The Gorgeous Hussy (1936)

President Andrew Jackson's friendship with an innkeeper's daughter spells trouble for them both.

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Ainsworth Morgan (screenplay), Stephen Morehouse Avery (screenplay),

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Crawford	...	Peggy Eaton
Robert Taylor	...	'Bow' Timberlake
Lionel Barrymore	...	Andrew Jackson
Franchot Tone	...	John Eaton
Melvyn Douglas	...	John Randolph
James Stewart	...	'Rowdy' Dow
Alison Skipworth	...	Mrs. Beall
Beulah Bondi	...	Rachel Jackson
Louis Calhern	...	Sunderland
Melville Cooper	...	Cuthbert
Sidney Toler	...	Daniel Webster
Gene Lockhart	...	Maj. William O'Neal
Clara Blandick	...	Louisa Abbott
Frank Conroy	...	John C. Calhoun
Nydia Westman	...	Maybelle

Storyline

It's the early nineteenth century Washington. Young adult Margaret O'Neal - Peggy to most that know her - is the daughter of Major William O'Neal, who is the innkeeper of the establishment where most out-of-town politicians and military men stay when they're in Washington. Peggy is pretty and politically aware. She is courted by several of those politicians and military men who all want to marry her, except for the one with who she is truly in love. Because of her personal situation at the time, she, in 1828, becomes the unofficial first lady to help her old friend - "old" both in terms of age and length of time - Andrew Jackson, who has just been elected President of the United States. Jackson and Peggy have the same political outlook, where the union of the states is paramount, especially when many states see their rights as being more important than the union. Jackson had a rough ride during the election in large part because his wife, Rachel Jackson, was seen as a pipe smoking ...

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Plot Keywords:

andrew jackson | innkeeper | washington d.c. | politics | sailor | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Alegre Locandeira

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,119,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many people who are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Louise Beavers (Aunt Sukey), Bert Roach (Major Domo), Oscar Apfel (Tompkins), Richard Powell (Doorman), Syd Saylor and Hooper Atchley (Agitators), Morgan Wallace (Slave Buyer), William Stack (W.R. Earle), Ward Bond (Officer) and Samuel S. Hinds (Commander). A modern source also lists Harry Holman (Auctioneer) and Harry Strang (Navigator) as cast members, but they were not seen either.

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Connections

Featured in Great Performances: James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Wait for the Wagon"
(1850) (uncredited)
A folk song with music first published by Wiesenthal
Words Anonymous
Sung during a hayride

User Reviews

Crawford was not meant for period dramas

Fanciful, but silly biography of Peggy Eaton (Crawford), a controversial figure during the Andrew Jackson administration in the late 1820s, and her relationships with influential men of that era. Semi-fiction story is "gorgeous" to look at thanks to elegant period settings and costumes, not so much the performances or script.