San Francisco (1936)

Writers:

Anita Loos (screenplay)
Robert E. Hopkins (from the story by)

Release Date:

26 June 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

She Fell In Love . . . with the toughest guy on the toughest street in the world !

Plot:

A Barbary Coast saloonkeeper and a Nob Hill impresario are rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer, both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Nob Hill | Opera | Gambling | Earthquake

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Blackie Norton
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Mary Blake
Spencer Tracy	...	Father Mullin
Jack Holt	...	Jack Burley
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Burley
Ted Healy	...	Mat
Shirley Ross	...	Trixie
Margaret Irving	...	Della Bailey
Harold Huber	...	'Babe'
Edgar Kennedy	...	Sheriff
Al Shean	...	Professor
William Ricciardi	...	Signor Baldini
Kenneth Harlan	...	'Chick'
Roger Imhof	...	'Alaska'
Charles Judels	...	Tony (as Charles Judells)
Russell Simpson	...	'Red' Kelly
Bert Roach	...	Freddie Duane
Warren Hymer	...	Hazeltine (as Warren B. Hymer)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Acker	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Maude Allen	...	Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Oscar Apfel	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor	...	Drunk's Girl (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Picnicker (uncredited)
King Baggot	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Jane Barnes	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	New Year's Eve Drunk (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	Kinko (uncredited)
Nyas Berry	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Margaret Bert	...	Salvation Army Nurse (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Allen - Burley's Butler (uncredited)
Jimmy Brewster	...	Stooge (uncredited)
Fritzi Brunette	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Sonny Bupp	...	Choirboy (uncredited)
Tommy Bupp	...	Bill - Newsboy (uncredited)
Orrin Burke	...	Pompous Man (uncredited)
Richard Carle	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Helene Chadwick	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Naomi Childers	...	Opera Spectator in Burley Box (uncredited)
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers	...	Choir (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Madame Albani (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Vernon Dent	...	Fat Man (uncredited)
Mae Digges	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Edgar Edwards	...	Young Earthquake Survivor 'The Fire's Out' (uncredited)
Fred M. Fagan	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Charlie - Police Captain (uncredited)
Flora Finch	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Jowl Lee (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Man Restraining Blackie after Quake (uncredited)
Ruth Gillette	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Sammy Glasser	...	Stooge (uncredited)
D.W. Griffith	...	Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Man Searching in the Chaos (uncredited)
Donald Hall	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Homer Hall	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Well-Wisher (uncredited)
Mahlon Hamilton	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Parishioner (uncredited)
Fay Helm	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Delos Jewkes	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Anthony Jowitt	...	Society Man (uncredited)
Bronislau Kaper	...	Conductor (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Kelly - Stagehand (uncredited)
Cy Kendall	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Jack Kennedy	...	Mike - Old Irishman in Church (uncredited)
Leonard Kibrick	...	Choirboy (uncredited)
Ralph Lewis	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Tandy MacKenzie	...	Faust in Opera (uncredited)
James Macklin	...	Young Man (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	A Marine (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney	...	Captain of Police (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Sammy McKim	...	Choirboy (uncredited)
Douglas McPhail	...	Tenor in 'La Traviata' (voice) (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Man on Stretcher (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Louise - Mary's Maid (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Rhea Mitchell	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
James Murray	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Harry Myers	...	Reveler (uncredited)
William Newell	...	Man in Breadline (uncredited)
Amber Norman	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter at Chicken's Ball (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Man Praying (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	New Year's Celebrant (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Fireman (uncredited)
John Pearson	...	Stooge (uncredited)
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Father (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts	...	Forrestal Guest (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Drinker (uncredited)
Don Rowan	...	Coast Type (uncredited)
Frank Sheridan	...	Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Helen Shipman	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Myrtle Stedman	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Carl Stockdale	...	Salvation Army Man (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Fire Spectator (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Cop (uncredited)
Rosemary Theby	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Man (uncredited)
Jerry Tucker	...	Choirboy (uncredited)
Robert J. Wilke	...	Earthquake Extra (uncredited)
Tudor Williams	...	Mephistopheles in 'Faust' (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe	...	Parishioner (uncredited)
Ortho Wright	...	Fireman (uncredited)

Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Anita Loos		(screenplay)
Robert E. Hopkins		(from the story by) (as Robert Hopkins)

Produced by
John Emerson	....	producer
Bernard H. Hyman	....	producer
W.S. Van Dyke	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart		(uncredited)
Edward Ward		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Tom Held

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
D.W. Griffith	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Joseph M. Newman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Will Sheldon	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	associate art director (as Arnold Gillespie)
Harry McAfee	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
James Basevi	....	special effects (uncredited)
Russell A. Cully	....	special effects: earthquake sequence (uncredited)
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Max Fabian	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Audrey Scott	....	stunt double: Jeanette MacDonald (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Loyal Griggs	....	photographer: earthquake sequence (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Hoffman	....	montage sequences
Slavko Vorkapich	....	montage: earthquake sequence (uncredited)

Music Department
Herbert Stothart	....	musical direction
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Lamkoff	....	vocal coach (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jack Virgil	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Val Raset	....	dances stager
William von Wymetal	....	stager: operatic sequences
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (A W.S. Van Dyke Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (France) (theatrical)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #2180) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald did not get along at all during filming, and avoided each other completely off the set.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The song "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here!", heard during New Year's Eve, was not written until 1917.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Blackie Norton:Well sister, what's your racket?
Mary Blake:I'm a singer!
Blackie Norton:Let's see your legs!
Mary Blake:I said, I'm a singer!
Blackie Norton:Alright, let's see your legs!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Columbo: The Conspirators (#7.5)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

La Traviata: Sempre Libera

The Barbary Coast, the priest, the singer and Blackie.

San Francisco hundred years ago must have been an attractive place to be before the earthquake. The director W.S. Van Dyke made other disaster-movies for Hollywood but this must be his best. The special quality of this movie is that the effects of the earthquake are secondary to the story-telling of Robert E. Hopkins and the script by Anita Loos. Everybody is moved by the quarrel opposing Father Tim Mullin (Spencer Tracy) and Blackie Norton (Clark Gable) for the singer of the opera Mary Blake (a magnificent Jeanette MacDonald). Jack Burley (Jack Holt) is impressive as he ought to be. The nightclub "Paradise" is realistic as it was at that time without exaggerating. This is a movie about morals: how you can remain decent in a decadent environment.