Child of Manhattan (film)

Child of Manhattan
theatrical poster
Directed by	Edward Buzzell
Written by	Preston Sturges (play) Gertrude Purcell
Starring	Nancy Carroll John Boles Buck Jones
Cinematography	Ted Tetzlaff
Editing by	Jack Dennis
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	4 February 1933 (ltd.) 11 February (NYC)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Child of Manhattan is a 1933 Pre-code Columbia Pictures melodrama film based on the play of the same name by Preston Sturges, which was presented on Broadway in 1932. The film was directed by Edward Buzzell and written for the screen by Gertrude Purcell, and stars Nancy Carroll, star of musical comedies at Paramount, John Boles, and cowboy star Charles "Buck" Jones.

Child of Manhattan was the second of Sturges' plays to be adapted into a film, after Strictly Dishonorable. Unfortunately, "most of the wittier and more pungent lines were lost in translation."^[1]

Plot

Taxi dancer Madeleine McGonegle (Nancy Carroll) attracts the attention of millionaire Paul Vanderkill (John Boles), and when she become pregnant, they get married to avoid a scandal. When the baby dies at birth, Madeleine runs away to Mexico, to give Paul the divorce she thinks he wants. There, she meets "Panama Canal" Kelly (cowboy star Buck Jones), an old friend who proposed to her before he went west. Undeterred by her recent past, he asks her again to get married, and she eventually agrees. When Paul discovers where she is, he shows up just as the couple is about to be wed. When Panama overhears Madeleine confess her love to Paul, he bows out of the picture.^[1][2][3]

Cast

• Nancy Carroll as Madeleine McGonegle
• John Boles as Paul Otto Vanderkill
• Buck Jones as Panama Kelly
• Jessie Ralph as Aunt Minnie
• Clara Blandick as Aunt Sophie Jones
• Luis Alberni as Carlos Spumoni Bustamente
• Warburton Gamble as Stephen Eggleston
• Jane Darwell as Mrs. McGonegle
• Garry Owen as Buddy McGonegle
• Betty Grable as Lucy McGonegle
• Nat Pendleton as Spyrane - Dance Hall Bouncer

Production

Child of Manhattan was in production from 12 November through 6 December 1932.^[4] The movie shot for two weeks with Neil Hamilton playing the part of "Paul", before he was replaced by John Boles.^[5]

The film had a limited release on 4 February 1933, and went into general release in New York on 11 February.^[6] It was marketed with the taglines: The World called her BAD because she dared to LOVE! and Women called her Sinner! Men called her Siren! He called her Sweetheart!^[7]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Erickson, Hal Plot synopsis (Allmovie)
2. ^ TCM Full synopsis
3. ^ Majidi, Cameron Plot summary (IMDB)
4. ^ TCM Overview
5. ^ TCM Notes
6. ^ IMDB Release dates
7. ^ Taglines

External links

• Child of Manhattan (play) at the Internet Broadway Database
• Child of Manhattan at the Internet Movie Database
• Child of Manhattan at the TCM Movie Database
• Child of Manhattan at AllRovi