Pursuit (1935)

"Mitch" Mitchell is an aviator who has been hired to take a child in a guardianship suit out of California into Mexico. He is accompanied by Maxine Rush, the secretary of the head of a ... See full summary »

Director:

Edwin L. Marin

Writers:

Lawrence G. Blochman (story), Wells Root (screenplay),

Stars:

Chester Morris, Sally Eilers, Scotty Beckett

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Chester Morris	...	Mr. 'Mitch' Mitchell
Sally Eilers	...	Maxine Bush
Scotty Beckett	...	Donald McCoy 'Donny' Smith
Henry Travers	...	Thomas 'Tom' Reynolds
C. Henry Gordon	...	Nick Shawn
Dorothy Peterson	...	Mrs. McCoy
Granville Bates	...	Auto Camp Proprietor
Minor Watson	...	Hale
Harold Huber	...	Jake
Dewey Robinson	...	Jo-Jo
Erville Alderson	...	Cop

Storyline

"Mitch" Mitchell is an aviator who has been hired to take a child in a guardianship suit out of California into Mexico. He is accompanied by Maxine Rush, the secretary of the head of a private-detective agency who has been hired to care for the kid until the suit is over.

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Plot Keywords:

secretary | aviator | private detective | california | mexico | 

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Taglines:

Sixteen-cylinder love at the wheel! (original poster)

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

20.000 Dollar Belohnung

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 75 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the part where Maxine crawls out from under the hay, the negligible amount of straw fibers clinging to her cap and clothing is inconsistent with somebody who's just been buried under hay. Also, the left collar point of her blouse changes from being neatly tucked under the top of her jacket, to being out, flapping in the breeze.

User Reviews

Country Roads, 1930's Style

No, this little programmer from the 30's is not going to win any awards. But it is an entertaining, fast-paced action drama laced with sometimes amusing bits of comic relief. The two principals, Eilers and Morris are particularly winning, their chemistry blending nicely as they grow closer despite the odds. I was especially taken with Eilers whose verve and grit suggest an MGM version of Warner's great toughie Joan Blondell. On the other hand, for me, a little of the folksy humor of Henry Travers goes a long way, but I guess that's a matter of taste. And, of course, there's tragic little scene-stealer Scottie Beckett who later fell victim to the notorious "child star" syndrome. It's hard to believe his later life, seeing him here.

Anyway, an interesting part was seeing those old flivvers of the 30's racing down narrow two- lane country roads where I could almost see Bonnie and Clyde just ahead. Yes indeed, the writers manage to string together about every cliff-hanger gimmick imaginable. So, if you don't like this particular setup, wait, there's another one just around the bend. But when you think about it, a gimmicky format is not so different from today's f-x'ed movie fare that pretty much depends on the spectacular. All in all, this little programmer amounts to an entertaining peek back into a time when kidnapping was in the headlines and Dillinger was on the loose.