Hold That Woman! (1940)

A skip tracer--someone who collects late payments from people who've purchased appliances, etc., or takes them back them when they don't pay--repossesses a small radio from a deadbeat who's... See full summary »

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

George Bricker, William A. Pierce (story),

Stars:

James Dunn, Frances Gifford, George Douglas

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Dunn	...	Jimmy Parker
Frances Gifford	...	Mary Mulvaney aka Mary Parker
George Douglas	...	Steve Brady
Rita La Roy	...	Lulu Driscoll
Martin Spellman	...	Mike Mulvaney
Eddie Fetherston	...	Conroy
Guy Usher	...	Police Officer John Mulvaney
Paul Bryar	...	'Duke' Jurgens
Edwin Max	...	Taxi (as Ed Miller)
John Dilson	...	Bill Lannigan
Dave O'Brien	...	Miles Hanover
Anna Lisa	...	Corrine Hill
William Hall	...	John Lawrence
Marie Rice	...	Mrs. Mulvaney
Frank Meredith	...	Police Officer Mike

Storyline

A skip tracer--someone who collects late payments from people who've purchased appliances, etc., or takes them back them when they don't pay--repossesses a small radio from a deadbeat who's skipped payments. What he doesn't know is that a gang that has stolen diamonds from a Hollywood movie star has stashed them inside the radio, and they start hunting for him.

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Plot Keywords:

b movie

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Taglines:

A Laff-Drama of Budgets and Bill Collectors!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Skip Tracer

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min 63 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The first time Jimmy Parker recovers the radio with the hidden jewels from Miss Driscoll's apartment he has to unplug it from the wall. Near the end of the picture, when he takes it from Driscoll's new apartment, it doesn't have a cord and he just picks it up to take it away.

User Reviews

Sherman Scott Rings the Bell

The accent is on comedy capers rather than mystery and noir in this remarkably involved yet fast-paced and light-hearted gangster yarn about stolen diamonds which a sleazy blonde has hidden in a cheap portable radio.

Although this movie was made right in the middle of a down cycle in James Dunn's remarkable up-and-down movie career (he would bounce back with a vengeance in 1945 when he won universal praise for his brilliant performance under Elia Kazan's tutelage in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), it's quite an entertaining little offering, despite the actor's haggard appearance in some shots. It's also of interest to see the lovely Frances Gifford (Dunn's wife at the time) and a fine collection of support oddballs including Dave O'Brien and Rita La Roy.

For once, director Neufeld/Newfield (alias Sherman Scott here) has handled the proceedings with pace and even occasional flair, making deft use of a large number of real (if not particularly picturesque) L.A. locations. The director also manages the difficult feat of balancing many disparate plot elements in an extremely complicated screenplay so neatly and with such finesse that even a backward audience can always follow the plot.

Mind you, a farcical script that creates such a frantic fuss over a portable radio set that looks as if it's worth ten bucks at the most, is hardly believable. But with players like Dunn, Gifford, O'Brien and company, who cares?