Series: All Star Feature
Director: Sam Taylor
Producer: Hal Roach
Screenplay: Frank Butler
Photography: Jack MacKenzie
Editor: Bernard W. Burton
Art director: Stan Rogers
Stars: Robert Young, Evelyn Venable, Reginald Denny, Frank Craven, Berton Churchill, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Forrester Harvey
Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Released: 03 May 1935
Length: 8 reels (71 minutes)
Production No.: F-6
Filming dates: ?
Rating: 4/10
|
Vagabond Lady |
Available on DVD:
|
 |
Roger Spear arrives at his House Of Spear department store for the morning conference with a lot of kiss-ass employees and is angry to find the store opened a whole 1 minute and 58 seconds later that it ought to have. He is even more perplexed by the absence of one of his top employees, Mr. Spiggins, who is located sleeping in a bed in the bridal suite section of the building. Spiggins is summoned to Spear's office to be fired but surprisingly it's Spiggins who does the lecturing of his boss for his unreasonable working methods. The two almost get into a fight after Spiggins hears that his daughter Josephine, who is an employee with the company, is going to get married to Spear's son Johnny. Spear's long-absent other son Tony arrives in his small boat, the 'Vagabond Lady', completely oblivious to a large ship which is attempting to dock in the exact same place. He then telephones his father to tell him he is on his way to the store. Spear instructs Johnny to stop him from doing so but it's too late, Tony turns up and immediately makes an impact with his exuberant personality. He is escorted up to the office away from the customers and later invited to join Johnny and Josephine for dinner and then the opera. At the restaurant Tony makes a fake telephone call to Johnny calling him back to the office so that Tony can take Josephine to the circus instead. The plan works. The next morning Tony comes clean to Johnny, who was already wise to the situation. Johnny tells Tony that he is going to marry Josephine and asks if Tony could look after her for a week. |
|
Tony takes Josephine to an opera recital (it's a painful scene to watch AND listen to!) and then on to his boat at her request. She comes home to a hostile reception from her father who advises her against spending such quality time with Tony whilst she is engaged to his brother. She blows up and tells him to mind his own business. The next day Spiggings tries to pursuade Tony to marry Josephine instead of Johnny but Tony isn't interested. Johnny takes her out to dinner where they are joined by old friends of his, much to the chagrin of Josephine. As they sit and watch divers perform in a pool Tony gets slowly drunk and is dared by one of the girls to do a dive himself (see favourite bit). He does, and then pulls the girls in with him leading Josephine to get up and storm off out. Tony then gets into a punch up with two suits which ends up with him behind bars. Johnny returns from his trip excited with the news that Josephine has agreed to marry him but the announcement doesn't go down well when Tony hears it. Things don't get any better for Tony when his father sees the newspaper detailing Tony's arrest and recent imprisonment and demands an explanation. Tony and Josephine argue and Tony storms off out vowing never to return. As the final arrangements for the wedding are being made, Josephine's father is making all effort to stop his daughter from making a mistake so he gets drunk and goes to talk to Tony on his boat. During their conversation Josephine turns up and gets the wrong idea that Tony is trying to sagotage her wedding and throws a major strop. Tony decides to get her to the wedding by way of his boat - against her will. |
 |
 |
During the night a storm threatens the boat and with Corky and Spiggings drunk down below Tony has to enlist Josephine's help in keeping the vessel going. This soon ends up in a physical fight between them all over the boat until they fall into each others arms and start kissing. Corky sees this and kicks Tony off the boat as previously instructed to do in the event he sees Tony so much as touch her. The next morning and Josephine changes her mind and wants to marry Tony instead - that is until she discovers that he left the boat during the night and got picked up by a Japanese trawler boat. So she goes ahead with her planned wedding with Johnny. Johnny escapes the Japs boat and just coincidentally manages to get back onto his own boat, kick Corky into the sea before running off to get to the wedding which has just started. The now-sober Spiggings escorts his daughter to the alter with her eating on a gum drop to deliberately infuriate her husband-to-be. The minister tries to read the wedding vows but is continually interrupted by the bickering pair who argue over Josephine chewing her sweet. This delay proves enough of a time delay for Tony to show up and stop the wedding and ask his brother if he is sure he wants to go through with the ceremony whilst verbally bashing Josephine in front of the guests. Johnny reluctantly agrees it is not what he wants and steps aside for Tony to take his place as Josephine's new husband (yeah as if we didn't see that coming). Johnny takes the smiling Josephine by the hand and leads her out of the hall as the film ends. |
 |
Favourite bit As Tony walks up to the high diving board, fully clothed I kept thinking "nuh, he won't do it." I was wrong! Credit where credit is due. Don't know I would have done it! |
| Trivia • Copyrighted May 2, 1935. • After the Irvin S. Cobb shorts failed, Roach convinced MGM to distribute an All Star feature film called "Vagabond Lady," which led to more of the same in the future. • Also listed for April 1, 1935. • The opening scene where Spear walks into the building and all the employees say good morning to him is reminiscent of a similar scene with Dan Ackroyd in the 1983 comedy 'Trading Places'. • The House Of Spear, established 1872 by Roger Spear - the actor playing the character of Spear wasn't even born then! Berton Churchill was born four years later in 1876. • The scene with the crowd on the docks welcoming home the ship was shot in front of rear-projected footage, as were many of the scenes with Tony speaking. The echo in his voice indicates that the scene was shot on a sound stage. • The title of the film refers to the name of Tony's boat, the Vagabond Lady. • Real-life husband and wife Dan Crimmins and Rosa Gore have small roles in the film: Crimmins is Willie the janitor, whilst Gore is one of the old ladies who receives the opera tickets from Tony. • With the indoor pool scenes, the deep end has a depth of 9 feet. • As annoying as Josephine is, when she dares Tony to strike her on the boat and he actually does... well, I didn't see that coming! My opinion • I tried so hard to want to like this film. I really did. But Evelyn Venable's character is just so annoying! |
 |
Robert Young Tony Spear |
 |
Evelyn Venable Josephine Spiggins |
 |
Reginald Denny Johnny Spear |
 |
Frank Craven Spiggins |
 |
Berton Churchill Roger D. Spear |
 |
Ferdinand Gottschalk Higgingbottom |
 |
Forrester Harvey Corky Nye |
 |
Mariska Aldrich Wagnerial singer |
 |
Jessie Arnold Helen, cleaning lady |
 |
Harry Bernard Bartender |
 |
Nora Cecil Miss Perkins |
 |
Dorothy Vernon Spear's office worker |
 |
Frances Morris Spear's employee |
 |
Shirley Chambers John's blonde secretary |
 |
Dan Crimmins Willie, the janitor |
 |
Ray De Ravenne Poolside waiter |
 |
Claire Du Brey R.D.'s secretary |
 |
Harry Todd Crabby clerk |
 |
John Elliott Poolside Master of Ceremonies |
 |
Sam Flint Ship's captain |
 |
Lee Phelps Yelling ship official |
 |
Louis Natheaux Third mate |
 |
Eric Mayne Man at opera recital |
 |
Carrie Daumery Woman at opera recital |
 |
William Wagner Store detective |
 |
Ivan Linow Man in manhole |
 |
Noah Young Man in manhole |
 |
Grace Goodall Miss Jones, woman helping Jo |
 |
Billy Franey Admiral, Tony's cellmate |
 |
Chester Gan Japanese fisherman |
 |
Victor Wong Japanese fisherman |
 |
Donald Haines Spear office boy |
 |
Ferdinand Munier Spear department head |
 |
Edgar Norton Lewis, John's chauffeur |
 |
Jason Robards Sr. John's best man |
 |
Nena Quartero Mike |
 |
Lya Lys Pat |
 |
Herb Vigran Edgar |
 |
Fred Walton Minister at wedding |
 |
Rosa Gore Woman given opera ticket |
 |
Dorothea Wolbert Woman given opera ticket |
 |
Mary Gordon Myrtle, cleaning mady |
 |
Harry Tenbrook Sailor yelling through porthole |
 |
Fuzzy Knight Swan, man with Pat |
 |
Gladys Gale Shocked customer |
 |
Julia Griffith Astonished store customer |
 |
Phyllis Crane Giggling store customer |
 |
Lew Kelly Tony's old crony |
 |
Robert Homans Tony's old crony |
Theodore Lorch Dock official |
Harry Dunkinson Dock official |
Lowden Adams Spear's second butler |
Beaudine Anderson Messenger boy |
Ed Armand Elevator operator |
Consuelo Baker Bridesmaid |
 |
Max Barwyn Cafe headwaiter |
Vangie Beilby Store customer |
Herman Bing Spear department head |
Stanley Blystone Hotel detective |
Allen Connor Spear elevator starter |
Dulce Day Bridesmaid |
Richard Kipling Dock official |
Frank_Fanning Dock official |
Wilfred Lucas Dock official |
|
Arthur Millett Dock official |
|
|
Charles K. French Spear department head |
Bea Nigro Spear department head |
Harry Northrup Cafe doorman |
Sam Godfrey Spear department head |
William Gould Store detective |
Arthur Hoyt Spear department head |
Eleanor Kingston Bridesmaid |
George Kirby Spear's first butler |
Ludwig Lowry Poolside headwaiter |
|
Rose Plumer First old lady |
Elizabeth Rhodes Second old woman |
|
Tom Ricketts Spear department head |
|
|
C. Montague Shaw Hotel manager |
Dorothy Stockmar Bridesmaid |
|
Ben Taggart Hotel detective |
Ellinor Vanderveer Spear department head |
Carol Wines Store customer |
|
Gwen_Zetter Maid of honor |
|
|
Frank LaRue Wedding guest with toupee |
|
|
Feodor Kolin Man [*unconfirmed] |
|
|
Bobbie Koshay Woman [*unconfirmed] |
 |
UNIDENTIFIED Sailor |
UNIDENTIFIED CAST |
| CREDITS (click image to enlarge) |
 |
| POSTER (click any image to enlarge) 
|
| LOBBY CARDS (click any image to enlarge) 
|
| STILLS (click any image to enlarge) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
|
| STILLS (click any image to enlarge) 
 
|
| SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge) 
|
| Acknowledgements: Richard Finegan (stills) http://auctions.emovieposter.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=4367229 (80 images) Jack Tillmany (identification of Mariska Aldrich, Dorothy Vernon, Frank LaRue) Jesse Brisson (identification of William Wagner, Harry Tenbrook, Fuzzy Knight, Julia Griffith, Phyllis Crane, Lew Kelly, Robert Homans, Frances Morris, Max Barwyn, Louis Natheaux) Jim Clewer (identification of Gladys Gale) This page was last updated on: 12 September 2024 |