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Hook, Line and Sinker (1930 film)
Encyclopedia
Hook, Line and Sinker is a 1930
slapstick
comedy
film starring Wheeler & Woolsey
(the comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey
) with Dorothy Lee
. It was directed by Edward F. Cline
.
salesmen — Wilbur Boswell (Bert Wheeler) and J. Addington Ganzy (Robert Woolsey) — help penniless socialite Mary Marsh (Dorothy Lee
) to turn a dilapidated hotel
, which was willed to her, into a thriving success. They soon run into trouble, however, in the form of two sets of gangsters who want to break into the hotel safe
; also, Mary's mother (Jobyna Howland) wants her to marry wealthy lawyer John Blackwell (Ralf Harolde
) even though Mary loves Wilbur. Adding to the complications is the fact that Blackwell is actually in league with the gangsters. The finale involves nighttime runarounds and a shoot-out in the hotel.
1930 in film
-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film starring Wheeler & Woolsey
Wheeler & Woolsey
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a famous American film comedy team of the 1930s....
(the comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey
Robert Woolsey
Robert Woolsey was an American stage and screen comedian and half of the 1930s comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey....
) with Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
. It was directed by Edward F. Cline
Edward F. Cline
Edward Francis Cline was a screenwriter, actor, writer and director. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and died in Hollywood.-Career:...
.
Plot summary
Two fast-talking insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
salesmen — Wilbur Boswell (Bert Wheeler) and J. Addington Ganzy (Robert Woolsey) — help penniless socialite Mary Marsh (Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
) to turn a dilapidated hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, which was willed to her, into a thriving success. They soon run into trouble, however, in the form of two sets of gangsters who want to break into the hotel safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
; also, Mary's mother (Jobyna Howland) wants her to marry wealthy lawyer John Blackwell (Ralf Harolde
Ralf Harolde
Ralf Harolde was an American character actor. Between 1920 and 1963, he appeared in 99 films, including Jimmy the Gent, Night Nurse, Baby Take a Bow, A Tale of Two Cities, Our Relations, and Murder, My Sweet.Harolde was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died in Santa Monica,...
) even though Mary loves Wilbur. Adding to the complications is the fact that Blackwell is actually in league with the gangsters. The finale involves nighttime runarounds and a shoot-out in the hotel.
Cast
- Bert Wheeler as Wilbur Boswell
- Robert WoolseyRobert WoolseyRobert Woolsey was an American stage and screen comedian and half of the 1930s comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey....
as Addington Ganzy - Dorothy LeeDorothy LeeDorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
as Mary Marsh - Ralf HaroldeRalf HaroldeRalf Harolde was an American character actor. Between 1920 and 1963, he appeared in 99 films, including Jimmy the Gent, Night Nurse, Baby Take a Bow, A Tale of Two Cities, Our Relations, and Murder, My Sweet.Harolde was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died in Santa Monica,...
as John Blackwell (Buffalo Blackie) - Jobyna HowlandJobyna HowlandJobyna Howland was an American stage and screen actress. Tall, regal and beautiful Howland was another model for Charles Dana Gibson's famous sketching The Gibson Girl. Howland made her first appearance on the New York Stage in 1899 managed by Daniel Frohman...
as Rebecca Marsh - Natalie Moorhead as Duchess Bessie Von Essie
- Hugh HerbertHugh HerbertHugh Herbert was a motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville, and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches.-Career:...
as Hotel House Detective - George F. MarionGeorge F. MarionGeorge F. Marion Sr. was an American stage actor and director, a film actor and director of two silent films. George F. Marion, who was born in San Francisco, California was father of writer George Marion Jr. and he died of a heart attack at the age of 85 years in Carmel, California, USA. Marion...
as Ritz De La Rivera Bellboy - Stanley FieldsStanley Fields (actor)Stanley Fields was an American actor, born 20 May 1883 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA and died 23 April 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA, aged 57.-Career:Born Walter L. Agnew, he spent seven years as boy Soprano in the Trinity Church choir...
as McKay - William B. DavidsonWilliam B. DavidsonWilliam B. Davidson was an American film actor. He attended Columbia University where he played football. He became a popular football star. This fame eventually led to his foray into motion pictures after he had spent some time as a lawyer...
as Frank Dukette (Duke of Winchester)