Traveling Saleslady (1935)

Angela Tritchell is the daughter of a tooth-paste manufacturer, Rufus K. Twitchell, who has monopolized the business for many years that he has grown conservative, and his rivals have begin... See full summary »

Director:

Ray Enright

Writers:

F. Hugh Herbert (screen play), Manuel Seff (screen play),

Stars:

Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell, William Gargan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Blondell	...	Angela Twitchell
Glenda Farrell	...	Claudette
William Gargan	...	Pat O'Connor
Hugh Herbert	...	Elmer
Grant Mitchell	...	Rufus Twitchell
Al Shean	...	Schmidt
Ruth Donnelly	...	Mrs. Twitchell
Johnny Arthur	...	Melton
Bert Roach	...	Harry
Joseph Crehan	...	Murdock
Mary Treen	...	Miss Wells
James Donlan	...	Andy McNeill
Bill Elliott	...	Freddie (as Gordon Elliott)
Carroll Nye	...	Burroughs
Harry Holman	...	Pat O'Connor's Uncle

Storyline

Angela Tritchell is the daughter of a tooth-paste manufacturer, Rufus K. Twitchell, who has monopolized the business for many years that he has grown conservative, and his rivals have begin to cut into his sales. Angela wants to enter the business but he thinks women have no place in a man's world. A drunken inventor, Elmer Niles, tries to interest Mr. Twitchell into his line of toothpaste with various cocktail flavors, but is shown the door. Angela sees the possibilities in the idea, sells it one of her father's business rival under the stipulation she will go on the road for a year and sell the product. She steals her father's customer in a wholesale fashion right out from under the nose of her father's best salesman, Pat O,Connor, whom she is in love with. But it's whoopee at night and all-business during the day. Claudette Ruggles, a drug-store owner, also has designs on O'Connor.

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Plot Keywords:

salesman | customer | toothpaste | love | cocktail | 

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Taglines:

They Make Business a Pleasure and They Have a Line That Will Break Down the Sales Resistance of the Nation! (original ad)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Mulher Triunfa

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Vitaphone Corporation, The, First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Schmidt: Aha! Revenge mit toothpaste!

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Soundtracks

"By a Waterfall"
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Irving Kahal
Sung briefly by Hugh Herbert in the lab

User Reviews

Two Stars Shine In Depression Era Comedy

A TRAVELING SALESLADY & a drugstore queen vie for the affection of a handsome toothpaste salesman.

This was the sort of ephemeral comic frippery which the studios produced almost effortlessly during the 1930's. Well made & highly enjoyable, Depression audiences couldn't seem to get enough of these popular, funny photo dramas.

Sassy & sweet, Joan Blondell & Glenda Farrell make perfect romantic rivals. This is really Blondell's picture - Farrell's part gets off to a slow start - but they are great together or apart and make the film zing.

William Gargan gives a good performance as the fellow in the enviable position of being desired by both Blondell & Farrell. Wonderful, wacky Hugh Herbert, as the inventor of cocktail flavored toothpaste, leads a parade of character actors - Grant Mitchell, Al Shean, Ruth Donnelly, Johnny Arthur, Bert Roach, Mary Treen & Harry Holman - who all excel at milking laughs from every line.

Movie mavens will recognize the marvelous Hattie McDaniel, uncredited in a tiny, hilarious, scene.

While never stars of the first rank, Joan Blondell (1906-1979) & Glenda Farrell (1904-1971) enlivened scores of films at Warner Bros. throughout the 1930's, especially the eight in which they appeared together. Whether playing gold diggers or working girls, reporters or secretaries, these blonde & brassy ladies were very nearly always a match for whatever leading man was lucky enough to share equal billing alongside them. With a wisecrack or a glance, their characters showed they were ready to take on the world - and any man in it. Never as wickedly brazen as Paramount's Mae West, you always had the feeling that, tough as they were, Blondell & Farrell used their toughness to defend vulnerable hearts ready to break over the right guy. While many performances from seven decades ago can look campy or contrived today, these two lovely ladies are still spirited & sassy.