- Mannequin (1937 film)
-
Mannequin 
Original Film PosterDirected by Frank Borzage Produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Written by Story:
Katharine Brush
Screenplay:
Lawrence HazardStarring Joan Crawford
Spencer Tracy
Alan CurtisDistributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date(s) December 14, 1937 Running time 95 minutes Country United States Language English Mannequin is 1937 film directed by Frank Borzage, and starring Joan Crawford, Spencer Tracy and Alan Curtis. In the film, Crawford plays Jessie, a young working class woman who seeks to improve her life by marrying her boyfriend, only to find out that he is no better than what she left behind. Jessie meets a self-made millionaire with whom she falls in love despite his financial problems.
The film premiered on December 14, 1937 in Westwood, California. It opened on January 20, 1938 in New York City, followed by a wide American release on January 21, 1938.
Contents
Synopsis
Jessie Cassidy yearns to escape the squalor of her family's Lower East Side apartment. Hoping to move up in life, she convinces her boyfriend, Eddie Miller, to marry her. At their wedding reception self-made shipping tycoon John L. Hennessey sees the couple and buys them a bottle of champagne. Eddie tries to impress John, but Jessie impresses him more. Eddie takes Jessie to a nice apartment, then tells her that she can give up her job as a shopgirl to work in the chorus of a Broadway show, just until he gets a break. Several months later, Jessie is still in love, despite her friend Beryl Lee's warnings that Eddie is good-for-nothing. Hennessey throws a party for the cast of the Broadway show and Eddie convinces the reluctant Jessie to go. Hennessey, who has been giving parties only on the pretext of seeing Jessie, makes a pass at her, which she rebukes with a slap. Even more enamoured with her after this, he doesn't hesitate to loan her a hundred dollars after she and Eddie are kicked out of their apartment. As it turns out, the apartment belonged to other people and Eddie is arrested for bookmaking. Eddie, aware of Hennessey's love for Jessie, suggests that she divorce him, marry Hennessey, then divorce Hennessey for a large settlement. Finally seeing what kind of man Eddie is, Jessie leaves him. Some months later, she returns the money to Hennessey and they start to see each other. She promises to marry him, even though he knows she doesn't love him. They later plan a European trip. Eddie goes to Jessie and warns her to carry through his idea, but when Hennessey arrives, he throws Eddie out, even though he does not know the real purpose of his visit. After they marry, Jessie realizes that she loves Hennessey and is completely happy in their honeymoon cottage in Ireland. They soon receive a cablegram from Hennessey's assistant Briggs, advising them that labor unrest necessitates their return to the United States. While Hennessey goes to his men, hoping that they will stop their strike and save their company, Jessie confronts Eddie. He tries to blackmail her, but she says that she will leave Hennessey and flee before seeing him hurt. Just before she is about to leave him, however, Hennessey comes home and Jessie lies that she never loved him. Eddie then walks in and announces that Hennessey is now broke and "in the gutter" just like him. He also tells Hennessey about the plan for Jessie to marry and divorce him for money. Eddie then leaves and Hennessey refuses to listen to Jessie's word that she loves him. Later, however, she convinces him that she will stay by his side no matter what and that the money from the sale of her jewels will give them a new start.
Cast
- Joan Crawford ... Jessie Cassidy
- Spencer Tracy ... John L. Hennessey
- Alan Curtis ... Eddie Miller
- Ralph Morgan ... Briggs
- Mary Philips ... Beryl Lee
- Oscar O'Shea ... 'Pa' Cassidy
- Elisabeth Risdon ... 'Ma' Cassidy
- Leo Gorcey ... Clifford Cassidy
Reception
Frank Nugent in the New York Times remarked, "Mannequin...restores Miss Joan Crawford to her throne as queen of the working girls....Miss Crawford, let it be said, meets these several dramatic emergencies in her best manner, which, as you know, is tender, strong, heroic, and regal."
External links
The films of Frank Borzage 1910s The Pride and the Man • Dollars of Dross • Land o' Lizards • Immediate Lee • Flying Colors • Until They Get Me • The Gun Woman • The Curse of Iku • The Shoes That Danced • Innocent's Progress • Society for Sale • An Honest Man • Who Is to Blame? • The Ghost Flower • The Atom • Toton the Apache • Whom the Gods Would Destroy • Prudence on Broadway1920s Humoresque • The Duke of Chimney Butte • Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford • Back Pay • Billy Jim • The Good Provider • The Valley of Silent Men • The Pride of Palomar • The Nth Commandment • Children of the Dust • The Age of Desire • Secrets • The Lady • Daddy's Gone A-Hunting • The Circle • Lazybones • Wages for Wives • The First Year • The Dixie Merchant • Early to Wed • Marriage License? • Seventh Heaven • Street Angel • Lucky Star • They Had to See Paris • The River1930s Song o' My Heart • Liliom • Doctors' Wives • Young as You Feel • Bad Girl • After Tomorrow • Young America • A Farewell to Arms • Secrets • Man's Castle • No Greater Glory • Little Man, What Now? • Flirtation Walk • Living on Velvet • Stranded • Shipmates Forever • Desire • Hearts Divided • Green Light • History Is Made at Night • Big City • Mannequin • Three Comrades • The Shining Hour • Disputed Passage1940s Strange Cargo • The Mortal Storm • Flight Command • Smilin' Through • The Vanishing Virginian • Seven Sweethearts • Stage Door Canteen • His Butler's Sister • Till We Meet Again • The Spanish Main • Magnificent Doll • I've Always Loved You • That's My Man • Moonrise1950s Television Screen Directors Playhouse (1955–1956)Categories:- English-language films
- 1937 films
- American films
- 1930s drama films
- Black-and-white films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
- Films directed by Frank Borzage
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
