Girl Crazy (1932 film)

Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Directed by	William A. Seiter
Written by	Walter DeLeon; Herman J. Mankiewicz; Eddie Welch; Tim Whelan
Based on	Based on Girl Crazy; 1930 musical by; Guy Bolton (book); Jack McGowan (book); George Gershwin (music); Ira Gershwin (lyrics)
Produced by	William LeBaron
Starring	Bert Wheeler; Robert Woolsey; Dorothy Lee
Cinematography	J. Roy Hunt
Edited by	Arthur Roberts
Music by	Max Steiner
Distributed by	RKO Pictures
Release date	March 25, 1932;
Running time	75 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$532,000
Box office	$555,000

Girl Crazy is a 1932 American pre-Code musical film adaptation of the 1930 stage play of the same name. The film was very unlike the stage play except for its score. It was tailored for the comic talents of Wheeler & Woolsey, a popular comedy team of the time. Three songs written by George and Ira Gershwin for the play were retained: "Bidin' My Time", "I Got Rhythm", and "But Not for Me". According to RKO records, the film lost $150,000.^[1] Lon Chaney Jr. appears in the film (uncredited) as a dancer in the chorus.^[2]

Plot

N.Y. playboy Danny Churchill (Eddie Quillan) is relocated to a small Arizona town to keep him from getting entangled with women. He decides to open a dude ranch with the aid of his gambler friend "Slick" (Robert Woolsey) and Slick's wife Kate (Kitty Kelly). The local bully is running for sheriff and wants to shut down Danny's ranch. Danny prompts his friend Jimmy (a cab driver) to run against the heavy for sheriff. Jimmy (Bert Wheeler) is elected sheriff. Meanwhile, Danny falls in love with a young woman named Molly (Arline Judge), but Molly heads down to Mexico accompanied by a NY conman. Danny, Jimmy, Slick and their friends all head down to Mexico to persuade Molly to come back so Danny can propose to her. Meanwhile the local bully and his friend follow them.

Cast

Bert Wheeler as Jimmy Deagan
Robert Woolsey as Slick Foster
Eddie Quillan as Danny Churchill
Dorothy Lee as Patsy
Mitzi Green as Tessie
Brooks Benedict as George Mason
Kitty Kelly as Kate Foster
Arline Judge as Molly Gray
Stanley Fields as Lank Sanders
Lita Chevret as Mary
Chris-Pin Martin as Pete
Monte Collins as Bartender
Lon Chaney Jr. as a chorus dancer^[2]

Soundtrack

"Bidin' My Time"

Music by George Gershwin

Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Sung by male quartet

"I Got Rhythm"

Music by George Gershwin

Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Performed by Kitty Kelly and chorus

"You've Got What Gets Me"

Music by George Gershwin

Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Sung by Bert Wheeler and Dorothy Lee

Danced by Bert Wheeler, Dorothy Lee and Mitzi Green

"But Not for Me"

Music by George Gershwin

Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Sung by Eddie Quillan and Arline Judge

Also sung by Mitzi Green

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1 (1994), p. 39
^ ^a ^b Smith, Don G. (1996). "Lon Chaney Jr.". McFarland & Co. Inc. Pg. 201. ISBN 0-7864-0120-6.