The Stork Club (1945)

A hat-check girl at the Stork Club (Hutton) saves the life of a drowning man (Fitzgerald). A rich man, he decides to repay her by anonymously giving her a bank account, a luxury apartment ... See full summary »

Director:

Hal Walker

Writers:

Buddy G. DeSylva (screenplay), Jack McGowan (screenplay)

Stars:

Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Betty Hutton	...	Judy Peabody
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Jerry B. 'J.B.' / 'Pop' Bates
Don DeFore	...	Sgt. Danny Wilton
Robert Benchley	...	Tom P. Curtis
Bill Goodwin	...	Sherman Billingsley
Iris Adrian	...	Gwen
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Mr. Coretti
Mary Young	...	Mrs. Edith Bates
Andy Russell	...	Jim Jones

Storyline

A hat-check girl at the Stork Club (Hutton) saves the life of a drowning man (Fitzgerald). A rich man, he decides to repay her by anonymously giving her a bank account, a luxury apartment and a charge account at a department store. When her boyfriend (DeFore) returns from overseas, he thinks she is a kept woman.

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Plot Keywords:

hat check girl | department store | benefactor | veteran | public domain | 

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Taglines:

It's a WONDERFUL Story ... About the GRANDEST people ... Having the LOVELIEST Time at ... New York's Most GLITTERING Night Spot!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dinheiro não Dá Felicidade

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

B.G. DeSylva Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie, included as a character Sherman Billingsley the owner of the real stork club. During the movie, he talks to Danny, Judy's fiancée telling him that his wife and two daughters were the only women in his life. This is contradictory to the real life Sherman, who had a longtime affair with Ethel Merman.

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Quotes

Judy Peabody: You know I think he's a bit screwy, he thinks a girl named Ruby Stevens is Barbara Stanwyck!

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Connections

Featured in Moments in Music (1950)

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Soundtracks

"Stork Trot"
(uncredited)
Music by Joseph J. Lilley

User Reviews

Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief

Mistakenly thinking the old man is committing suicide, two-piece bathing-suited Betty Hutton (as Judy Peabody) jumps in and saves eccentrically wealthy Barry Fitzgerald (as Jerry "Pop" Bates) from drowning. He decides to reward Ms. Hutton, who is barely making ends meet as a hat-check girl at "The Stork Club" in New York City. Mr. Fitzgerald becomes Hutton's mysterious benefactor, giving her an all-expenses paid apartment and a luxurious line of credit.

Suddenly rich, Hutton decides to help poor Fitzgerald, unaware he is behind her wealth. Complicating matters, Hutton's boyfriend Don DeFore (as Danny Wilton) thinks she's become Fitzgerald's high-paid mistress.

This is light, sentimental comedy infused by the personalities of its stars. The film really jumps to life when Hutton sings "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" which entered the record charts just before the film's release, and stuck around through the spring of 1946, going to #1 for two weeks. The song, which features a great Hutton vocal and infectious chorus, was her biggest chart hit, beating down competing versions from Les Brown and Hoagy Carmichael (who wrote the music).

***** The Stork Club (12/19/45) Hal Walker ~ Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore, Robert Benchley