Too Hot to Handle (1938)

Two rival newsreel photographers join forces to find the an aviatrix's missing brother, who has disappeared in the Amazon rainforest.

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

Laurence Stallings (screen play), John Lee Mahin (screen play)

Stars:

Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Walter Pidgeon

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clark Gable	...	Chris Hunter
Myrna Loy	...	Alma Harding
Walter Pidgeon	...	Bill Dennis
Walter Connolly	...	'Gabby' MacArthur
Leo Carrillo	...	Joselito
Johnny Hines	...	Parsons
Virginia Weidler	...	Hulda
Betty Ross Clarke	...	Mrs. Harding
Henry Kolker	...	'Pearly' Todd
Marjorie Main	...	Miss Wayne
Gregory Gaye	...	'Popoff'
Al Shean	...	Gumpert
Willie Fung	...	Willie
Lillie Mui	...	'Tootsie'
Patsy O'Connor	...	'Fake' Hulda

Storyline

Chris Hunter is a sly newsreel reporter. While in Shanghai doing reports on the Chinese-Japanese war, he meets pilot Alma Harding. At first she doesn't trust him, but by a trick he manages to get her hired as his assistant. During an adventurous expedition through the jungles of South America he manages to change her view of him.

---

Plot Keywords:

secretary | screwball comedy | rain forest | aviatrix | jungle | 

---

Taglines:

Love Scoops the world's hottest news . . . !

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 September 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Let 'Em All Talk

Filming Locations:

Tottiekampu country, Netherlands Guyana

Box Office

Budget:

$1,564,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Clark Gable spent two days working with a newsreel crew to get a feeling for his part.

---

Goofs

There would not be any electricity in the jungle to run the bright, powerful projector used by Chris to intimidate the natives.

---

Quotes

William O. 'Bill' Dennis: We've got to do something.
Christopher 'Chris' Hunter: Well, if it doesn't hurt too much - start thinking.

---

Crazy Credits

We wish to thank Her Majesty's Governor of Netherlands Guiana for permitting our expedition to enter the jungles of the Tottiekampu country. Our thanks also to Chief Moi of the Matawais tribe for allowing us to record for the first time the sights and sounds of the Djuka Fire Dance Ritual.

---

Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

---

Connections

References The Toy Wife (1938)

---

Soundtracks

Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves)
(1887) (uncredited)
Written by Juventino Rosas
Background music on the test film shown to natives

User Reviews

Never a dull moment!

The epitome of the madcap comedy/adventure genre! From the Japanese invasion of China to the bustle of midtown Manhatten to the Amazon jungle, never a dull moment. This could have served as the prototype for the "Indiana Jones" films or "Romancing the Stone".

War correspondent Gable is not beyond inventing a scoop if none is readily available. Myrna Loy, playing a sort of Amelia Earhart role, is duped by a rival news organization into a ploy to beat Gable at his own game. How the action moves from China to New York to a burning ship off the east coast to South America is....too complicated to describe in a short review. This may not be the best Gable film or the most convincing role ever played by Myrna Loy (although it's quite similar to her "Thin Man" roles), but it is highly entertaining. Both the filming and the story may be a little simplistic for today's taste and is certainly a far fetched plot but it's a good rip-roaring yarn nevertheless. I'll downgrade it to a 9 out of 10 only because the transfer that I saw wasn't up to the highest standards.