IMDb > Too Hot to Handle (1938)

Too Hot to Handle (1938) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   441 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Len Hammond (story)
Laurence Stallings (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Too Hot to Handle on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 September 1938 (USA) more
Tagline:
Love Scoops the world's hottest news . . . !
Plot:
Chris Hunter is a sly newsreel reporter. While in Shanghai doing reports on the Chinese-Japanese war... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Too funny not to enjoy more (10 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Clark Gable ... Christopher 'Chris' Hunter

Myrna Loy ... Alma Harding
Walter Pidgeon ... William O. 'Bill' Dennis
Walter Connolly ... Arthur 'Gabby' MacArthur, Union Newsreel chief
Leo Carrillo ... Joselito 'José' Estanza, Hunter's soundman
Johnny Hines ... Mr. Parsons, Dennis' associate
Virginia Weidler ... Hulda Harding, Alma's niece
Betty Ross Clarke ... Mrs. Ruth Harding
Henry Kolker ... 'Pearly' Todd, Atlas Newsreel chief
Marjorie Main ... Miss Kitty Wayne
Gregory Gaye ... Popoff
Al Shean ... 'Gumpy' Gumpert
Willie Fung ... Willie
Lillie Mui ... Tootsie
Patsy O'Connor ... 'Fake' Hulda
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Additional Details

Runtime:
107 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #4453) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Clark Gable spent two days working with a newsreel crew to get a feeling for his part. more
Quotes:
Christopher 'Chris' Hunter: I'm not distorting the truth. I'm heightening the composition. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Another Romance of Celluloid (1938) more
Soundtrack:
Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves) more

FAQ

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
Too funny not to enjoy, 15 December 2000
8/10
Author: spirit11 from Washington, DC

WARNING: These comments may reveal portions of the film plot.

This is what I enjoy about classic films -- good writing, good directing, and a tongue-in-cheek attitude. It's a good laugh watching Clark Gable and Walter Pidgeon both try to woo Myrna Loy. Don't take the film too seriously, and you'll enjoy it too!

Acting: Gable, Pidgeon, and Loy all are great, although Loy doesn't quite carry off the "missing brother" pathos as well as she does the brave pilot parts.

Writing: Also good, with lots of silliness to go around, while creating a solid romantic comedy.

Direction: Jack Conway let the actors do their best, and they did it well.

Effects/Cinematography: Why did they always speed up the fight sequences in those old films? Anytime there is action, the film picks up speed. The good news is, that the actual flying sequences look pretty realistic, considering that at one point Gable climbs onto the wing of a plane to get a good shot of a ship at sea that is on fire!

Other: Makeup, music, soundtrack, etc. all are solid, but these were not a big focus for films in the 30's, so there is nothing that stands out.

OVERALL: Check it out. I'm finding myself more and more of a Gable fan all the time, and this is the kind of movie that helps that image.

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