Marian Nixon - The Sweetest Girl in Hollywood

Marian Nixon

1904 - 1983

"The Sweetest Girl in Hollywood"

Click images to enlarge:	FILMOGRAPHY (link to IMDb ) Plot outlines, film stills, posters lobby cards, and portraits of Marian's leading men and co-stars in chronological order. SOUND FILMS:
	Rainbow Man (1929) .... Mary Lane (Paramount) Presumed partly lost. Marian's first talkie opened on May 16th 1929. Marian played the second lead to the Broadway star Eddie Dowling in this all talking and all singing comedy drama with a theater setting. All Movie Guide: In this drama, a singer finds himself stuck with his best friend's newly orphaned son. Now he must juggle both parenthood and his growing career. Fortunately he falls in love with an inkeeper's daughter whom he discovers is the boy's aunt on his mother's side. Songs include: "Little Pal," "Rainbow Man" (Dowling, James Hanley), "Sleepy Valley" (Andrew B. Sterling, Hanley). ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	Say It with Songs (1929) .... Katherine Lane (Warner Brothers) Marian was third billed after the megastar Al Jolson and the child actor Davey Lee in this musical melodrama with a radio setting. This film started Marian's association with Warner Brothers. All Movie Guide: On the strength of his previous hits The Jazz Singer (1927) and The Singing Fool (1928), Al Jolson was Hollywood's hottest star in 1929. Jolson's cinematic offering for that year was Say It With Songs, a characteristic blend of music, comedy and treacly sentiment. The star is cast as Joe Lane, a radio star who hits it big then begins neglecting his wife Katherine (Marian Nixon) and his dewy-eyed son "Little Pal" (Davey Lee, Jolson's co-star in Singing Fool) in favor of the gaming tables. Joe is brought down to earth when his manager and "best friend" begins putting the moves on Katherine. Accidentally killing the manager in a fight, Joe heads off to prison, extracting a promise from Katherine that she will wait for him. During his incarceration, however, Katherine makes the acquaintance of a handsome surgeon (John Bowers), and it looks as if their friendship will blossom into love. When "Little Pal" is struck by a car on the same day that Joe is paroled, the young surgeon saves the kid's life, thereby bringing Joe and Katherine back together again. A few amusing opening bits aside (most of them Jewish-dialect jokes, a Jolson specialty), Say It With Songs is awash with bathos, making the film quite a chore to sit through today. It cannot be denied, however, that Al Jolson is a dynamic presence, especially when belting out such standards as "Back In Your Own Backyard" and "Little Pal". Long unavailable for reappraisal, Say It With Songs was reissued on laserdisc in the late 1980s through the Herculean efforts of the Al Jolson Society. ~ Hal Erickson Al Jolson Society: Say It With Songs tells the story of song plugger Joe Lane (Al Jolson) who is a struggling personality on radio station QRSA. Married to the lovely Katherine Lane (Marion Nixon) and with an adorable son, Little Pal (Davey Lee), all that Joe needs is that one big break. Station manager Arthur Phillips (Kenneth Thompson) suggests the way to that break to Katherine, whom he has always loved, by telling her that he would be willing to give Joe a break, if she will be nice to him. In the vernacular of the times, "being nice" meant more than apple pie and coffee. Getting wind of this offer, Joe picks a fight with Arthur while on the way to the radio station. A former prize fighter, Joe lays a good punch onto Arthur, sending him to the ground, where he strikes his head. Believing he just knocked Arthur down, Joe proceeds to his radio program. Bystanders help the dying Arthur to his feet, where he identifies his assailant before collapsing. After locating Joe through the unwilling participation of his wife, the police proceed to the radio station and arrest Joe for the murder of Arthur Phillips. His trial and conviction are swift, and he finds himself in prison, locked in a cage. While Joe is in jail, Katherine, who had been a nurse, returns to work, finding employment with Dr. Robert Merrill (Holmes Herbert), a bachelor doctor who had been holding a torch for Katherine for years. He makes no secret of his love for her, asking her to divorce Joe and marry him. Unwittingly, Joe, ashamed of his position, encourages her along the same path. Finally released on parole, Joe visits the school where Katherine has placed Little Pal. Seeing his father, Little Pal is elated, and even after Joe leaves the school, runs after him. Without watching for traffic, Little Pal is struck by a car, and seriously injured. After being told that the child needed expert medical attention, Joe swallows his pride and takes the child to Dr. Merrill, who happens to be a world expert on children hit by cars. Unable to pay any money, Joe initially rejects the doctor's offer of treatment in exchange for custody of the child, then recants as he realizes it is his child's only chance. Unfortunately, all is to no avail. The child remains mute and confined to bed, until Katherine puts a record on the turntable, a recording of "Little Pal" that inspires a dream in the child that his father visited, and restores his lost faculties. The movie ends with Joe on the radio, singing to his reconciled family and delivering a private, if somewhat ethnic, message to his wife and Little Pal. ~ Tribute page with images and video clips IMDb
	In the Headlines (1929) .... Anna Lou Anderson (Warner Bros.) Presumed lost. All Movie Guide: While investigating a double murder, reporters Grant Withers and Marian Nixon fall in love. The Warner Bros. Story: A crime melodrama with a plot-line that tied itself in knots. In the Headlines starred Grant Withers and Marion Nixon as newspaper reporter and his assistant who, in the course of investigating a double murder, have a few close shaves themselves. At the final fade, however, their efforts to solve the crime are rewarded with a paid honeymoon. Joseph Jackson wrote it from a story by James A. Starr; it was directed by John Adolfi, and featured Clyde Cook, Edmund Breese, Pauline Garon, Frank Campeau, Vivian Oakland, Hallam Cooley and Spec O'Donnell. ~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	Young Nowheres (1929) .... Annie Jackson (Warner Bros.) Presumed lost. Second billed after Richard Barthelmess in this romantic drama. All Movie Guide: In this drama, an elevator operator in a big hotel gets in big trouble after he and a chambermaid are found in a guest's suite. Though they had good reason to be in there, they are charged with breaking and entering. The story has an unexpected twist at the end. ~ Sandra Brennan The Warner Bros. Story: Richard Barthelmess was excellent in Young Nowheres, a simple, well-told drama about a hotel elevator operator who, together with one of the pretty chambermaids (Marian Nixon) on the premises, is accused of breaking and entering a suite belonging to one of the guests. They were, indeed caught in the suite, but unexpected circumstances that caused them to be there formed the basis of a well-made, cleverly scripted film. The screenplay was by Bradley King and the story by I.A.R. Wylie. The sympathetic direction was by Frank Loyd, whose cast also included Anders Randolph, Raymond Turner, Jocelyn Lee and Bert Roach. ~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	The Show of Shows (1929) .... 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' -number (Warner Bros.) Marian way down low in the long cast list in this musical revue. She was one of The Floradora girls, the first girl on the left. All Movie Guide: Basically a filmed vaudeville presentation, The Show of Shows was Warner Bros.' entry in the "all star, all talking, all singing and all dancing" sweepstakes of 1929. Though slightly better than MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929, the Warners entry pales in comparison to Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 and Paramount on Parade, due mainly to the film's master of ceremonies, the insufferable Frank Fay. Some of the individual acts seen in Show of Shows were pretty good, notably Winnie Lightner's delightful Singing in the Bathtub (a spoof of Hollywood Revue of 1929's Singin' in the Rain) and John Barrymore's brilliant rendition of Richard III's soliloquy from Shakespeare's Henry VI. Also easy to take was "Floradora Sextette," featuring such luminaries as Myrna Loy, Patsy Ruth Miller and cross-eyed comedian Ben Turpin, and "Eight Sister Acts," including such Hollywood siblings as Dolores and Helene Costello, Sally Blane and Loretta Young and Shirley Mason and Viola Dana (also teamed in this number are Ann Sothern and Marion Byron, who were not sisters). But for the most part, the acts are on a par with "Skull and Crossbones," a boring production number showcasing entertainer Ted Lewis, and "Recitations," a one-joke affair in which three different anecdotes (related by Frank Fay, Louis Fazenda, Lloyd Hamilton and Bea Lillie) are melded into one. Show of Shows was originally released in two-color Technicolor but now exists only in black in white, save for the "Chinese Fantasy" number featuring crooner Nick Lucas and Warner Bros. contractee Myrna Loy. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	General Crack (1930) .... Archduchess Maria Luisa (Warner Bros.) Marian was the leading lady, fourth-billed after the legendary John Barrymore, the child actor Philippe De Lacy and Lowell Sherman in this historical drama. All Movie Guide: This costume drama is the first all dialog film in which Barrymore appeared. He plays a mercenary who will serve anyone who pays him. He is currently working for the Austrian Emperor. His mission is to abscond with the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. En route, the hero marries a gypsy and leaves her to await his return in Vienna. While he is off doing the king's bidding, the Austrian ruler begins dallying with his wife. This enrages the mercenary who upon his return, seeks to dethrone the king. ~ Sandra Brennan The Warner Bros. Story: General Crack was John Barrymore's first full-length talkie and featured him as Prince Christian Rudolph Augustus Ketlar (General Crack to his friends), a fictitious, early 18th century brigand-cum-lover who dethrones King Leopold III and abducts an archduchess. It was rather self-consciously directed by Alan Crosland, with J.Grubb Alexander and Walter Anthony supplying the scenario (from George Preddy's story dramatized by Thomas Broadhurst). Tony Gaudio's photography was splendid, and the cast included Marian Nixon, Armida, Hobart Bosworth, Douglas Gerard, Theodore Lorch and Otto Matiesen. ~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	Courage (1930) .... Muriel Colbrook (Warner Bros.) Presumed lost. Second billed after Belle Bennett in this domestic melodrama. All Movie Guide: Belle Bennett, the star of the 1925 version of Stella Dallas, once again goes the "long-suffering" route in Warner Bros.' Courage. Bennett plays Mary Colbrook, the widowed mother of a large and rambunctious brood. All but one of her seven kids have inherited her late husband's nasty, selfish traits: the seventh is her loyal and loving youngest son Bill (Leon Janney). As it turns out, Bill saves the Colbrooks from financial ruin when the family's reclusive next-door neighbor, who didn't have a friend in town except Bill, wills him her entire fortune. Now free from her debts, Mary is able at long last to head westward, into the arms of her childhood sweetheart -- the man whom, some have whispered, is Bill's real father. Courage was remade in 1938 as the Kay Francis weeper My Bill. ~ Hal Erickson The Warner Bros. Story: Based on a play by Tom Barry and brought to the screen by Walter Anthony with its plot more or less intact, Courage charted the tribulations that befall a widow whose sorry lot it is to bring up seven children, six of whom are set against her. The basic material deserved better performances than it was accorded, though Belle Bennett as the long-suffering mother did well enough in the role created on stage by Janet Beecher. Archie Mayo was the director, and his cast also included Marian Nixon, Don Marion, Byron Sage, Rex Bell, Richard Tucker, Leon Janney, Carter de Haven Jr and Blanche Frederici. It was remade in 1938 as My Bill.~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	Scarlet Pages (1930) .... Nora Mason (Warner Bros.) Marian second billed after the Broadway star Elsie Ferguson (in her only talkie) in this courtroom drama. All Movie Guide: In rare film appearance, Broadway luminary Elsie Ferguson repeats her 1929 stage role in the 1930 film version of Scarlet Pages. Ferguson is cast as brilliant attorney Mary Bancroft, who defends nightclub songstress Nora Mason (Marian Nixon) from a murder charge. The victim was Nora's rapacious stepfather, who died while trying to assault the girl. As the trial progresses, Mary comes to the startling realization that Nora is her own out-of-wedlock daughter, given up for adoption years earlier. The film is a typical early-talkie bore, but it's worth enduring to watch the great Elsie Ferguson give her all to her art. ~ Hal Erickson The Warner Bros. Story: Audiences could not be blamed for failing to support Scarlet Pages, an old-fashioned tear-jerker in which a woman attorney, while defending a cabaret dancer charged with murdering her sadistic foster father, discovers that the girl in the dock is none other than her own daughter, who, twenty years ago, she had abandoned in an orphanage. Elsie Fergusson (repeating the role she created on stage) played the attorney, Marion Nixon was her daughter. John Halliday, Grant Withers, Helen Ferguson, De Witt Jennings and Charlotte Walker were also in the cast. Ray Enright directed with his tongue not nearly far enough in his cheek; and it was written (from the play by Samuel Shipman and John B. Humer) by Walter Anthony and Maude Fulton. ~ Clive Hirschhorn Movie Mirrors: Based on a play by Samuel Shipman and John B. Hyman, a woman lawyer defends a dancer on a justifiable homicide and makes a surprising discovery. In 1911 the child of Mary Bancroft is left in an orphanage. In 1930 Mary Bancroft (Elsie Ferguson) is an attorney. District Attorney John Remington (John Halliday) asks why she won't marry him and donates money for children. John and Mary go out and see women dance. Dancer Nora Mason (Marian Nixon) wants Bob Lawrence (Grant Withers) to marry her, and he agrees. While she performs, he leaves her a note; but it is taken by Gregory Jackson (William B. Davidson), who tells her father Henry Mason that he will back her show if she does not marry Bob. Nora is wanted for the murder of her father. Bob tells Mary that Nora was justified. Nora and her mother (Charlotte Walker) come in. Nora admits she killed her father but won't say why. Bob retains Mary as her lawyer. Mary calls in the District Attorney, who warns her this case could hurt her. Mary tells John that Nora may be protecting her mother. In the trial Mrs. Mason says that her husband abused her, but she did not kill him. Dancer Carlotta (Jean Bary) testifies Henry Mason was with Jackson, and she heard Nora quarreling with her father about who she will marry. Bob says that Henry Mason abused Nora. The bouncer testifies that Nora threatened to kill Mason. Capitalist Jackson testifies that Nora refused to sign a contract. Nora admits she killed her father but denies the motive in her confession. Prosecuting John asks why Nora killed her father; but a matron from the orphanage says that Henry Mason was not Nora's father because Nora was adopted. Nora says that Jackson lied, that he and Mason stole Bob's note. She went to Jackson's apartment with Mason, who was drunk and tried to force her to consent to Jackson. John learns who Nora's mother is and withdraws his motion; but Mary asks to see the orphanage document, which says that she is Nora's mother. Nora blames Mary for leaving her, and Mary emotionally appeals to the jury and collapses. Nora is freed. Mary refuses to see John and says she is closing her law practice. John climbs over the wall. Mary says her life is over, but John says he needs her. Nora comes in, and Mary asks for love. Nora blames her for her hard life, and Mary embraces Nora, who calls her mother. Nora goes off to marry Bob, and John offers to take Mary to the wedding. This courtroom drama portrays a capable woman attorney. Her past sin is discovered as she defends a young dancer, who suffered under an abusive father. ~ Copyright © 2001 by Sanderson Beck IMDb
	College Lovers (1930) .... Madge Hutton (Warner Bros.) Presumed lost. Marian was second-billed after Jack Whiting in the college romance. All Movie Guide: In this youthful sports comedy two football jocks, Eddie Smith and Tiny Courtlay are grid iron rivals competing to win the heart of coed Mary Hutton who loves a nerd. In the film's climax. Eddie and Tiny quibble over which of them will get to take the ball for the final yard in the big game. ~ Sandra Brennan Warner Bros. Story: College Lovers was another typical campus comedy with romance and football featuring as the chief ingredients. Earl Baldwin's story (scenario by Douglas Doty) also involved a college flirt, this time in the shape of Marion Nixon. She causes havoc by winning the hearts of the two best players (Russel Hopton and Guinn Williams) in the football team, though the man she really loves (Jack Whiting) is not at all athletic. There is disruption in the big game, of course - the final outcome of which is a tie. In director John Adolfi's battle of style over content, the outcome was also a tie. Others in the cast were Frank McHugh, Wade Boteler, Phyllis Crane and Richard Tucker. Songs included: Up And At 'Em and One Minute Of Heaven. ~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	The Pay-Off (1930) .... Annabelle (RKO) ... aka Losing Game On loan out to RKO second-billed after Lowell Sherman in this crime drama. All Movie Guide: Exercising his usual creative prerogative, Lowell Sherman was both star and director of RKO's The Pay Off. Sherman plays Gene Fenmore, a jaded gangster boss who falls in love with innocent young Nancy Porter (Marian Nixon). When Nancy's sweetheart Tommy Brown (William Janney) faces execution for a crime he didn't commit, Gene's first impulse is to let the boy fry so that he can have a clear field with the heroine. Ultimately, however, Gene proves he's a decent sort by clearing Tommy and philosophically keeping that date with the electric chair himself. Released in Great Britain as The Losing Game, The Pay-Off was remade in 1938 as Law of the Underworld, with Chester Morris in the old Lowell Sherman role. ~ Hal Erickson Movies Unlimited: Captivating caper about a disillusioned underworld boss who falls madly in love with a girl pining for an innocent death row inmate. Realizing that he has knowledge that could clear the condemned man, the ganglord faces a crisis of conscience. Stars Lowell Sherman (who also directed), Marion Nixon, Hugh Trevor. AKA: "Losing Game." 65 min. IMDb
	Ex-Flame (1930) .... Lady Catherine (Liberty Prod.) Presumed lost Marian second-billed after Neil Hamilton in this domestic society drama. Louis Armstrong made his Hollywood debut film appearance, probably with the Les Hite Orchestra. All Movie Guide: As the low-budget Liberty Pictures Corporation emerged from the chrysalis of the late Tiffany Studios, the new company inherited the 1931 Tiffany production Ex-Flame. Marian Nixon plays Lady Catherine Hamilton, whose fascination with a dashing criminal results in an unpleasant divorce and a messy custody battle between herself and her titled husband (Neil Hamilton). Years later, a disguised Lady Catherine shows up as a nurse, in order to be close to her dying young son. If you recognize this plot, then you're familiar with East Lynne, the hoary old stage piece upon which Ex-Flame is based. The film's attempt to update the story only serves to emphasize its creaky plot contrivances. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	The Lash (1930) .... Dolores Delfina (Warner Bros.) ... aka Adi�s (USA: Spanish title) Marian billed fourth after Richard Barthelmess, James Rennie and Mary Astor in this western. All Movie Guide: In this western adventure, set in California just after the Spanish-American War, a Mexican rancher becomes a populist avenger battling injustice and corruption. Among his targets is the wicked gringo land commissioner. He also preserves the honor of a beautiful senorita. In addition to fighting for good, he must also deliver his cattle to the bad-guy American bureaucrat. He does so by stampeding them into his office. ~ Sandra Brennan Warner Bros. Story: A miscast Richard Barthelmess, wearing a girdle to alleviate the visible evidence of a paunch, showed discomfort both with the girdle and his role in The Lash, in which he played a nobleman turned desperado. As a result, he was hardly convincing in this routine romantic adventure (circa 1848) which also starred Mary Astor as his amour. Others caught up in Bradley King's screenplay (story by Lanier and Virginia Stivers Bartlett) were Fred Kohler, Marion Nixon, James Rennie and Robert Edeson. The director was Frank Loyd, whose heart, clearly, was not in it. ~ Clive Hirschhorn IMDb
	Sweepstakes (1931) .... Babe Ellis (RKO) Marian was billed fourth after Eddie Quillan, Lew Cody and James Gleason in this sports comedy. All Movie Guide: The exciting world of horse-racing provides the setting for this lively comedy that centers on luckless Bud Doyle, a jockey who was falsely accused of cheating and barred from the track. Desperate for work, the fellow becomes a singing waiter in Tijuana. Eventually he is allowed back and ends up winning the Big Race by encouraging his horse with a few rousing "Whoop-tee-dos" which inspire his charger to run a little faster. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	Women Go on Forever (1931) .... Betty (Tiffany Prod.) Presumed lost Marian second-billed after Clara Kimball Young in this drama. All Movie Guide: Women Go On Forever is almost as old-fashioned as its title. Silent-screen queen Clara Kimball Young makes a comeback attempt as Daisy Bowman, the salty but lovable proprietress of an all-female boarding house. Like all landladies from the dawn of recorded time, Daisy takes special interest in the tribulations of her tenants. Special attention is given to shopgirl Betty (Marion Nixon), the course of whose romance with cabdriver Eddie (Paul Page) never runs as smooth as it should. Inevitably, gangsters intrude upon Daisy's establishment, leading to the tying up of several loose plot strands. The film was based on a play by Edward H. Peple, which had served as a rare dramatic vehicle for comedienne Mary Boland. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) .... Shirley Marlowe (Fox) Presumed lost Marian was billed fifth in this second of her two Charlie Chan mysteries, back at her old studio. She played a Ziegfeld Follies masked dancer. All Movie Guide: Warner Oland's third appearance as humble oriental sleuth Charlie Chan was in the 1932 release Charlie Chan's Chance. This time, our hero has a personal reason to solve the murder at hand; he himself was the intended victim, but another man was killed by mistake. Keeping one step ahead of both the New York police and Scotland Yard, Chan tracks down the man responsible for the murder, who turns out to be the mastermind of a vast criminal empire. One of the film's biggest surprises was that perennial "hidden killer" Ralph Morgan was not the culprit. Charlie Chan's Chance is one of four early "Chan" talkies which no longer exist, though outtakes have shown up in various video "blooper" reels. ~ Hal Erickson SCREEN CONTINUITY Dated: January 9, 1932 DISSOLVE TO - MEDIUM SHOT outside dressing room door and stairs as the policeman comes up the stairs to the door and knocks on it. CUT TO INTERIOR DRESSING ROOM. FULL SHOT - Shirley and maid here as knock heard. SHIRLEY: Give me my robe - see who it is. (Maid goes to the door and opens it) POLICEMAN: (Entering to Shirley) I have some bad news for you, Miss -- your chauffeur's -- CUT TO CLOSE SHOT on Shirley as she listens - the policeman's voice finishes through shot -- - just been murdered. SHIRLEY: Murdered? How? POLICEMAN'S VOICE: Looks like gas. SHIRLEY: (As she gets this) That was meant for me. CUT TO FULL SHOT on Shirley and policeman. POLICEMAN: (Handing note to her) Did you write this letter? CUT TO CLOSE SHOT on Shirley. The policeman's hand holding note, seen in the shot. SHIRLEY: You'd better open it -- CUT TO MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT on the two as policeman opens letter. Starts to read over it. CLOSE SHOT on Shirley as she watches policeman (Off scene) - frightened. CUT TO CLOSE SHOT on policeman. POLICEMAN: What was all this you were - CUT TO CLOSE SHOT on Shirley as she turns - policeman's voice continuing through shot. POLICEMAN'S VOICE: - going to tell the police. Guess you'd better come down to headquarters. I'll be waiting for you outside. CUT TO FULL SHOT in dressing room as policeman exits. Maid closes the door behind him. FADE OUT. FADE IN INTERIOR HEADQUARTERS - MEDIUM SHOT - Shirley and Flannery are seated by desk - Chan standing by desk. He is questioning her. SHIRLEY: This is just as I told it to Mr. Chan -- and there's nothing I can add to it. FLANNERY: Would you recognize this Alan Raleigh - CUT TO CLOSEUP on the girl and Flannery - CUT TO ANOTHER CLOSE SHOT of the two at desk - as Flannery finishes: - would you? CUT TO ANOTHER CLOSE SHOT of girl and Flannery - SHIRLEY: I think so - but he may have changed. CUT TO CLOSE SHOT of Shirley and Flannery, different angle. FLANNERY: We may have him here this afternoon -- CUT TO FULL SHOT by desk as Flannery rises from the desk -- continues: Will you wait in the next office? Shirley rises from her chair, crosses back of Flannery to left of scene and then turns - CUT TO CLOSEUP on Shirley and Flannery - she is very much distressed as she speaks: SHIRLEY: After what happened last night you must be convinced that Mr. Douglas is innocent. CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT on Shirley and Flannery - FLANNERY: There's one thing we're sure of - it wasn't Douglas who killed your - CUT TO CLOSEUP on Shirley and Flannery as he finishes: - chauffeur. (Shirley starts away) CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT in room as Shirley exits - Chan opening the door for her to go out. Illustrated script IMDb
	A Private Scandal (1932) (Headline) Marian top-billed in this crime drama with Lloyg Hughes as her leading man. All Movie Guide: In this drama, an orphan girl marries a kindly crook to stay out of reform school. The crook is the head thief in a robber ring that preys on homes of the wealthy, but his new wife doesn't know this. She innocently gets a job with the district attorney, and there learns the truth. Still she is loyal and uses her job to help her husband cover up the information that could destroy the DA's bid for to become governor. As a return favor, the DA gives the crook a minimal sentence. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	After Tomorrow (1932) .... Sidney Taylor (Fox) Frank Borzage directed and Marian was second-billed after Charles Farrell in this romantic drama. All Movie Guide: Peter Piper (Charles Farrell) and Sidney Taylor (Marian Nixon) are deeply in love, and saving to get married, but their mothers have other ideas. Mrs. Piper (Josephine Hull) is jealous of Sidney, refusing to allow the couple to move in with her after they marry. Elsie (Minna Gombell), Sidney's mother, is disgusted with her husband Willie (William Collier, Sr.) and has an affair with their border Mr. Jarvis (William Pawley); she wants Sidney to marry a rich man. When he fears his embezzlement will be found out, Jarvis persuades Elsie to leave the country with him. After they're gone, Willie finds the note Elsie left for Sidney in which she reveals she never loved him; as a result Willie has a heart attack. Peter and Sidney are forced to use their savings for his hospitalization, and then Sidney fears Peter is attracted to another woman. ~ Bill Warren Filmlink: Photographed by the incomparable cinematographer James Wong Howe, AFTER TOMORROW looks at Borzagean love from a hard, Depression angle. Charles Farrell and Marian Nixon play a couple who fight killing economic odds by working night and day--often separated from each other--to make enough money to marry. In this early talkie, the physical--as well as emotional--cost of the lovers' effort is acknowledged far more directly than was usual in a 30s film: the word "sex" is even uttered out loud as the two consider making love outside of marriage. IMDb
	Amateur Daddy (1932) .... Sally Smith (Fox) Second billed after Warner Baxter in this drama. All Movie Guide: Mildred Cramm's novel Scotch Valley was transformed by the scenarists at Fox into the Warner Baxter vehicle Amateur Daddy. Baxter plays a true-blue sort who agrees to take care of the family of dying pal Edwin Stanley. While his neighbors make cruel fun of Baxter's efforts to play surrogate father, he does an admirable job. Baxter's resolve to do right is put to the test when a stranger shows up, claiming to be the family's "genuine" father. Marian Nixon plays the oldest and prettiest member of Baxter's foster family; her presence smooths the path for a romantic finale. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1932) .... Rebecca (Fox) The great big starring role of Marian Nixon's career, top billed as the title character in this classic rural children's Americana with Ralph Bellamy as her leading man. All Movie Guide: Originally filmed with Mary Pickford in 1917, the Kate Douglas Wiggin children's classic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was remade as a talkie in 1932. Though a bit long in tooth to play the leading character, Marian Nixon (replacing a recalcitrant Janet Gaynor) makes a charming Rebecca. Placed in the custody of her wealthy, spiteful old Aunts Miranda (Louise Closser Hale) and Jane (Mae Marsh), the heroine eventually wins the two biddies over with her relentless good nature, charm and optimism. She also reforms avowed atheist Zion Simpson (Alan Hale), convincing the old reprobate to marry his common-law wife (Eula Guy). As a reward for all her good works, Rebecca wins the love of local doctor Ladd (Ralph Bellamy). An in-name-only adaptation of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was filmed six years later, with Shirley Temple in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Winner Take All (1932) .... Peggy Harmon (Warner Bros.) Second-billed after her leading man James Cagney in this boxing drama. Marian's final film at Warner Brothers. All Movie Guide: James Cagney stars as a popular prizefighter who loses his winnings through too much partying and too many women. Cagney's fans finance the boxer's regenerative stay at a New Mexico health resort. For the sake of pretty, poverty-stricken Marian Nixon, Cagney enters into a return bout. He splits his winnings with Nixon, then goes back to his old skirt-chasing pattern with fickle society girl Virginia Bruce. Having had his nose broken, Cagney fixes it up to please Bruce, and stops taking chances in the ring lest his beezer get smashed again. It doesn't take long for Cagney to plummet from popularity, but true-blue Nixon is there for him when he gets wise to himself. The beautifully staged fight scenes in Winner Take All, wherein James Cagney disdains the use of a double, were later excerpted in Cagney's last-ever film, 1985's Terrible Joe Moran. ~ Hal Erickson The Warner Bros. Story: Having played a gangster, a cabbie, a conman, a racing-car driver and a gambler, James Cagney turned to prize-fighting in Winner Takes All. He went into training for the assignment and the results were splendid. His role as an egotistical but not too bright boxer who jilts a good woman (Marian Nixon) for a no-good society dame (Virginia Bruce) only to discover he's made an error of judgement, gave him every opportunity to flex his dramatic muscles, which he did to good effect. The performance was a triumph of talent over mediocre material, and the film was a huge success. Also helping to give the commonplace a touch of class was Roy Del Ruth's no-nonsense direction and first rate supporting performances by Guy Kibbee, Clarence Muse, John Roche and Allan Lane. Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord wrote the screenplay. ~ Clive Hirschhorn Movie Mirror: A boxer likes a poor widow but goes nuts over a society lady who snubs him while he's trying to keep his face from being re-arranged fighting. Pop (Guy Kibbee) sends his boxer Jim Kane (James Cagney) to the hot springs ranch for a rest. There he finds a nightclub singer Peggy (Marian Nixon) with her boy Dickie (Dickie Moore) needing treatment, who takes a photo of them kissing. Not getting life insurance money, Peggy needs $600 to stay. Kane gets a fight in Tijuana in which the winner will get $2,000 and the loser nothing. He gets beat up but wins and pays her bill. Peggy cries in gratitude. Kane wants to marry Peggy and goes back to fighting for Pop, winning seven bouts in a row. Roger Elliott (John Roche) introduces Joan Gibson (Virginia Bruce) to Kane. He drinks milk at the Stork Club, putting down "Jap fighters" and saying he could win the war. Kane takes Joan home, but she closes the door on him. Peggy gets a brief postcard from Kane and makes up more for her son. In high society Kane thinks the Russian 5-year plan means installment bills. He asks Joan for a tumble, but she says his face is blemished. Pop gets Kane a title fight, but he rejects it. Instead Kane gets plastic surgery on his nose and takes lessons on being a gentleman. He calls on Joan and shows her his new face, kissing her. He's ready to stay the night; but her friend Ann (Esther Howard) comes in, talks about her divorce, and stays all night. He complains and leaves. Joan tells Ann she can have Kane. Kane tells Pop to get him an easier fight, and Kane is satirized on the sports page for his make-over. He dances in a fight to protect his face and loses. Peggy arrives and says Pop sent for her. Kane puts her off until morning and goes to ask Joan why she walked out of the fight. He tells her to watch him beat Al West; then he'll retire, and they can get married. Peggy makes breakfast for Kane, then realizes he met someone else. Kane gives her money; she tells him to get out and throws the money at him. Kane fights West for the championship, but Joan's seat is empty. Kane learns she is sailing for Havana in twenty minutes. So he slugs it out with West to win soon and takes a taxi to the pier. Joan and Roger board the ship. Kane runs aboard and finds Joan. When Roger comes in, Kane hits him and kicks Joan. With his broken nose Kane tells Peggy he's crazy about her and gives her a hot ring. In the final shot they kiss. Kane learns that he was just a temporary diversion for Joan, as boxing is for fans. His face and brain are damaged fighting, and becoming a gentleman takes more than a few lessons. Yet he realizes that he and Peggy have a real friendship and can care for each other. ~ Copyright © 1999 by Sanderson Beck IMDb
	Madison Sq. Garden (1932) (as Marion Nixon) .... Bee (Paramount) Marian billed third after Jack Oakie and Thomas Meighan in this boxing drama. All Movie Guide: A goodly portion of this boxing drama was filmed on location at the real-life Madison Square Garden. Jack Oakie stars as Eddie Burke, a wise-guy pugilist whose talent is unevenly matched by his ego. Despite his character flaws, Eddie knows the meaning of loyalty. When his manager Doc Williams (William Collier Sr.) is offered the opportunity to stage a match at Madison Square Garden, but only if he gets rid of his stable of fighters, Eddie fabricates an alibi and stages a walkout on Doc. Our hero returns to the fold in time to foil a gang of gambler-bootleggers, headed by Sloane (William "Stage" Boyd) and Roarke (Lew Cody). Thomas Meighan, one of Paramount Picture's most popular silent-era leading men, made his last appearance for his home studio as the leader of the Garden's board of directors. Madison Square Garden includes cameo appearances by such famed athletes as Jack Johnson, Tom Sharkey, Ted Sloan, and Mike Donlin and by such stellar sports reporters as Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, Westbrook Pegler, Paul Gallico, Jack Lait and Edward W. Smith. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Too Busy to Work (1932) .... Rose (Fox) ... aka Jubilo Billed after Will Rogers in this drama. All Movie Guide: The second film version of Ben Ames Williams' magazine serial Jubilo, and the second to star Will Rogers, Too Busy to Work takes considerably more liberties with the source material than the original 1919 Jubilo. Once again, Rogers is cast as a lovable hobo named Jubilo (after the old spiritual of the same name), but this time there is a compelling reason for his vagabond existence. While Jubilo was off fighting in WW1, his wife ran off with another man, taking their baby daughter Rose with her. Upon his return to the States, Jubilo took to the road, hoping some day to find his daughter (the wayward wife having died just before War's end). Arriving in a small town, Jubilo learns that his now-grown daughter Rose (Marian Nixon) has been raised by a widely respected judge and his wife, and is blissfully unaware of her true identity. Assessing the situation, Jubilo decides to leave well enough alone, and not tell the girl that he's her real daddy. But before he can shamble out of Rose's life, Jubilo must first smooth the path of true love by clearing Rose's sweetheart Dan Hardy (Dick Powell) of a false criminal charge. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	On Parade (1932) (Fox) Marian Nixon was first-billed in this mysterious, lost film which was either never finished or never released.
	The Face in the Sky (1933) .... Madge (Fox) Marian second-billed after Spencer Tracy in this romance. All Movie Guide: In this romance, two travelling sign painters find themselves inspired by a young woman's lovely smile. Soon her face is found painted on signs and barns throughout New England. Eventually one of the painters and the girl get married. Soon after the wedding, the painters are offered job in New York. There they are challenged to paint an enormous sign. Again, it is the bride's lovely face that inspires them. Meanwhile, the lonely bride decides she cannot bear to be away from her love. By herself, she travels to the Big Apple and finds him on her very first day there. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	Best of Enemies (1933) .... Lena Schneider (Fox) Second-billed after Charles 'Buddy' Rogers in this romantic comedy. All Movie Guide: Rian James was the last of three directors assigned to The Best of Enemies; this sort of unnecessary expenditure was one of the reasons that the Fox Studios was always on the brink of bankruptcy. The plot is basic Hatfield/McCoy stuff, with Buddy Rogers and Marian Nixon playing the grown children of feuding German-Americans Frank Morgan and Joseph Cawthorn. Romance blossoms between Rogers and Nixon, while Morgan and Cawthorn continue muttering Teutonic imprecations at one another. The Best of Enemies bears a striking resemblance to the tried-and-true stage play Friendly Enemies. Perhaps Fox could not come to financial terms with Friendly Enemies authors Samuel Shipman and Aaron Hoffman, so the studio churned out its own variation. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Pilgrimage (1933) .... Mary Saunders (Fox) John Ford directed and Marian was billed fourth in this rural drama. All Movie Guide: John Ford directed this emotional drama, which was a considerable change of pace from the westerns and war pictures for which he was best known. Hannah Jessop (Henrietta Crosman) fears being abandoned by her son Jim (Norman Foster), and she doesn't approve of his romance with Mary Saunders (Marian Nixon). When Hannah discovers that Jim and Mary plan to wed, she sends her son off to fight in WWI, unaware that Mary is carrying his child. Jim is killed in combat just as Mary is giving birth, and while Hannah is crushed by the loss of her son, she cannot forgive Mary or abide her grandson, Jim, Jr. (Jay Ward). Years later, Hannah is prodded into joining a group of women who lost their sons in the war on a visit to the battlefields of Europe; en route, she meets Mrs. Hatfield (Lucille La Verne), whose warmth and gracious acceptance of her misfortune forces Hannah to take a look at herself and her attitudes. ~ Mark Deming IMDb
	Doctor Bull (1933) .... May Tupping (phone operator) John Ford directed again and Will Rogers starred. Marian was billed third in this comedy drama. All Movie Guide: Will Rogers is Dr. Bull, a small-town physician with precious little book learning. This doesn't stop him from ministering to the citizens, often substituting advice and witticisms for pills and sutures. There are those who resist Dr. Bull's everyday doses of common sense and humanity, especially the gossip mongers who read the worst into the doctor's frequent visits to a lonely widow (Vera Lewis). Bull triumphs over his adversaries when he stems a typhoid epidemic, proving that the disease was spread by pollution from the construction camp owned by the town's resident Scrooge (Berton Churchill). Directed by John Ford with his usual compassion towards sensible small-town types, Dr. Bull was adapted from The Last Adam, a novel by James Gould Cozzens. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Chance at Heaven (1933) (as Marion Nixon) .... Glory Franklyn Marian third-billed after Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea in this drama directed by Marian's soon to be husband William A. Seiter. All Movie Guide: A spoiled rich girl marries a gas station owner in this dated romance starring Joel McCrea, Ginger Rogers, and Marion Nixon. It is love at first sight when debutante Glory Franklyn (Nixon) spots handsome grease monkey Blacky Gorman (McCrea), who promptly dumps faithful girlfriend Marje Harris (Rogers) to marry the heiress. Wedded bliss, however, quickly gives way to everyday worries and Glory even fails at cooking a dinner. Because she still loves Blacky, Marje nobly gives her rival a crash course in good housekeeping, but the spoiled Glory discovers that she is expecting and high tails it back to Mama (Virginia Hammond), who never approved of the marriage and is only too happy to see it fail. Fearing that his wife will obtain an abortion, Blacky hurries to New York, but is too late. Divorced and heartbroken, the young gas station owner finds solace in the arms of the loyal Marje. ~ Hans J. Wollstein American Movie Classics: Ginger Rogers stars in this dramatic love triangle about a gas-station owner who marries for money--and ends up with the wrong girl. Joel McCrea is Blacky Gorman, a working class stiff who dumps his sweet girlfriend Marj Harris (Rogers) in order to wed wealthy debutante Glory Franklyn (Marion Nixon). The underappreciated Marj remains friends with the couple, who soon see their marriage go south, in this morality tale about love, status and money. IMDb
	The Lineup (1934) .... Peggy (Columbia) ... aka Identity Parade (UK) Marian top-billed with William Gargan as her leading man in this crime drama. All Movie Guide: William Gargan plays his first movie detective (but definitely not his last) in Columbia's The Lineup. The hero, a gumshoe named Bob (Gargan), is on the trail of a gang of fur smugglers. Deducing that a posh nightclub serves as the front for the villain's activities, he arrests everybody in the joint and subjects them to the humiliation of a police lineup. One of the unfortunates dragged into headquarters is innocent hat-check girl Peggy (Marian Nixon), who's beautiful when she's angry. Smitten by Peggy, Bob ultimately enlists her aid in tracking down the genuine culprits (that's some way to treat your girlfriend!) For its initial New York engagement, The Lineup was shown on a double bill with another Columbia cops-and-robbers quickie, One is Guilty. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Strictly Dynamite (1934) .... Sylvia Montgomery Marian billed fifth in this musical starring Jimmy Durante. All Movie Guide: Six writers were involved in the RKO Radio musical comedy Strictly Dynamite; ironically, the plot concerns a radio comedian who's running out of material. Jimmy Durante stars as Maxie Slaight, an airwaves mirthmaker who hires young Nick Montgomery (Norman Foster) as his new gag man. Before he knows what's happening, Maxie becomes enmeshed in a romantic triangle involving Nick, Nick's wife Sylvia (Marian Nixon), and Maxie's radio co-star Vera (Lupe Velez). The film's five songs are performed con brio by Durante, Velez, and the four Mills Brothers. Adapted from an unproduced play by the usually reliable Ralph Spence, Strictly Dynamite wasn't sufficiently successful to boost Jimmy Durante's flagging movie career, and within a year or so he'd be back on Broadway in Jumbo. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	We're Rich Again (1934) .... Arabella (RKO) Husband William A. Seiter directed, Marian was billed third and Edna May Oliver starred in this high society ensemle comedy. All Movie Guide: Trying a bit too hard to qualify as a "screwball" comedy, RKO Radio's We're Rich Again is based on Alden Nash's stage play And Let Who Will be Clever. Carolyn Page's (Joan Marsh) once-rich family has gone broke thanks to their profligate spending habits. Parents Mr and Mrs. Page (Billie Burke and Grant Mitchell) try to marry Carolyn off to a wealthy banker (Reginald Denny), but he begins having second thoughts as he wades through an assortment of madcaps and loonies. The plot is unexpectedly resolved by the daffiest member of the family, country cousin Arabella (Marian Nixon, the wife of director William A. Seiter), allowing Marsh to marry her true love (Buster Crabbe). Edna May Oliver is hilarious as the family's salty, polo-playing grandmother, while Edgar Kennedy is almost as funny as a flustered bill collector. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb: A once affluent Santa Barbara family, hounded by persistent creditors, hope to rejoice `WE'RE RICH AGAIN' if they can marry their oldest daughter off to a very wealthy twit. Then a pretty little country cousin shows up to complicate everything... This sadly neglected screwball comedy from the 1930's offers manifold delights arising from its farcical plot & wonderful cast. Only a decade of over-abundant cinematic riches could afford to forget a perfectly fine film such as this. While not a great classic of its genre, such as BRING UP BABY or NOTHING SACRED, it still has much amusement to offer the lucky viewer. Edna May Oliver & Billie Burke, both unforgettable & utterly irreplaceable, are delightful as the two stars of the film. Wisecracking, polo-playing granny Oliver, frequently found in the company of her gaggle of young men, utters sardonic comments on the plot & the behavior of the other characters. Vague, fluttery Burke, perpetually in a state of mental abstraction, adds her own brand of kookiness to the story line. Olympic medalist Buster Crabbe is hilarious, spoofing himself as a champion swimmer who wears nothing but swimming trunks the entire film, even while attending a fancy garden wedding. Edgar Kennedy, as a process server unable to proceed past the driveway, gets to display his famous 'slow burn' to great advantage. The other supporting players (Reginald Denny, Grant Mitchell, Marian Nixon & Joan Marsh) all ably assist with the general pandemonium. IMDb
	Once to Every Bachelor (1934) (Liberty Pictures Corp.) ... aka Once to Every Man (UK) Marian starred top-billed in this drama with Phillips Holmes as her leading man. All Movie Guide: Marian Nixon made the first of a brace of starring appearances at low-budget Liberty Pictures in Once to Every Bachelor. Nixon plays a young innocent who through no fault of her own has become involved with gangsters. Seeking a way out, she latches on to a wealthy playboy (Neil Hamilton). Having been soured on matrimony, the lout suggests an "open" marriage, whereby he and his wife will be permitted to seek out the companionship of others. But he doesn't count on genuinely falling in love with his new bride. Silent screen favorite Aileen Pringle walks away with the picture as the vampish "other woman" in the case. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	Embarrassing Moments (1934) .... Jane (Universal) Marian second-billed after Cherter Morris in this musical comedy. All Movie Guide: Looking for all the world like a 2-reel comedy bloated to 6-reel proportions, Embarrassing Moments was directed by Edward Laemmle, one of the many salaried relatives of avuncular Universal chieftain Carl Laemmle. Chester Morris plays Jerry Randolph, an inveterate and obnoxious practical joker. Things take a serious turn when it looks as though Jerry's latest prank has resulted in the death of his best friend. But the audience is way ahead of Jerry: the whole "tragedy" has been staged to teach the jolly jokester a lesson. Billed third in Embarrassing Moments is Broadway singing star Walter Woolf, who as Walter Woolf King enjoyed a lengthy career as a supporting actor in such films as The Marx Bros.' Night at the Opera and Laurel & Hardy's Swiss Miss. ~ Hal Erickson IMDb
	By Your Leave (1934) .... Andree, an Alias of Lucy Shoemaker (RKO) Marian billed fourth in this escort-service comedy starring Frank Morgan. All Movie Guide: In this emotional but fast-paced comedy, a husband/businessman creates an ingenious cure for his mid-life crisis. He suggest to his wife that they take separate vacations and not discuss them with each other afterward. The wife isn't sure, but being a loving and understanding woman, agrees to the terms. The husband, dreaming of all the luscious young girls to be had, is happy as a kid in a candy store. Unfortunately for him, things don't happen as planned and he gets zippo. His wife, on the other hand, ends up falling for a younger man. When he proposes, the wife is sorely tempted, but then realizes she really does love her husband. The would-be wayward husband also reawakens to love and domestic bliss ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb: In the midst of a mid-life crisis, Henry Smith convinces his wife, Ellen, that they should take separate one-week vacations, with no questions asked. He tries to sow some wild oats with a show girl and a paid escort, while she reacquaints herself with a childhood friend, now a famous explorer. Both get more than they bargained for. ~ Arthur Hausner IMDb
	Sweepstakes Annie (1935) (Liberty Pictures Corp.) ... aka Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore (UK) Marian starred top-billed as the title character in this comedy, Tom Brown was her leading man. All Movie Guide: In this drama, a studio script girl works very hard to support her no-account family. One day she wins a lottery, gives her family some of the winnings and moves in with her best friend. She had a boy friend, but he became disgusted with her loyalty to her lazy family and abandoned her. Soon after winning the money, she finds herself set upon by greedy fellows. Fortunately her old boy friend returns and marries her. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	The Reckless Way (1936) ... Helen Rogers (C.C. Burr Productions Inc.) Marian starred top-billed in this action drama with Kane Richmond as her leading man. All Movie Guide: An obscure backstage drama from Poverty Row company Puritan Pictures, The Reckless Way stars Marion Nixon as Helen Rogers, a hotel stenographer hoping to break into the movie business. Although her ad agency boyfriend, Don (Malcolm MacGregor), disapproves, Helen accepts the opportunity to make a screen test for imperious director Von Berg (John Peters). The test proves a flop, but hotel clerk and budding screenwriter Jim Morgan (Kane Richmond) pens a story based on Helen's own life that succeeds. Prompted by Jim, Von Berg admits to Helen that it was Don who sabotaged the first test and the discouraged girl returns to the Knickerbocker Hotel. Jim, meanwhile, has earned a five-year contract from Apex Studios and Helen gladly accepts his proposal of marriage. ~ Hans J. Wollstein IMDb
	Tango (1936) .... Treasure McGuire (Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corp. & Invincible Pictures Corp.) Marian starred top-billed in this drama with Chick Chandler as her leading man. All Movie Guide: In this melodrama a chorine endeavors to become a star, but it isn't easy. Her wealthy boyfriend wants to marry her until his snooty family rejects her. At her job, her boss is cruel to her. Still the woman persists and even gets jobs waiting tables and modeling. Luckily for her, a good friend stands behind her regardless of her luck and by the story's end, she comes to appreciate this and romance ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	Captain Calamity (1936) .... Madge (Grand National Pictures Inc.) ... aka Captain Hurricane (preview title) Marian second-billed after George Houston in this pirate adventure. All Movie Guide: Set in the scenic South Seas, this high-seas adventure centers on a sailor who creates all kinds of trouble when he tells a whopper about having found a great Spanish treasure. Soon he finds himself and his girl friend pursued by a colorful assortment of treasure-seeking pirates. Fortunately, the sailor is a real swashbuckler and with his flashing sword saves his girl and his neck. ~ Sandra Brennan IMDb
	The Drag-Net (1936) .... Kit van Buren (Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises Inc.) Marian was second-billed after Rod La Rocque in this crime drama, her final film performance. IMDb: A playboy takes a job as an assistant district attorney, finds himself up against a tough crime boss and his gang. Madphat: With ROD LA ROCQUE, MARIAN NIXON, BETTY COMPSON. Dashing Rod La Rocque is well-cast in this fast-paced crime comedy-drama as lawyer Lawrence Thomas, Jr., the playboy son of a prominent attorney. Because fun-loving Larry spends every night partying in clubs with beautiful society reporter Kit van Buren, he usually arrives at the office at the crack of noon. Larrys father can no longer stand his shenanigans. To teach his son a lesson in responsibility, he dissolves their law partnership and uses his contacts to have Larry appointed Assistant District Attorney at an annual salary that is only a fraction of his current paycheck. Larrys new responibilities include checking out gambling and vice complaints and finding out who, among his colleagues, is taking graft from the mob. On his first night in the new job, free-wheeling Larry takes Kit to a nightspot that is strictly off-limits to District Attorney personnel. It is an underworld joint called The Dover Club, run by a racketeer named Joe Ross. When Kit finds a corpse in the clubs phone booth, Larry finds himself in a muddle. Without missing a beat, the playboy-lawyer turns hard-boiled detective and follows a life-threatening path to crack the murder case. In so doing, he will also be destined to discover which of his colleagues has been gumming up the work of the District Attorneys office. 66 minutes. IMDb

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