San Francisco (1936)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Writers:

Robert E. Hopkins (story)
Anita Loos (writer)

Release Date:

26 June 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

She Fell In Love . . . with the toughest guy on the toughest street in the world !

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.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Nob Hill | Opera | Priest | Contract

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

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)
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)

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)
Max Fabian	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (uncredited)
Loyal Griggs	....	effects photographer (uncredited)
Slavko Vorkapich	....	montage sequence: earthquake (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)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Spencer Tracy, playing a priest, makes a note to himself in one scene, "That Rooney kid skipped Mass again..." Two years later, he again plays a priest in Boys Town (1938) and is charged with reforming a boy played by Mickey Rooney.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In a scene after the Earthquake, the driver of a Salvation Army wagon tells Blackie Norton that he is heading to "Daly City to get milk for the kiddies." In fact, Daly City was not incorporated until 1911 (five years after the quake). The area did contain dairy farms (owned by John Daly), but was known as Vista Grande.

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!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Foul Play (1978)

Soundtrack:

Apotheosis

Very good classic

"San Francisco" is a very good classic picture. It's in many ways kind of similar to "In Old Chicago", which came out a year after this film. Both films have love stories, both have beautiful sets, and both climax with a disaster that really did take place in their respective cities. "San Francisco" takes place in the mid-1900s. Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy are two of the thousands of people living in the city that was tragically rocked by the massive earthquake of 1906. Like "In Old Chicago", the disaster recreation here is impressive. The film tends to drag a little from time-to-time, but that's only a minor quarrel to an otherwise classy movie. All-in-all, I was pretty entertained by "San Francisco".

*** (out of four)