Million Dollar Baby (1941 film)
Encyclopedia
Million Dollar Baby is a 1941 romantic comedy
film directed by Curtis Bernhardt
. Released by Warner Bros.
, the film stars Priscilla Lane
, Jeffrey Lynn
, and Ronald Reagan
.
and lives in a boardinghouse in New York
. Into her life comes a generous benefactor who gives her a million dollars. Pam is excited at first, buying gifts for her boardinghouse friends, and her songwriter boyfriend, who lives across the hall from her. Much to her surprise, her friends and boyfriend seem to change overnight. They are not as overjoyed at her good fortune as she imagines they would be, and rather resent her. As the last straw, her boyfriend tells her she's an Elsie Dinsmore
and breaks it off with her. Pam finally decides on a course of action that makes her happy, as well as those around her.
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film directed by Curtis Bernhardt
Curtis Bernhardt
Curtis Bernhardt was a German film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. Some of his American films were called "woman's films" including the Joan Crawford film Possessed . Bernhardt trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film...
. Released by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, the film stars Priscilla Lane
Lane Sisters
The Lane Sisters refers to a group of sisters, three of whom achieved success in the 1920s and 1930s as a singing act, with their popularity onstage leading to a series of successful films. A fourth sister was not successful and left this milieu and a fifth avoided show business altogether...
, Jeffrey Lynn
Jeffrey Lynn
Jeffrey Lynn was an American actor.Born Ragnar Lind in Auburn, Massachusetts, Lynn was a school teacher before he began his acting career. He came to Hollywood and made his film debut in Out Where the Stars Begin...
, and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
Plot
The story centers around Pamela McCallister (Lane), an average girl who works in a department storeDepartment store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
and lives in a boardinghouse in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Into her life comes a generous benefactor who gives her a million dollars. Pam is excited at first, buying gifts for her boardinghouse friends, and her songwriter boyfriend, who lives across the hall from her. Much to her surprise, her friends and boyfriend seem to change overnight. They are not as overjoyed at her good fortune as she imagines they would be, and rather resent her. As the last straw, her boyfriend tells her she's an Elsie Dinsmore
Elsie Dinsmore
Elsie Dinsmore is a children's book series written by Martha Finley between 1867 and 1905.An adapted version has been published, which leaves out several important facts and details.-Original story:...
and breaks it off with her. Pam finally decides on a course of action that makes her happy, as well as those around her.
Cast
- Priscilla LaneLane SistersThe Lane Sisters refers to a group of sisters, three of whom achieved success in the 1920s and 1930s as a singing act, with their popularity onstage leading to a series of successful films. A fourth sister was not successful and left this milieu and a fifth avoided show business altogether...
... Pamela "Pam" McAllister - Jeffrey LynnJeffrey LynnJeffrey Lynn was an American actor.Born Ragnar Lind in Auburn, Massachusetts, Lynn was a school teacher before he began his acting career. He came to Hollywood and made his film debut in Out Where the Stars Begin...
... James "Jim/Jimmy" Amory - Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
... Peter "Pete" Rowan - May RobsonMay RobsonMay Robson was an actress and playwright. A major stage actress of the late 19th and early 20th century, Robson is best known today for the dozens of 1930s motion pictures she appeared in when she was well into her seventies, usually playing cross old ladies with hearts of gold.- Biography :Born...
... Cornelia Wheelwright aka Miss White - Lee PatrickLee Patrick (actress)Lee Patrick was an American theater and film actress.-Early life and education:Born in New York City, Patrick began acting on Broadway in 1924. For more than a decade, she was constantly employed and established herself as a popular actress. She appeared in the original 1929 production of June...
... Josie "Lou" La Rue - Helen WestleyHelen WestleyHelen Westley was an American character actress.-Career:Born as Henrietta Remsen Meserole Manney, Helen Westley was a member of the original board of the Theatre Guild, and appeared in many of their productions, among them Peer Gynt, and some of their productions of plays by George Bernard...
... Mrs. Galloway, Landlady - George BarbierGeorge Barbier (actor)-Career:Barbier entered Crozier Seminary to study for ministry but gave it up to go on the stage, beginning in light opera. Spent several years in repertory and stock companies and eventually appeared on Broadway...
... Mr. Marlin, Attorney - Nan WynnNan WynnNan Wynn was an American big-band singer and actress from Wheeling, West Virginia.She recorded with well-known orchestras, including those of Teddy Wilson, Freddie Rich, Raymond Scott and Hal Kemp.-Films:...
... Flo Turner, Band Singer - John QualenJohn QualenJohn Qualen was a Canadian-American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles....
... Dr. Patterson, Chemist - Walter CatlettWalter CatlettWalter Catlett was an American actor. As a San Francisco citizen, he started out in vaudeville with a detour for a while in opera before breaking into films.-Early career:...
... Mr. Simpson, Lacey's Dept. Store Floorwalker - Fay Helm ... Mrs. Grayson, Alvie's Mom
- Richard CarleRichard CarleRichard Carle was an American film actor. He appeared in 132 films between 1915 and 1941.He was born as Charles Nicholas Carleto in Somerville, Massachusetts...
... George, Wheelwright's Butler - John RidgelyJohn RidgelyJohn Ridgely was an American film character actor with over 100 film credits. He appeared in the 1946 Humphrey Bogart film The Big Sleep as blackmailing gangster Eddie Mars and had a memorable role as a suffering heart patient in the film noir Nora Prentiss .The Chicago, Illinois-born actor...
... Ollie Ward, Bandleader - Maris WrixonMaris WrixonMaris Wrixon was an American film and television actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1939 and 1951....
... Diana Bennet - James Burke ... Callahan, Store Detective
- Charles HaltonCharles HaltonCharles Halton was a stern-faced American character actor who appeared in over 180 films.One of his most memorable portrayals was as Carter, the bank examiner in It's a Wonderful Life...
... John Parkinson, V.P. Continental American Bank - John SheffieldJohnny SheffieldJohnny Sheffield was an American child actor.-Early life:He was born as John Matthew Sheffield Cassan in Pasadena, California, the second child of actor Reginald Sheffield and Louise Van Loon...
... Alvie Grayson - Jack MowerJack MowerJack Mower was an American film actor. He appeared in 526 films between 1914 and 1962.He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* Destination Tokyo...
... Charlie, Sky Terrace Bartender
Crew
- Curtis BernhardtCurtis BernhardtCurtis Bernhardt was a German film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. Some of his American films were called "woman's films" including the Joan Crawford film Possessed . Bernhardt trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film...
... Director - Leonard SpigelgassLeonard SpigelgassLeonard Spigelgass was an American film producer and screenwriter.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Spigelgass got his start collaborating on the script for Erich Von Stroheim's Hello, Sister!...
... Story ("Miss Wheelwright Discovers America") - Casey RobinsonCasey RobinsonCasey Robinson was an American producer and director of mostly B movies and a screenwriter responsible for some of Bette Davis' most revered films...
, Richard Macaulay, and Jerry WaldJerry WaldJerry Wald was an American producer and screenwriter for motion pictures and radio shows.Born Jerome Irving Wald in Brooklyn, New York, he had a brother and sons who were active in show business. Jerry began writing a radio column for the New York Evening Graphic while a student at New York...
... Screenplay - David Lewis .... Associate Producer
- Hal B. WallisHal B. WallisHal B. Wallis was an American film producer.-Career:Harold Brent Wallis was born in Chicago in 1898. His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros...
.... Executive Producer - Charles RosherCharles RosherCharles Rosher, A.S.C. was a two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer who worked from the early days of silent films through the 1950s...
... Cinematographer - Rudi FehrRudi FehrRudi Fehr was a German-born, American film editor and studio executive. He had more than thirty credits as an editor, and worked for more than twenty years as the head of production at the Warner Brothers studio....
... Film Editor - Robert HaasRobert M. HaasRobert M. Haas was an American art director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction...
... Art Director - Orry-KellyOrry-KellyOrry-Kelly was the professional name of Orry George Kelly , a prolific Hollywood costume designer....
... Costume Designer (gowns) - Perc WestmorePerc WestmorePercival Harry Westmore was a prominent member of the Westmore family of Hollywood make-up artists.-Partial filmography:*The Man Who Played God*The Roaring Twenties...
.... Makeup Artist - Chuck Hansen .... assistant director (uncredited)
- Charles Lang .... sound
- Frederick HollanderFriedrich HollaenderFriedrich Hollaender was a German film composer.He was born in London, where his father, operetta composer Victor Hollaender, worked at the Barnum & Bailey Circus...
... Music Composer - Leo F. ForbsteinLeo F. ForbsteinLeo F. Forbstein was an American film musical director and orchestra conductor who worked on more than 550 projects during a twenty-year period.-Early years:...
.... musical director - Howard JacksonHoward Jackson (composer)Howard Jackson was an American film composer who was often uncredited.-Selected works:*Broadway *I'm No Angel *Goldie Gets Along...
.... composer: stock music (uncredited) - Ronald Reagan .... musician: piano, "Die Walkirie" (uncredited)
- Hugh Cummings .... dialogue director