To Please a Lady (1950)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Marge Decker (writer)
Barré Lyndon (writer)

Release Date:

13 October 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

MGM's thrill-a-minute romance of a daredevil and a darling!

Plot Keywords:

Love Hate | Journalist | Arrogance | Stunt Pilot | Indianapolis Speedway

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Mike Brannan
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Regina Forbes
Adolphe Menjou	...	Gregg
Will Geer	...	Jack Mackay
Roland Winters	...	Dwight Barrington
William C. McGaw	...	Joie Chitwood
Lela Bliss	...	Regina's Secretary
Emory Parnell	...	Mr. Wendall
Frank Jenks	...	Press agent
Helen Spring	...	Janie
Bill Hickman	...	Mike's pit crew
Lew Smith	...	Mike's pit crew
Ted Husing	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Newell	...	Hank Harmon (as Billy Newell)
Erville Alderson	...	Newspaper editor (uncredited)
Henry Banks	...	Driver (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	IMBA promoter (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse	...	(uncredited)
Dominic 'Pee Wee' Distarce	...	Driver (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Greengrove race spectator (uncredited)
Cay Forrester	...	(uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Shoe fitter (uncredited)
John Gallaudet	...	IMBA promoter (uncredited)
Joe Garson	...	Joe Youghal (uncredited)
Cecil Green	...	(uncredited)
Tom Hanlon	...	Greengrove race announcer (uncredited)
Jerry Hausner	...	(uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Bainsville track owner (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert	...	Benson (Regina's butler) (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Steward #1 (uncredited)
Frank Hyers	...	(uncredited)
Richard Joy	...	Television voice (uncredited)
Arthur M. Loew Jr.	...	Studio production man (uncredited)
Jack McGrath	...	(uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Newark referee (uncredited)
Carlotta Monti	...	(uncredited)
Ernest Ohman	...	(uncredited)
Anne O'Neal	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Johnnie Parsons	...	Driver (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Steward #2 (uncredited)
Jean Ransome	...	(uncredited)
Marilyn Rich	...	(uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	(uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Regina's radio show announcer (uncredited)
Johnny Tolan	...	Driver (uncredited)
William H. Welsh	...	Sports announcer (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence Brown

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marge Decker		writer
Barré Lyndon		writer

Produced by
Clarence Brown	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Robert Kern

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Jack Bonar
Ralph S. Hurst
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Robert Ewing	....	makeup artist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Joie Chitwood	....	stunt driver: Clark Gable
J. Lewis Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage

Other crew
Wilbur Shaw	....	technical advisor
Babe Stapp	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (re-titled)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Red Hot Wheels (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Arlington Downs Racetrack - 2225 E. Randol Mill Road, Arlington, Texas, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

At 20:26 in the film, a close-up shows the Sports Final section of the Bainsville daily paper. Under Barbara Stanwyck's photograph (as Regina Forbes) three pictures of "sports stars" are shown: Kathryn Grayson, Walter Pidgeon and Gene Kelly. This must have been an inside-joke as the film and the stars shown were all under contract with MGM.

Goofs:

Continuity: Because footage shot during the actual 1950 Indy 500 was used, Mauri Rose can be seen exiting the pits driving past the pit for the real car #17, Joie Chitwood (Mauri Rose and Joie Chitwood's pits were next to each other during the 1950 500 race).

Quotes:

Mike Brannan: [carrying Stanwyck in his arms] All the soft spots aren't on the track.
Regina Forbes: Well, you keep your mind on the ones that are.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gable: The King Remembered (1975) (TV)

Great vintage auto racing/stunt action

I couldn't care less about the story line, though it's not too bad to sit through. But the authentic open-wheel midget and Indy-car racing footage is worth every minute of Clark and Barbara's banal banter. There's even a montage of a racing engine being machined and assembled, some nice race car closeups, and pit stop action. To top it all off, there is a couple of minutes of what looks to be authentic footage of Joie Chitwood's famous stunt car show. This is a real sleeper and highly recommended for vintage race fans.