Cain and Mabel (1936)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

H.C. Witwer (story)
Laird Doyle (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 September 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

The managers of heavyweight champion Larry Cain and Broadway musical star Mabel O'Dare scheme up a romance to give the celebrities more glamour...

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Waitress | Wax Museum | Wager | Show Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Marion Davies	...	Mabel O'Dare
Clark Gable	...	Larry Cain
Allen Jenkins	...	Dodo
Roscoe Karns	...	Aloysius K. Reilly
Walter Catlett	...	Jacob 'Jake' Sherman
Robert Paige	...	Ronny Cauldwell (as David Carlyle)
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Milo, the Stage Manager
Ruth Donnelly	...	Aunt Mimi
Pert Kelton	...	Toddy Williams
William Collier Sr.	...	Pat 'Pop' Walters
Sammy White	...	Specialty (Coney Island Number)
E.E. Clive	...	Charles 'Chuck' Fendwick
Allen Pomeroy	...	Fighter Tom Reed
Robert Middlemass	...	Mr. George, Cafe Proprietor
Joseph Crehan	...	Reed's Manager
Charles Teske	...	Dance Specialty
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eily Malyon	...	The Old Maid (scenes deleted)
John T. Murray	...	(scenes deleted)
Mary Treen	...	Cashier (scenes deleted)
Emmett Vogan	...	Athletic Club Clerk (scenes deleted)
Josephine Allen	...	Old Lady (uncredited)
Bill Archer	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Herbert Ashley	...	Vegetarian Diner (uncredited)
Earl Askam	...	Sampson (uncredited)
Curtis Benton	...	Fight Radio Announcer (uncredited)
George Beranger	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Jack Bergman	...	Smith Brother (uncredited)
Georgie Billings	...	Ten-Year-Old Boy (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Man in Library (uncredited)
Victor Briedis	...	Archie, the Pianist (uncredited)
Tex Brodus	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Bruggeman	...	Caesar (uncredited)
Billy Coe	...	Timekeeper (uncredited)
Joe Cunningham	...	Spinach Omelet Diner (uncredited)
Virginia Dabney	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Dick Dennis	...	Singer (uncredited)
Don Downen	...	Second Bellboy (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Diner Behind Reilly (uncredited)
Robert Eberhardt	...	Popeye (uncredited)
Jerry Fletcher	...	Bellboy with Water Pitcher (uncredited)
Dick French	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Peter Gowland	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Gus, Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
General Ikonnikoff	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
Delos Jewkes	...	Smith Brother (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Joe King	...	Colonel Johnson, Madison Square Garden Manager (uncredited)
Lillian Lawrence	...	Woman in Library (uncredited)
John Lince	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Miriam Marlin	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Rosalind Marquis	...	Delilah (uncredited)
John Marsden	...	Manager (uncredited)
Leona McGenty	...	Fat Waitress (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Bystander in Gym (uncredited)
Martha Merrill	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	First Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Hal Neiman	...	Napoleon (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Autograph Hound (uncredited)
Ted O'Shea	...	Sailor on Carousel (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Stage Doorman (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Boxing Referee (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Marie Prevost	...	Sherman's Receptionist (uncredited)
George Riley	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Saum	...	Wax Museum Barker (uncredited)
General Savitsky	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
Peter Seal	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
Jean Sennett	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Claire Sinclair	...	(uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Knockdown Timekeeper (uncredited)
Perc Teeple	...	Peace Conference Delegate (uncredited)
Rose Terrell	...	Cinderella (uncredited)
Arthur Thalasso	...	Nero (uncredited)
Ted Thompson	...	Second Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Earl Tree	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Victoria Vinton	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)
Marie Wells	...	(uncredited)
Pat West	...	Trainer in Gym (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Man with Cane at Deauville (uncredited)
Al Williams	...	Call Boy (uncredited)
Jane Wyman	...	Chorus girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Lloyd Bacon

Writing credits
H.C. Witwer		(story)
Laird Doyle		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Barnes

Film Editing by
William Holmes

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Production Management
Samuel Bischoff	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Maybery	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	music arranger
Bernhard Kaun	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Bobby Connolly	....	production numbers staged
Earl Baldwin	....	screenplay constructor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cosmopolitan Productions (for)
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. First National Films (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #2225)

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Three Cheers for the Girls (1943)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)

Much under-rated musical comedy, lots of wise cracks.

Marion Davies and Clark Gable work very well together. Along with an all-star cast, CAIN AND MABEL is fast moving wise-cracking fun! The musical numbers are outrageous in presentation, especially the "I'll Sing You A Thousand Love Songs" number, which required building the largest soundstage in Hollywood (Burbank actually), Stage #7 on the Warner lot. It's not GONE WITH THE WIND, but it doesn't try to be; it's just fun.