Stage Door (1937)

Director:

Gregory La Cava

Writers:

Morrie Ryskind (screen play) and
Anthony Veiller (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 October 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Brilliant In Cast And Story

Plot:

A boardinghouse full of aspiring actresses and their ambitions, dreams and disappointments.

Plot Keywords:

Producer | Roommate | Ambition | Nylons | Stage Play

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Katharine Hepburn	...	Terry Randall
Ginger Rogers	...	Jean Maitland
Adolphe Menjou	...	Anthony Powell
Gail Patrick	...	Linda Shaw
Constance Collier	...	Miss Luther
Andrea Leeds	...	Kay Hamilton
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Henry Sims
Lucille Ball	...	Judith
Franklin Pangborn	...	Harcourt
William Corson	...	Bill
Pierre Watkin	...	Carmichael
Grady Sutton	...	Butch
Frank Reicher	...	Stage Director
Jack Carson	...	Mr. Milbanks
Phyllis Kennedy	...	Hattie
Eve Arden	...	Eve
Ann Miller	...	Annie
Margaret Early	...	Mary Lou
Jean Rouverol	...	Dizzy
Elizabeth Dunne	...	Mrs. Orcutt
Norma Drury Boleslavsky	...	Olga (as Norma Drury)
Betty Jane Rhodes	...	Ann (as Jane Rhodes)
Peggy O'Donnell	...	Susan
Jan Wiley	...	Madeline (as Harriett Brandon)
Katharine Alexander	...	Cast of Stage Play (as Katherine Alexander)
Ralph Forbes	...	Cast of Stage Play
Mary Forbes	...	Cast of Stage Play
Huntley Gordon	...	Cast of Stage Play
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Blake	...	Actress (uncredited)
Mary Bovard	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Lynton Brent	...	Powell's Aide (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Alison Craig	...	Actress (uncredited)
Laurie Douglas	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lynn Gabriel	...	Tony (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Script Clerk (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Dancing Instructor (uncredited)
Diana Gibson	...	Actress (uncredited)
Frances Gifford	...	Mary McGuire (uncredited)
Lynda Grey	...	Actress (uncredited)
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Vicki Joyce	...	Actress (uncredited)
Julie Kingdon	...	Bernice Neimeyer - Dance Instructor (uncredited)
Theodore Kosloff	...	Dance Instructor (uncredited)
Ada Leonard	...	Actress (uncredited)
Marie Marks	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Gerda Mora	...	Dancing Instructor (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Actor in Powell's Waiting Room (uncredited)
Edgar Norton	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Baggage Man (uncredited)
Florence Reed	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Frances Reid	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Playwright (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Fred Santley	...	Dunkenfield (uncredited)
Mary Jane Shores	...	Actress (uncredited)
Mary Louise Smith	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Theater Patron (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Dancer / Singer (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Theodore von Eltz	...	Elsworth (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Baggage Man (uncredited)
Crawford Weaver	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Cynthia Westlake	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Josephine Whittell	...	Miss Arden - Powell's Secretary (uncredited)

Directed by
Gregory La Cava		(as Gregory LaCava)

Writing credits
Morrie Ryskind		(screen play) and
Anthony Veiller		(screen play)
Edna Ferber		(from the play by) and
George S. Kaufman		(from the play by)
S.K. Lauren		contributing writer (uncredited)
William Slavens McNutt		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert De Grasse		(photographed by) (as Robert deGrasse)

Film Editing by
William Hamilton

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Costume Design by
Muriel King		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
J.R. Crone	....	production manager (uncredited)
Fred Fleck	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James H. Anderson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director
Darrell Silvera	....	set dresser

Sound Department
John L. Cass	....	recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
John Miehle	....	still photographer (uncredited)

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

Music Department
Roy Webb	....	musical director

Other crew
Nick Borgani	....	stand-in: Adolphe Menjou (uncredited ) (uncredited)
Patricia Doyle	....	stand-in: Katharine Hepburn (uncredited)
S. Barret McCormick	....	press representative (uncredited)
Elizabeth McGaffey	....	researcher (uncredited)
Grace Moody	....	stand-in: Gail Patrick (uncredited ) (uncredited)
Marie Osborne	....	stand-in: Ginger Rogers (uncredited ) (uncredited)
Hermes Pan	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical) (as An R K O Radio Picture)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1937) (France) (theatrical) (as RKO Radio Films S.A.)
• RKO Radio Pictures Argentina (1938) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1938) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films (1938) (Austria) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Odeon Entertainment (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (USA) (DVD) (4 film set)

Other Companies

• Trabert and Hoeffer  jewelry designed by (as Trabert and Hoeffer, Inc. Mauboussin)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min | West Germany:83 min (TV)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #3486) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (tv rating) | Argentina:Atp

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The screenplay was considerably altered from the hit stage play. Director Gregory La Cava was particularly gifted working with actresses. For two weeks prior to filming, he had his cast improvise in the boarding house set as if they were actually rooming together, and had a script girl take down all their interchanges. Most of the dialog you hear in the boarding house is extemporaneous ad-libs by the actresses during rehearsals.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The band at Club Grotto, where Jean and Annie perform a dance number, includes a female vocalist who can be seen singing in the background, but no vocals are heard on the soundtrack.

Quotes:

Jean Maitland:When I get back to my room, you're the only thing I want to find missing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth (2008)

Soundtrack:

Put Your Heart Into Your Feet and Dance

One of the best examples of Hollywood's Golden Age

I don't quite know how to put my passion for this film into words. It's something I never expected. I taped it off of television because I've been on a Ginger Rogers kick lately (I think I'm in love with her), and very luckily experienced something of enormous quality.

There is not a regular plot. Unlike most classical cinema, the goal towards which the film is striving is quite tenuous. Basically, the goal is for Katherine Hepburn to get a part in a play and give a good performance, but it is never stressed. Instead, what we get is more of an ensemble piece. There are characters who are more central than others, but we get to know well a great number of characters. And we live with them, experience their dreams, hardships, and successes, falling more and more deeply in love with them every minute, caring about them as we would dear friends or siblings.

It is most often referred to as a comedy, and the dialogue tends to be hilarious (Ginger Rogers is in full form here, wisecracking at the speed of light), but the film's drama is very affecting, too. This film's ending is so beautiful, and like all great films, we're reluctant to say goodbye to the characters. Fortunately, since I have it on tape, I can visit the boarding house any time I want. Unfortunately, since this film is neither on VHS nor DVD, you probably cannot. Watch for it on AMC or TCM or other stations that play classic films. You will not be disappointed. 10/10