The Nuisance (1933)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

Chandler Sprague (story) and
Howard Emmett Rogers (story) ...

Release Date:

2 June 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Self Sacrifice | Prison | Doctor | Trap | Train

Cast

Lee Tracy	...	Joseph Phineas 'Joe' Stevens
Madge Evans	...	Dorothy Mason
Frank Morgan	...	Dr. Buchanan Prescott
Charles Butterworth	...	Floppy Phil Montague
John Miljan	...	John Calhoun
Virginia Cherrill	...	Miss Rutherford
David Landau	...	Kelley
Greta Meyer	...	Mrs. Mannheimer
Herman Bing	...	Willy
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Mr. Beaumont (as Samuel Hinds)
Syd Saylor	...	Fred

Also Known As:

Accidents Wanted (USA) (working title)
Ambulance Chaser (USA) (working title)
Never Give a Sucker a Break (USA) (working title)
The Chaser (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Chaser (1938)

Accidents Wanted For Mr. Lee Tracy

J. Phineas Stevens is THE NUISANCE, an ambulance-chasing, authority-defying, woman-ogling lawyer. Pushy & loud, he's the first at the scene of any accident, handing out his cards & demanding his clients' rights. Both charming & crooked, Stevens usually wins his court cases with street smarts & trickery. But now his powerful legal adversaries have baited a trap, using a very pretty young woman as a spy, to catch Stevens while up to his old tricks.

Lee Tracy was perfectly cast in the title role of this fun, forgotten film. With his energetic, go-get-'em, in-your-face acting style, always mixed with a hint of the shady character, Tracy was ideal as talent agents, reporters or shyster lawyers. With his new stardom cemented at Warners, Tracy arrived at MGM in 1933 and immediately appeared in 5 films. He was well on his way to becoming a major star, MGM's answer to Cagney, when he had a spectacular fall from grace in 1934. He spent most of the rest of his career at minor studios, never reaching his full potential. Today he is all but forgotten, but those fortunate enough to see his films find him to be one of the most refreshing & enjoyable movie actors of the early 1930's.

Here, Tracy receives good support from his co-stars: beautiful love interest Madge Evans, a girl with a secret; Charles Butterworth, funny as an accident faker; Samuel S. Hinds, John Miljan & David Landau as Tracy's enemies; Greta Meyer & Herman Bing, hilarious as an amorous Teutonic twosome. Virginia Cherrill has a tiny part as one of Tracy's alluring clients. Movie mavens will spot Nat Pendleton as a street car guard. And Frank Morgan is nothing short of wonderful as the pathetic old alcoholic doctor who loves Tracy like a son and helps him with his schemes.