Fanny Foley Herself
| Fanny Foley Herself (1931) | |
|---|---|
| File:FannyFoleyHerself2.jpg | |
| Directed by | Melville W. Brown |
| Written by | Bernard Schubert Carey Wilson based on the story by Juliet Wilbur Tompkins |
| Produced by | John E. Burch |
| Starring | Edna May Oliver Helen Chandler Hobart Bosworth John Darrow Rochelle Hudson Robert Emmett O'Connor Florence Roberts Harry Stubbs |
| Cinematography | Ray Rennahan (Technicolor) |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | Radio Pictures |
Release dates | October 10,1931 |
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
Fanny Foley Herself (1931) is an All-Talking comedy drama that was photographed entirely in Technicolor. The film was the second feature to be filmed a new Technicolor process which removed grain and resulted in a much improved color. It was released under the title of "Top of the Bill" in Britain.
Synopsis
Edna May Oliver plays the part of a widowed woman with two daughters (Helen Chandler, Rochelle Hudson) who attempts to revive her career as a vaudeville performer. The wealthy father-in-law, who believes that a vaudeville performer is not fit to bring up children properly, forces her to choose between her daughters or her career. He convinces her to give them up, and as a result she alienates both girls. Fanny Foley's true colors come through in the end, when she braves an airplane ride through a driving storm and makes a perilous parachute jump when she is led to believe that her daughter Carmen (Rochelle Hudson) has been sexually compromised by a cad. The fact that Carmen is living blissfully and respectfully with hubby Teddy (John Darrow) does not alter the fact that Fanny has proven her devotion to her daughters. In the end, the all is forgiven and the old father-in-law asks Fanny to sing one of her songs.
Trivia
- The color work was universally praised by reviewers for its pleasing and soft colors.
- As a result of the quality of the color work in The Runaround (1931), Radio Pictures decided to produce three more pictures in the new process.[1] The first of these, Fanny Foley Herself (1931), was the only one to be completed and released in Technicolor. The titles of the two other features were "Marcheta" and "Bird of Paradise." "Marcheta" seems to have been abandoned while "Bird of Paradise" was changed into a black and white production starring Dolores Del Rio.
Preservation
The film is believed to be lost. No elements, either of the film or the soundtrack, are known to survive.
References
- ^ Los Angeles Times; September 13, 1931; Page B13.