Frankie and Johnnie (1936)

The story of a woman, Frankie, and the man who has done her wrong, Johnnie.

Directors:

Chester Erskine, John H. Auer (uncredited)

Writers:

Lou Goldberg, Moss Hart

Stars:

Helen Morgan, Chester Morris, Lilyan Tashman

Cast

Cast overview:
Helen Morgan	...	Frankie
Chester Morris	...	Johnnie Drew
Lilyan Tashman	...	Nellie Bly
Florence Reed	...	Lou
Walter Kingsford	...	Timothy
William Harrigan	...	Curley
John Larkin	...	Andy
Cora Witherspoon	...	Mrs. Lumpy Thornton

Storyline

The story of a woman, Frankie, and the man who has done her wrong, Johnnie.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title | 

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Genres:

Drama | Musical

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Production was completed in 1934, but the film was not released until 1936, by which time third billed Lilyan Tashman had already been dead for two years.

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Connections

Version of Frankie and Johnny (1966)

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Soundtracks

It's You I Adore
(uncredited)
Written by J. Russel Robinson and William Livingston

User Reviews

This film was filmed for two years....a sure kiss of death!

"Frankie and Johnnie" is a film that sat on the shelf for two years. This is a VERY bad sign...and it usually means that the studio has zero faith in the movie.

The plot of the film is much like the song "Frankie and Johnnie". It begins with the bar girl with a heart of gold, Frankie, taking pity and helping poor Johnnie. Over time, they become lovers but Frankie doesn't realize that Johnnie is NOT the nice guy he seems to be...and two-times her with her arch enemy, Nellie...with a tragic and predictable finale.

So is it any good? Not especially. The story is a foregone conclusion...and the melodrama is laid on thick. And, most importantly, it's pretty dull stuff.



By the way, the two leading ladies in this film had amazingly short lives. Helen Morgan (Frankie) died at 41 from Cirrhosis and Nellie (Lilyan Tashman) died from cancer at 37! So sad.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frankie i Johnny

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Saal Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor High Fidelity System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1