Great (1933)

Elmer does not want to leave Gentryville, because Nellie is the one that he loves. Even when Mr. Wade of the Chicago Cubs comes to get him, it is only because Nellie spurns him that he goes... See full summary »

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Ring Lardner (play), George M. Cohan (play),

Stars:

Joe E. Brown, Patricia Ellis, Frank McHugh

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joe E. Brown	...	Elmer Kane
Patricia Ellis	...	Nellie Poole
Frank McHugh	...	Healy High-Hips
Claire Dodd	...	Evelyn Corey
Preston Foster	...	Dave Walker (as Preston S. Foster)
Russell Hopton	...	Whitey
Sterling Holloway	...	Nick Kane (as Sterling Halloway)
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Kane
Charles C. Wilson	...	Mr. Wade (as Charles Wilson)
Charles Delaney	...	Johnny Abbott
Berton Churchill	...	Colonel Moffitt
J. Carrol Naish	...	Jerry (as J. Carroll Naish)
Gene Morgan	...	Noonan

Storyline

Elmer does not want to leave Gentryville, because Nellie is the one that he loves. Even when Mr. Wade of the Chicago Cubs comes to get him, it is only because Nellie spurns him that he goes. As always, Elmer is the king of batters and he wins game after game. When Nellie comes to see Elmer in Chicago, she sees him kissing Evelyn and she wants nothing to do with him anymore. So Healy takes him to a gambling club, where Elmer does not know that the chips are money. He finds that he owes the gamblers $5000 and they make him sign a note for it. Sad at losing Nellie, mad at his teammates and in debt to the gamblers, Elmer disappears as the Cubs are in the deciding game for the Series.

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Plot Keywords:

chicago cubs | gambling | debt | stock footage | country boy | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 1933 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures, Vitaphone Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 5, 1936 with Joe E. Brown reprising his film role.

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Goofs

In the final World Series game with the Yanks at bat and Elmer playing second, the bases are loaded and Elmer has trouble finding the ball in a huge puddle of water when it's hit toward him. You see three base runners cross home plate, but only two runs are posted on the scoreboard.

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Quotes

Elmer Kane: They can fool some of the people part-time, but the worm will turn.

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Connections

Version of The Cowboy Quarterback (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Indiana"
(uncredited)
Music by James F. Hanley
Played during the opening credits and often in the score

User Reviews

Say it ain't so, Joe!

I'm quite sure I didn't see this movie when it was first released. A pity. I might have enjoyed it when I was 9 years old. Joe E. Brown was one of my favorites.

Now I wonder how he could do such a thing to me. Such an embarrassment! I didn't find a laugh in the whole thing, even if the script hadn't depicted one stupid situation after another -- far beyond the realm of fantasy. Naive is one thing; idiotic is quite another.

I think Joe owes me -- his public -- an apology.