San Francisco (1936)

Writers:

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

Release Date:

26 June 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Musical

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:

Irish American | Title From Song | City Name In Title | Fire Engine | Singer

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)
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)
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

Original Music by
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
Paul Lamkoff	....	vocal coach (uncredited)
Herbert Stothart	....	composer: incidental music (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)
• 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:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

One of Mary's opera gowns was later used for "Glinda" in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

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:

Featured in Some of the Best (1949)

Soundtrack:

Would You?

A stunning film, especially for the 1930's

This movie has it all: good history, great acting, superb special effects, a Stellar cast (Gable, Tracy, and McDonald, all top stars at the time), and a great story line. You get so wrapped up in the lives of these people that you even forget that there's an earthquake a' comin', until it HITS, and right in the middle of the human drama... Remember the first time you saw it? The timing was SO good that I'm sure most audience members felt the same confusion and sense of impending doom that the characters on-screen were experiencing at the same time. It's a real jaw-dropper...

In addition, there's a string of occurrences in this film which often go overlooked by all of the above: the INCREDIBLE singing of Jeanette McDonald, which punctuates the film at several key moments. When she sings, on demand, "Love Me and the World is Mine", the audience, just like Blackie Norton, can't help but be stunned by her voice, seeing that this woman has a set of PIPES! Whether it's opera, hymns, or the title song, her singing is the thread that ties all the parts of this film together, and, considering sound recording in 1936, it's stunning. Next time you visit this film, make a note to yourself: focus on her singing. She had an amazing talent that no one in film has matched, before or since. Her singing alone makes this film worth the price of admission.

So, rent the film and enjoy one of the greats... can't wait until it comes out on DVD.