A Family Affair (1937 film)
| A Family Affair | |
|---|---|
 Film Poster | |
| Directed by | George B. Seitz James Dugan (assistant) |
| Written by | Kay Van Riper Hugo Butler |
| Produced by | Lucien Hubbard Samuel Marx |
| Starring | Lionel Barrymore Cecilia Parker Spring Byington Eric Linden Charley Grapewin |
| Cinematography | Lester White |
| Edited by | George Boemler |
| Music by | David Snell |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $178,000[1] |
| Box office | $502,000[1] |
A Family Affair is a 1937 American comedy film and the first entry in the sixteen Andy Hardy film series, though Mickey Rooney has a secondary role as the son of Judge Hardy, played by Lionel Barrymore. Lewis Stone and Fay Holden replaced Lionel Barrymore and Spring Byington as Judge and Mrs. Hardy in the subsequent films of the series.[2]
The highly respected judge has to deal with family and political problems. The film was based on the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol.
Plot summary
Judge Hardy (Lionel Barrymore) hopes to be re-elected, but his campaign is put in jeopardy by his opposition of a wasteful public works program.[3] In Carvel (a small, idealized American town) lives the Hardy family of Judge James K Hardy, wife Emily and teenage son Andy (Mickey Rooney). Judge Hardy (Lionel Barrymore) is well admired and respected. However his chances for being re-elected as Judge are threatened when he blocks the construction of a $30,000,000 aqueduct.
Spurned, contractor Hoyt Wells and newspaper publisher Frank Redmond swear to block his re-election campaign. Frank agrees to use his paper, The Carvel Star to publish disparaging stories about the family.
That evening Hardy daughter Marion returns home from college. Older daughter Joan Hardy Martin moves in as well, after a secret separation from her husband Bill. The family throws a party for returning Marion. At the party they are warned by a Star gossip columnist that only negative stories are going to be published about the family. Later that night teenaged Andy Hardy reluctantly takes his childhood sweetheart Polly to a party, and is pleasantly surprised at what a beautiful woman she has grown into. Marion has also found love in Wayne Trent, an engineer who has come to town to work on the aqueduct. Facing the possibility of her boyfriend losing her job, she questions her father’s decision to block the construction.
Meanwhile, Joan confesses to her father that she and Bill are separated after she went to a roadhouse with another man. Although the encounter was innocent, Bill was enraged, and they soon separated.
The Carvel Star publishes an article stating that people are calling for Judge Hardy’s impeachment. Judge Hardy attempts to bring contempt of court proceeding against the Star.
Cast
- Lionel Barrymore as Judge James K. Hardy
- Cecilia Parker as Marion Hardy
- Eric Linden as Wayne Trent III
- Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy
- Charley Grapewin as Frank Redmond
- Spring Byington as Mrs. Emily Hardy
- Julie Haydon as Joan Hardy Martin
- Sara Haden as Aunt Milly Forrest
- Allen Vincent as William Booth Martin
- Margaret Marquis as Polly Benedict
- Selmer Jackson as Hoyt Wells
Original Play
| Skidding | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Aurania Rouverol |
| Date premiered | 21 May 1928 |
| Place premiered | Bijou Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | comedy |
| Setting | The living room of Judge Hardy in a certain town in Idaho |
The movie was based on the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol.[4]
Production
The film was made in the wake of the success of Ah, Wilderness! (1936). Many of the same cast from that movie returned.[5]
Reception
The film made a profit of $153,000.[1]
See also
References
External links
- A Family Affair at the TCM Movie Database
- A Family Affair at IMDb
- A Family Affair at AllMovie
- A Family Affair at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- A Family Affair at Andy Hardy Films
- Skidding (play) at the Internet Broadway Database