To Please a Lady (1950)

A former war hero and midget car racer meets his match in a feisty reporter who blames his reckless tactics for an accidental racing death.

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Barré Lyndon (story), Marge Decker (story)

Stars:

Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clark Gable	...	Mike Brannan
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Regina Forbes
Adolphe Menjou	...	Gregg
Will Geer	...	Jack Mackay
Roland Winters	...	Dwight Barrington
William C. McGaw	...	Joie Chitwood
Lela Bliss	...	Regina's Secretary
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. Wendall
Frank Jenks	...	Press Agent
Helen Spring	...	Janie
Bill Hickman	...	Mike's Pit Crew
J. Lewis Smith	...	Mike's Pit Crew (as Lew Smith)
Ted Husing	...	Ted Husing

Storyline

Mike Brannon is a former war hero turned midget car racer. His ruthless racing tactics have made him successful but the fans consider him a villain and boo him mercilessly. Independent, beautiful reporter Regina Forbes tries to interview him but is put off by his gruff chauvinism, and when Brannon's daredevil tactics cause the death of a fellow driver, he finds himself a pariah in the sport thanks to her articles. When she finds him earning money as a barnstorming daredevil driver hoping for a comeback, they begin to become mutually attracted.

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Plot Keywords:

indiana | daredevil | driver | newspaper columnist | bad press | 

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Taglines:

MGM's thrill-a-minute romance of a daredevil and a darling!

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Genres:

Action | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film featured short-track midget car racing, a highly popular form of auto racing in post-World War II America. From the mid-1930's through the mid-1960's, most drivers who aspired to race in the famous Indianapolis 500 usually started competing in the midgets, then sprint cars (similar in looks, but more powerful and faster than midgets), then to "championship," or Indianapolis-type cars.

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Goofs

During the "pit race", the closer shots were filmed with prominent "Mike Brannan" and "Brannan Spl." on the pit wall, but after a cut, the real #17 car is shown in actual race footage, which has no "Mike Brannan Spl." painted on the car just forward of the windshield, a tire obscures most of Joie Chitwood's name on the pit wall, and the pit wall is marked "Wolfe Spl.".

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Quotes

Mike Brannan: You're somebody.
Regina Forbes: Mike, don't you know? You're nobody until somebody loves you.
Mike Brannan: I know it now. I never thought about that before.
Regina Forbes: I hadn't either.

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Connections

Featured in Gremlins (1984)

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Soundtracks

Polly-Wolly Doodle
(uncredited)
Credited usually to Daniel Decatur Emmett (as Dan Emmett)
Whistled by several characters

User Reviews

Suitable as light entertainment for Gable fans or a serious study by classic motorsport fans

Dreary day in Auckland New Zealand, October 2005 and TCM has "To Please a Lady " on twice in the one day. Between mowing the lawns, I watch it twice. Sludge overkill? If it had been about a football star I wouldn't have watched it. The story line is as thin as Gable's moustache. But the automotive background, 55 years old, is priceless. Some of the "action" scenes are stagey, but you can tell that Gable does some of the close up, high speed driving - you don't get wind buffet on cheeks and arms from driving at 30mph! To see an Offy' motor being stripped, to see inside what looked like a genuine 1950 racing shop and to see Mauri Rose in the legendary Novi was incredible. Not for everyone, but for classic motor racing enthusiasts this movie is a hidden treasure. You get the feeling that Gable must have been a motor racing fan.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Red Hot Wheels

Filming Locations:

Arlington Downs Racetrack - 2225 E. Randol Mill Road, Arlington, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1