One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Bruce Manning (original screenplay) &
Charles Kenyon (original screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 September 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Plot:

The daughter of a struggling musician forms a symphony orchestra made up of his unemployed friends and through persistence...

Plot Keywords:

Orchestra | Musician | Concert | Misunderstanding | Purse

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Deanna Durbin	...	Patricia Cardwell
Leopold Stokowski	...	Himself
Adolphe Menjou	...	John Cardwell
Alice Brady	...	Mrs. Frost
Eugene Pallette	...	John R. Frost
Mischa Auer	...	Michael Borodoff
Billy Gilbert	...	Garage Owner
Alma Kruger	...	Mrs. Tyler
J. Scott Smart	...	Marshall (as Jack Smart)
Jed Prouty	...	Tommy Bitters
Jameson Thomas	...	Russell
Howard C. Hickman	...	Johnson (as Howard Hickman)
Frank Jenks	...	Taxi Driver
Christian Rub	...	Gustave Brandstetter
Gerald Oliver Smith	...	Stevens
Jack Mulhall	...	Rudolph
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hooper Atchley	...	Party Guest at Mrs. Frost's (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Adam (uncredited)
James Bush	...	Swooning Music Lover in Audience (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Party Guest at Mrs. Frost's (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Ben Davis - Violinist (uncredited)
Clyde Cook	...	Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Party Guest at Mrs. Frost's (uncredited)
Mary Forbes	...	Concert Hall Patron (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Violinist (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Men's Club Patron (uncredited)
Leonid Kinskey	...	Pianist at Mrs. Frost's Party (uncredited)
Rosemary La Planche	...	Girl (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Ira Westing - Editor (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Men's Club Member (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	Boarding House Roomer (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Charles Morton	...	Man Backstage (uncredited)
The Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra	...	Orchestra (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Party Guest at Mrs. Frost's (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Party Guest at Mrs. Frost's (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Adams (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Koster

Writing credits
Bruce Manning		(original screenplay) &
Charles Kenyon		(original screenplay) &
James Mulhauser		(original screenplay)
Hanns Kräly		(idea) (as Hans Kraly)

Produced by
Joe Pasternak	....	associate producer
Charles R. Rogers	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Charles Previn		(uncredited)
Frank Skinner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Bernard W. Burton

Production Design by
John W. Harkrider		(as John Harkrider)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Shaw	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jack Martin Smith	....	associate production designer: sets
Scollard Maas	....	associate production designer: sets (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound
Joe Lapis	....	sound (as Joseph A. Lapis)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James V. King	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vera West	....	associate production designer: gowns

Music Department
Andrés de Segurola	....	vocal instructor (as Andres de Segurola)
Charles Previn	....	associate musical director
Leopold Stokowski	....	conductor
Charles Henderson	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
David Raksin	....	assistant: Leopold Stokowski (uncredited)

Other crew
Harold Palmer	....	montages (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (For MCA Home Video)
• Universal Pictures (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"100 Men and a Girl" - USA (review title)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #3448) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Stage 28, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Actually, there were two or three "regular" woman members of the orchestra at this time, cellist Elsa Hilger and two harpists. Further, Eugene Ormandy was the principal conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra by 1937, not Stokowski.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of Patsy's hands when she's crying on the bed.

Quotes:

Tommy Bitters:[Having just had Frost light a cigarette for him only to have it explode in his mouth] When are you going to stop playing these cheap childish tricks on me?
John R. Frost:The day you stop playing them on me.
Tommy Bitters:Well, at least mine are funny, and new!
John R. Frost:Oh, yeah? Well, mine work.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Waltons: The Fledgling (#4.23)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 5 in E minor: Fourth Movement

This one was good...

I haven't seen this in about 17 years to be honest, but my memories of it are quite clear-take a great singing actress-Durbin, throw in a fine supporting cast of Mejou, Auer, Stowkowski, Pallette, and a 'we made a band and saved the day' type of plot, and you get a very fine movie.

I remember it as being well produced, joyfull to watch, Durbin's voice was terrific and her presence onscreen like no one else's. It's weird that you don't hear about her much nowadays-she was that good.

So-fond memories will have to do here---

I give it ***1/2 outta ****. If you like Capra, you will prob. like this one.