Rhubarb (1951)

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Dorothy Davenport (screenplay) and
Francis M. Cockrell (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 February 1952 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

It's the Funniest Picture in Nine Lifetimes!

Plot:

Rich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet. Then T.J. dies, leaving...

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Cat | Feral Cat | Court Case | Pet Allergy

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Eric Yeager
Jan Sterling	...	Polly Sickles
Gene Lockhart	...	Thaddeus J. Banner
William Frawley	...	Len Sickles
Elsie Holmes	...	Myra Banner
Taylor Holmes	...	P. Duncan Munk
Willard Waterman	...	Orlando Dill
Henry Slate	...	Dud Logan
James Griffith	...	Ogelthorpe 'Oggie' Meadows (as James W. Griffith)
Jim Hayward	...	Doom
Donald MacBride	...	Pheeny
Hal K. Dawson	...	Mr. Fisher
Orangey	...	Rhubarb
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brooks Benedict	...	Dill's Lawyer #1 (uncredited)
Sedal Bennett	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Edward Biby	...	Weather Forecaster (uncredited)
Billie Bird	...	Mona Lizzie (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Police Radio Voice (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Mrs. Emily Thompson (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Cadaver Jones (uncredited)
Herman Boden	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Gail Bonney	...	Woman with Dog (uncredited)
John Breen	...	Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Dill's Lawyer #2 (uncredited)
Charles D. Campbell	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Douglas Carter	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Mr. Seegle - Board Member (uncredited)
Edward Clark	...	Judge Loudermilk (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Dr. Henry J. Stillman (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Sporting Goods Store Customer (uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Officer (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Paul Douglas	...	Man on Park Bench (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee	...	Pencil Louie's Driver (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Policeman in Garden (uncredited)
Frank Fiumara	...	Ball Player (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	O'Leary, Manhattan Police Chief (uncredited)
Howard Gardiner	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Adda Gleason	...	Maid (uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Golfer (uncredited)
Sandra Gould	...	Housewife Bettor (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)
Mack Gray	...	Suspect in Polo Coat in Line-Up (uncredited)
Don Haggerty	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Detective (uncredited)
Tom Hanlon	...	Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Buck Harrington	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
Hans Herbert	...	Doctor (uncredited)
F. Herrick Herrick	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Golfer (uncredited)
Wally Hood	...	Umpire (uncredited)
Jerry James	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Curtis Jarrett	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Dolly Jarvis	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Richard Karlan	...	Pencil Louie (uncredited)
Harold J. Kennedy	...	Sporting Goods Salesman (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Michele Lange	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Grace Lenard	...	Kitty (uncredited)
Arthur Lovejoy	...	Minister (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Golfer (uncredited)
Strother Martin	...	Michael 'Shorty' McGirk (uncredited)
Edwin Max	...	Fish Eye (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Mr. Reese - Board Member (uncredited)
Stanley McKay	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
William Meader	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Ball Player (uncredited)
Rex Moore	...	Caddy (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Process Server (uncredited)
Leonard Nimoy	...	Young Ball Player (uncredited)
Will Orleans	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Stanley Orr	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Ruth Packard	...	Minister's Wife (uncredited)
Sam Pierce	...	Barber (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Katie (uncredited)
Anthony Radecki	...	Ball Player (uncredited)
Roberta Richards	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Eddie - Brooklyn Police Chief (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	...	St. Louis Ball Player (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Hamburger Harry, Bookie (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Mr. Thompson (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Fan with Binoculars (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Big Head Charlie, Bookie (uncredited)
Gus Taillon	...	Sexton (uncredited)
William Thourlby	...	Ball Player (uncredited)
Harry Varteresian	...	Elbert (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	St. Louis Manager (uncredited)
Ben Welden	...	Oily Moe - Bookie (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Golfer (uncredited)
Hank Wise	...	Baseball Pitcher (uncredited)
Douglas Wood	...	Mr. Carroll - Board Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Lubin

Writing credits
Dorothy Davenport		(screenplay) (as Dorothy Reid) and
Francis M. Cockrell		(screenplay) (as Francis Cockrell)
H. Allen Smith		(based on the novel by)
David Stern		additional dialogue

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer
George Seaton	....	producer

Original Music by
Van Cleave

Cinematography by
Lionel Lindon

Film Editing by
Alma Macrorie

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ross Dowd

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Geraldine Cole	....	hair stylist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francisco Day	....	assistant director (as Chico Day)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound
Harry D. Mills	....	sound (as Harry Mills)

Visual Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Other crew
Frank Inn	....	cat trainer
Arthur Jacobson	....	assistant to producers

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Silver Screen Archive (????) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

At the end of the movie Paul Douglas has a cameo appearance with the line: "A litter from three wives.." In reference to the movie A Letter to Three Wives (1949).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end of the opening sequence, when Rhubarb is pursuing the fleeing dog past a shop, the film is clearly reversed - the word "Furniture" over the shop front is mirrored, as is the wording on the mailbox.

Quotes:

Ball Player:A Rhubarb. It's a donnybrook... a dust-up...
Eric Yeager:[takes phone] Lady, you know what happens at a sale, when two women get hold of the same dress? THAT's a Rhubarb!
[slams phone down]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

Soundtrack:

IT'S A PRIV'LEGE TO LIVE IN BROOKLYN

Excellent kids movie.

I saw this movie when it first was released. My hometown movie theater had Saturday matinée's for kids through early teens. If you were lucky enough to go to one of these early releases you also received a picture of Rhubarb with his "pawtograph". I also acquired a large "rhubarb colored" cat. He lived up to his name well. Many a dog left our yard rather than face up Rhubarb any longer. Over the years I have recommended this movie to many people for their children to view. Those who have managed to find the movie have been well placed. I have seen this movie listed at Blockbusters. This movie will probably also be enjoyable for those of us older folks with a touch of nostalgia.