Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)

When two investors inform an opportunistic dancer that they can't fund an elderly stage producer's production, she suggests they get an insurance policy on the producer's life.

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Warren Duff (screen play), Richard Maibaum (based on the play by: "Sweet Mystery of Life")

Stars:

Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dick Powell	...	Rosmer Peak
Joan Blondell	...	Norma Perry
Glenda Farrell	...	Genevieve Larkin
Victor Moore	...	J.J. Hobart
Lee Dixon	...	Boop Oglethorpe
Osgood Perkins	...	Morty Wethered
Charles D. Brown	...	Hugo (as Chas. D. Brown)
Rosalind Marquis	...	Sally
Irene Ware	...	Irene
William B. Davidson	...	Andy Callahan (as Wm. Davidson)
Olin Howland	...	Dr. MacDuffy
Charles Halton	...	Dr. Bell
Paul Irving	...	Dr. Warshof
Harry C. Bradley	...	Dr. Henry
Joseph Crehan	...	Chairman

Storyline

Stage-producer J.J. Hobart, is going to put on a new show, but he doesn't know that his two partners lost the money at the stock market. Insurance salesman Rosmer Peek falls in love with ex chorus-girl Joan Blondell, who's friend Genevieve tries to land on one of J.J Hobart's partners. They come up with the idea to insure J.J. for $1 Million, to get the money back when he dies. Rosmer sells him the policy. After the insurance company finds out that he's only a hypochondriac, an attempt to kill him accidentally fails, and Genevieve falls in love with J.J. But when J.J. is informed that he is putting on a show with no money he has a breakdown. The only possibility to restore his health is putting on the show, in spite of the lack of money.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to joan of arc | insurance | insurance salesman | hypochondriac | theatre audience | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vampiresas 1937

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Hush Mah Mouth" by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg was written for the picture but not used in the final print.

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Goofs

(at around 20 min) A string used to make a stack of books fall onto Dick Powell's head is clearly visible against the white paper background.

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Quotes

J.J. Hobart: Life begins at 59!

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Crazy Credits

The usual disclaimer goes to great lengths to assure us that "The names of all characters -- The characters themselves -- The story - all incidents and institutions portrayed in this production are fictitious -- And no identification with actual persons, living or deceased, is intended or should be inferred."

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Connections

Featured in Busby Berkeley: Going Through the Roof (1998)

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Soundtracks

Bermuda Buggy Ride
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by Sanford Green

User Reviews

Weakest of the Series

Busby Berkeley musicals are always great fun to watch regardless of the storyline because of the outstanding musical sequences. Berkeley's Gold Diggers series contains some of the most exciting. Gold Diggers of 1937 is possibly the worst of the lot, but it still isn't bad. With a great cast and an interesting finale, this film is a must for fans of early musicals.

Dick Powell stars as an insurance salesman with a terrible record. He bumps into Joan Blondell on a train one day and finds his luck steadily increasing from there. Soon, he gets a client (Victor Moore) to open a million dollar insurance policy, which makes him begin to hear wedding bells. However, his client is not very young, nor is he very healthy. His business partners are counting on this. They've gambled his fortune away and now have no other way to cover their backs. With plotting from both sides, poor old Mr. Hobart is in for a heck of a ride.

Unfortunately, this film reads much more like the b-pictures that Powell and Blondell made during the slump in their careers than like the instant classics they were teamed up in at the beginning of their careers.

There are only a few songs used throughout this film, and none of them are as catchy as the ones from past installments. Still, they're created quite well visually. "Speaking of the Weather" features two stagings, the first in an office as a tet a tet between Powell and Blondell and the second at a big party. This version features an excellent tap routine. The big finale is "All is Fair in Love and War" which features a bevy of beautiful girls rocking in rocking chairs and bombing their beaus from across a largely black screen.