Riffraff (1936)

Fisherman Dutch marries cannery worker Hattie. He quits his poorly paid job to concentrate on getting better working conditions as union leader. Unfortunately, the union members disagree ... See full summary »

Director:

J. Walter Ruben

Writers:

Frances Marion (screen play), H.W. Hanemann (screen play)

Stars:

Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, Una Merkel

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Harlow	...	Hattie Muller
Spencer Tracy	...	Dutch Muller
Una Merkel	...	Lil
Joseph Calleia	...	Nick Lewis
Victor Kilian	...	'Flytrap'
Mickey Rooney	...	Jimmy
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	'Brains' McCall
Roger Imhof	...	'Pops'
Juanita Quigley	...	Rosie
Paul Hurst	...	Belcher
Vince Barnett	...	Lew
Dorothy Appleby	...	Gertie
Judith Wood	...	Mabel
Arthur Housman	...	'Ratsy'
Wade Boteler	...	Bert

Storyline

Fisherman Dutch marries cannery worker Hattie. He quits his poorly paid job to concentrate on getting better working conditions as union leader. Unfortunately, the union members disagree with Dutch's ideas and kick him out. Without a job or union card to get another he leaves Hattie to look for work. Hattiee steals money to help him when she learns he is really down on his luck and she goes to jail. He gets a new job, foils a plot to dynamite the ship, and promises to wait for Hattie.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | cannery | wedding | transformation | thief | 

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Taglines:

"Yes, I'm Riffraff! ...but watch me go places!" (Print Ad- The Inquirer,((Owensboro, Ky.)) 6 January 1936)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first of six features Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney made together. The last was It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), made 27 years later.

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Goofs

During the prison escape when Harlow and friend hop into the getaway car, the seat backs are already wet before the two drenched escapees get into the auto. Obviously this was a second or third take of this scene.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lil: Stinko again!

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Connections

Featured in Red Hollywood (1996)

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Soundtracks

It Ain't Gonna Rain No More
(uncredited)
Written by Wendell Hall

User Reviews

What did she see in Tracy anyway?

In watching Riffraff again I'm struck with the burning question, what did Jean Harlow see in Spencer Tracy?

Both are working class people, he's a commercial fisherman she's his sweetheart who works in the cannery owned by Joseph Calleia. He's a blustering, pigheaded, egomanaical boorish lout of a human being, kind of lovable in his own crude way. But stack him up against Joseph Calleia, foreign accent and all, there ain't a contest. Calleia is the guy all the fishermen deal with as independent contractors with their catch. He's shrewd and clever, ruthless at times, but definitely not stupid.

Frankly if it were me in Harlow's place, there's no contest. Take up with Joseph Calleia and give Spence the old heave-ho. But if Jean did that there'd be no movie.

Tracy's taking a part that normally would have been given to Wallace Beery at MGM. Maybe before San Francisco that's how MGM executives saw Tracy, a B picture Beery. It's similar to some of the roles he played at Fox. But I can't recall another film where he played a guy so dumb.

In fact the film is an odd property for MGM. This thing should have been made at Warner Brothers with Cagney and O'Brien.

But Jean loves her man through thick and thin, even goes to jail to protect him. I can hear Fanny Brice singing in the background.

Riffraff doesn't belong at the top of the list of film credits for either Tracy or Harlow. Mickey Rooney as Harlow's younger brother, Joseph Calleia as the boss, and J. Farrell MacDonald as the wise and compassionate head of the fisherman's union have the best roles.

But you want to see Tracy and Harlow sparkle? Go buy or rent Libeled Lady.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 January 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Riffraff

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1