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San Francisco
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San Francisco (1936) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   1,841 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Robert E. Hopkins (story)
Anita Loos (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for San Francisco on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 June 1936 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | Drama | Musical | Romance more
Tagline:
She Fell In Love . . . with the toughest guy on the toughest street in the world ! more
Plot:
A Barbary Coast saloonkeeper and a Nob Hill impresario are rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer, both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate more (49 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Clark Gable ... Blackie Norton

Jeanette MacDonald ... Mary Blake

Spencer Tracy ... Father Mullin
Jack Holt ... Jack Burley
Jessie Ralph ... Mrs. Burley
Ted Healy ... Mat
Shirley Ross ... Trixie
Margaret Irving ... Della Bailey
Harold Huber ... 'Babe'
Edgar Kennedy ... Sheriff
Al Shean ... Professor
William Ricciardi ... Signor Baldini
Kenneth Harlan ... 'Chick'
Roger Imhof ... 'Alaska'
Charles Judels ... Tony (as Charles Judells)
Russell Simpson ... 'Red' Kelly
Bert Roach ... Freddie Duane
Warren Hymer ... Hazeltine (as Warren B. Hymer)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Acker ... (uncredited)
Maude Allen ... Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Oscar Apfel ... Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Sam Ash ... Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor ... Drunk's Girl (uncredited)
Irving Bacon ... Picnicker (uncredited)
King Baggot ... (uncredited)

Jane Barnes ... Girl (uncredited)
Vince Barnett ... New Year's Eve Drunk (uncredited)
Jack Baxley ... Kinko (uncredited)
Nyas Berry ... Dancer (uncredited)
Margaret Bert ... Salvation Army Nurse (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey ... Allen, Burley's Butler (uncredited)
Jimmy Brewster ... Stooge (uncredited)
Fritzi Brunette ... (uncredited)
Sonny Bupp ... (uncredited)
Tommy Bupp ... Bill, Newsboy (uncredited)
Orrin Burke ... Pompous Man (uncredited)
Richard Carle ... Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Helene Chadwick ... (uncredited)
Naomi Childers ... Opera Spectator in Burley Box (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins ... Bartender (uncredited)
Adrienne D'Ambricourt ... Madame Albani (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier ... Old Man (uncredited)
Vernon Dent ... Fat Man (uncredited)
Mae Digges ... Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Dugan ... Drunk (uncredited)
Edward Earle ... Bit Man (uncredited)
Edgar Edwards ... Young Earthquake Survivor 'The Fire's Out' (uncredited)
Fred M. Fagan ... Waiter (uncredited)
Jim Farley ... Charlie, Police Captain (uncredited)
Flora Finch ... (uncredited)
Chester Gan ... Jowl Lee (uncredited)
Bud Geary ... Man Restraining Blackie after Quake (uncredited)
Ruth Gillette ... (uncredited)
Sammy Glasser ... Stooge (uncredited)

D.W. Griffith ... Orchestra conductor (uncredited)
George Guhl ... Bit Man (uncredited)
Ben Hall ... Man searching in the chaos (uncredited)
Donald Hall ... (uncredited)
Sherry Hall ... Well-Wisher (uncredited)
Mahlon Hamilton ... Bit Role (uncredited)
Edward Hearn ... Parishioner (uncredited)
Fay Helm ... (uncredited)
Anthony Jowitt ... Society Man (uncredited)
Bronislau Kaper ... (uncredited)
John Kelly ... Kelly (uncredited)
Cy Kendall ... Headwaiter (uncredited)
Jack Kennedy ... Mike, Old Irishman in Church (uncredited)
Leonard Kibrick ... Choirboy (uncredited)
Tandy MacKenzie ... Faust (uncredited)
James Macklin ... Young Man (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack ... Bartender (uncredited)
George Magrill ... A Marine (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney ... Captain of Police (uncredited)
Frank Mayo ... Dealer (uncredited)
Tom McGuire ... Bartender (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie ... Messenger (uncredited)
Sammy McKim ... Choirboy (uncredited)
Douglas McPhail ... Extra (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller ... Man on Stretcher (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell ... Mary's Maid, Louise (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell ... Heckler (uncredited)
Rhea Mitchell ... (uncredited)
Harry Myers ... Reveler (uncredited)
William Newell ... Man in Breadline (uncredited)
Amber Norman ... (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien ... Waiter at Chicken's Ball (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell ... Man Praying (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe ... New Year's Celebrant (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley ... Fireman (uncredited)
John Pearson ... Stooge (uncredited)
Jason Robards Sr. ... Father (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts ... Forrestal Guest (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore ... Drinker (uncredited)
Don Rowan ... Coast Type (uncredited)
Frank Sheridan ... Founders' Club Member (uncredited)
Helen Shipman ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Myrtle Stedman ... Bit (uncredited)
Carl Stockdale ... Salvation Army Man (uncredited)
Harry Strang ... Soldier (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan ... Fire Spectator (uncredited)
Ben Taggart ... Cop (uncredited)
Rosemary Theby ... (uncredited)
David Thursby ... Man (uncredited)
Jerry Tucker ... Choirboy (uncredited)

Robert J. Wilke ... (uncredited)
Tudor Williams ... Mephistopheles (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe ... Parishioner (uncredited)
Ortho Wright ... Fireman (uncredited)
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Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke (uncredited)
 
Writing credits
Robert E. Hopkins (story) (as Robert Hopkins)

Anita Loos (writer)

Produced by
John Emerson .... producer
Bernard H. Hyman .... producer
W.S. Van Dyke .... producer
 
Original Music by
Herbert Stothart (uncredited)
Edward Ward (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh (photographed by)
 
Film Editing by
Tom Held 
 
Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons 
 
Costume Design by
Adrian (gowns)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
D.W. Griffith .... second unit director (uncredited)
Joseph M. Newman .... assistant director (uncredited)
Will Sheldon .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
A. Arnold Gillespie .... associate art director (as Arnold Gillespie)
Harry McAfee .... associate art director
Edwin B. Willis .... associate art director
 
Sound Department
Douglas Shearer .... recording director
 
Special Effects by
James Basevi .... special effects (uncredited)
Russell A. Cully .... special effects: earthquake sequence (uncredited)
A. Arnold Gillespie .... special effects (uncredited)
Slavko Vorkapich .... montage sequence: earthquake (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Max Fabian .... special photographic effects (uncredited)
Loyal Griggs .... effects photographer (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Audrey Scott .... stunt double: Jeanette MacDonald (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser .... assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Herbert Stothart .... musical director
Wayne Allen .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Lamkoff .... vocal coach (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Jack Virgil .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
John Hoffman .... montage sequences
Val Raset .... dances staged by
William von Wymetal .... stager: operatic sequences
Wallace Worsley Jr. .... script clerk (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Sweden:15 | Australia:G
Filming Locations:
San Francisco, California, USA
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The comment that Spencer Tracy makes about the "Rooney kid" is an ad-lib (watch Jeanette MacDonald's expression reacting to it). Tracy had worked with Mickey Rooney earlier that year in Riffraff (1936) and knew that director W.S. Van Dyke abhorred retakes, priding himself on bringing in productions fast and under budget - hence his nickname, "One-Take Woody". more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: As Blackie walks away from a building being blown up (actually a process shot), Clark Gable's head becomes momentarily transparent. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Blackie Norton: Well sister, what's your racket?
Mary Blake: I'm a singer!
Blackie Norton: Let's see your legs!
Mary Blake: I said, I'm a singer!
Blackie Norton: Alright, let's see your legs!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Columbo: The Conspirators (#7.5)" (1978) more
Soundtrack:
Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here! more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate, 12 November 2004
Author: Bucs1960 from West Virginia

You can't go wrong with the pairing of two of the great stars of Hollywood, Gable and Tracy......and the great star of the west coast, San Francisco. The role of Blackie Norton may be one of Gable's best, so cynical,so devil-may-care and just a little bit dangerous. Tracy play the understanding priest with his usual aplomb. As he told someone once "Don't ever let them catch you acting".

Gable's attraction to Jeanette McDonald is a little bit unbelievable. She really did belong with Jack Holt in this film......or better yet Nelson Eddy should have showed up at the last minute and swept her away with a song. Gable and McDonald don't mesh at all and there was not much chemistry between them although I must admit she is lovely. Be that as it may, the film is one of the best of Hollywood's mid-30's offerings. There is something for everyone; music, drama, comedy and the finale of the earthquake which is what we are waiting for. And what a spectacle it is!! It is very well done in those days before sophisticated special effects; with tumbling buildings, crashing walls and the inevitable fire. There are a couple of poignant scenes when the firefighters must blow up buildings and homes to control the fire thus destroying lifetimes of work and memories.

The ending is a little bit over the top as those who have lost their families and all that they own, joyously sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic and march up the hill to view the destruction (I'm not sure I would be that upbeat)......but it is still effective. The fade to the modern day (1936) San Francisco is just the right ending note. I highly recommend this film, not only for the Gable/Tracy pairing but also for the general excellence of the production.

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