Nothing Sacred (1937)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screen play)
James H. Street (suggested by a story by)
(more)

Release Date:

26 November 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

See the big fight! LOMBARD vs MARCH. Selznick International's sensational Technicolor comedy

Plot:

Hazel Flagg of Warsaw, Vermont receives the news that her terminal case of radium poisoning from a workplace...

Plot Keywords:

New York | Newspaper | Reporter | Key To The City | Fake Illness

Cast

Carole Lombard	...	Hazel Flagg
Fredric March	...	Wally Cook
Charles Winninger	...	Dr. Enoch Downer
Walter Connolly	...	Oliver Stone
Sig Ruman	...	Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer (as Sig Rumann)
Frank Fay	...	Master of Ceremonies
Troy Brown Sr.	...	Ernest Walker (as Troy Brown)
Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom	...	Max Levinsky (as Maxie Rosenbloom)
Margaret Hamilton	...	Drugstore Lady
Olin Howland	...	Baggage Man
Raymond Scott and His Quintet	...	Novelty Swing Music (as Raymond Scott and his Quintette)
Raymond Scott	...	Leader of His Quintet (as Raymond Scott and his Quintette)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monica Bannister	...	'Pocahontas' (uncredited)
Billy Barty	...	Boy Biting Wally's Ankle (uncredited)
Everett Brown	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Allan Cavan	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Nora Cecil	...	Schoolteacher (uncredited)
Shirley Chambers	...	Lady Godiva (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Rudolph Chavers	...	One of Walker's Kids (uncredited)
Louise Clark	...	Walker's Girl (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	City Editor (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Telephone Girl (uncredited)
Betty Douglas	...	Helen of Troy (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey	...	Nurse Rafferty (uncredited)
Bill Dunn	...	Theatre Electrician (uncredited)
Jinx Falkenburg	...	Katinka (uncredited)
Emily Fitzroy	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
A.R. Haysel	...	Copy Editor (uncredited)
Tenen Holtz	...	Tearful Waiter (uncredited)
Hedda Hopper	...	Dowager on Ship (uncredited)
Philip Hurlic	...	One of Walker's Kids (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Vermont Townswoman (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Leonard Kibrick	...	Older Red-Headed Boy Choirister (uncredited)
Sidney Kibrick	...	Boy Choirister with Squirrel (uncredited)
Leonid Kinskey	...	Ferdinand Roassare - Poet (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Rubenstein (uncredited)
Art Lasky	...	Mug (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	Miss Sedgewick (uncredited)
Dolores Lilly	...	One of Walker's Kids (uncredited)
Monica Lyman	...	Salome (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Mr. Bullock (uncredited)
Hattie McDaniel	...	Mrs. Walker (uncredited)
Mickey McMasters	...	Referee (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	D.S.C. Head - Man with Toupee (uncredited)
Betty Miles	...	Horsewoman (uncredited)
Ben Morgan	...	Wrestler (uncredited)
Miki Morita	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Alex Novinsky	...	Dr. Felix Marachuffsky (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Newspaper Circulation Slugger (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Theatre Electrician (uncredited)
Aileen Pringle	...	Mrs. Bullock (uncredited)
John Qualen	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Moe Levinsky (uncredited)
Charles Richman	...	Mayor (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Guest at Banquet (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Dorothy Rodgers	...	'Pocahontas' (uncredited)
Alexander Schoenberg	...	Dr. Friedrich Kerchinwisser (uncredited)
Audrey Scott	...	Lady Godiva (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Doctor Downer's Nurse (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Printer (uncredited)
Hans Steinke	...	Wrestler (uncredited)
A.W. Sweatt	...	Office Boy (uncredited)
Bobby Tracy	...	Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Elinor Troy	...	Catherine the Great (uncredited)
Vivian Valdez	...	Horsewoman (uncredited)
Hilda Vaughn	...	Mrs. Cartwright - Chief Ranger (uncredited)
Walter Walker	...	E.J. Southern (uncredited)
Ernest Whitman	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Johnny Williams	...	Himself - Drummer in Quintette (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson	...	Mr. Watson (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Dowager in Night Club (uncredited)
Monty Woolley	...	Dr. Oswald Vunch (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(screen play)
James H. Street		(suggested by a story by)
Robert Carson		contributing writer (uncredited)
Moss Hart		contributing writer (uncredited)
Sidney Howard		contributing writer (uncredited)
George S. Kaufman		contributing writer (uncredited)
Ring Lardner Jr.		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
George Oppenheimer		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
Budd Schulberg		uncredited
David O. Selznick		contributing writer (uncredited)
William A. Wellman		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Oscar Levant		(original music by)

Cinematography by
W. Howard Greene		(cameraman)

Film Editing by
James E. Newcom		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(art direction) (as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle		(interior decoration)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(costumes: Miss Lombard)
Walter Plunkett		(other costumes by)

Production Management
Raymond A. Klune	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Spencer	....	assistant director (as Frederick A. Spencer)
William Cameron Menzies	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	recorder (as Fred J. Lau)

Special Effects by
Jack Cosgrove	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Chris Crowell	....	digital compositor (restored version) (uncredited)
Matt Linder	....	digital compositor: restoration (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur E. Arling	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Wilfred M. Cline	....	director of photography: aerial unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Travis Banton	....	costumes: Miss Lombard

Editorial Department
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising film editor

Music Department
Adolph Deutsch	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Louis Forbes	....	musical director (uncredited)
Alfred Newman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
David Raksin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Sam Berman	....	title designer: main title
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color supervisor
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color supervisor
Russell Birdwell	....	publicity director (uncredited)
Dave Gould	....	dance director (uncredited)
Jean-Fabrice Janaudy	....	press attache france, 2009 re-release (uncredited)
Barbara Keon	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Marcella Rabwin	....	executive assistant: Mr. Selznick (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Selznick International Pictures (presents) (as Selznick International)

Distributors

• United Artists (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Lumivision (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Madacy Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kino Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumivision (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• C.A.V. Distribution (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• SlingShot Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Works Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Les Acacias (2009) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Les Artistes Associés (1938) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1938) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Castle Communications (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Take 2 Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• VTI Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Ontario) | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | France:U | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate # 3744)

Filming Locations:

Agoura Hills, California, USA

Company:

Selznick International Pictures

Trivia:

Boxer Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom, who also acted in this film, gave boxing lessons to Carole Lombard before her discussion with Fredric March in this film.

Quotes:

Wally Cook:You've lived here all your life?
Hazel Flagg:Twice that long.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Singles (1992)

Soundtrack:

Hooray for Hazel Flagg

Very Sharp-Edged, Sweeping Satirical Comedy

The writers, crew, and cast of "Nothing Sacred" really do treat everything in accordance with the movie's title. No aspect of human society is immune from the sweeping satire. The comedy is fast-paced and often very sharp-edged, and almost any viewer will find it hitting close to home at one time or another, so it is best not to take it too personally. Yet this is not a mean-spirited feature, in that it treats everyone the same way, and it shows sympathy even for the very characters whose faults it so ruthlessly exposes.

Frederic March, as a hardened newsman, and Carole Lombard, as an appealing woman who is nevertheless living a lie, make a good combination. They are both likable enough to make you care about them even when they are at their most opportunistic. The supporting cast, likewise, features several good performances, with the likes of Walter Connolly and Sig Rumann getting some fine moments of their own. William Wellman shows a good feel for the material, getting good mileage out of the story without pushing it too far.

This kind of feature is somewhat unusual even among movies of its genre. Most satires choose their targets, ridicule them, and put the opposing forces in a positive light. But "Nothing Sacred" takes no sides between the small town and the big city, between the powerful and the powerless, or between one character and another. It points out the human flaws to be found in almost all of us.

This is the kind of movie that can only be enjoyed if you don't take it personally or too seriously, because in that case the message will be misunderstood. Rather than targeting any one kind of person, it intends to make some more general points about human nature that, while sometimes rather pointed, are encased in enough humor to make them palatable.