Baby Face Harrington
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Raoul Walsh
Charles Butterworth
Una Merkel
Harvey Stephens
Eugene Pallette
Nat Pendleton
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Before attending a social function at the Gardenhurst Country Club, an exclusive, members-only establishment, socialite Millicent instructs her stodgy husband Willie to mix with the crowd and be sociable. Meanwhile, Millie runs into her old sweetheart Ronald, a successful car salesman who has been transferred to Gardenhurst. Both are delighted to see each other and look on as Millie's maladroit husband bungles a magic trick before a crowd of people. Embarrassed, Millie takes Willie home, where she reads a newspaper story about the latest crime committed by serial thief Rocky Bannister. Millie then tells her husband that she wants him to make a name for himself and be more like Ronald, but the flustered Willie can only respond by offering his wife money. Exasperated, Millie suggests that Willie take the initiative and ask for a raise the next time he goes to work, and he promises to do so. However, no sooner does he bring up the subject with his boss, than he is fired. The hapless Willie now decides that the only way he can redeem himself is by turning in his insurance policy and giving the money to his wife. After withdrawing two thousand dollars in cash, Willie is advised by real estate man Skinner to invest his money, but Willie rejects the offer and returns to his wife. When Willie gets home, he realizes that the bundle of money is missing and lies to Millie about not getting a raise. The next time Willie sees Skinner, he notices that he is waving a stack of bills totaling two thousand dollars, which the real estate investor says he made in a recent deal. Believing that the money is evidence that Skinner was the one who robbed him, Willie proceeds to put his claim on the cash and accidentally pulls a gun on him, which Millie had bought to protect herself against Rocky Bannister. Skinner hands over the cash, but when Willie finds the money he thought was stolen in his wallet, he faints. Skinner quickly summons Sergeant Parker to investigate, and despite Willie's explanation of the mishap, the real estate man threatens to press charges against him. Willie promises to return Skinner's money, but before he has a chance to do so, the infamous Rocky Bannister breaks into his house and forces him to hand over the money he saw Willie withdraw from the bank. Bannister makes off with both Willie's and Skinner's money, and when the police disbelieve Willie's story, he is arrested for the theft. Rumors quickly spread about Willie's arrest, and the newspapers print stories alleging his connection with the Bannister mob. Willie is jailed with hardened criminal Mullens, whose gangster friends spring him from his cell and take Willie along with them. Before the gangsters leave to put gas in their getaway car, which they plan to use for a bank robbery, Willie cleverly leaves a note for the gas station attendant to call the police and alert them to the impending crime. Bannister is left behind to kill Willie, which he plans to do by hanging him. Willie, however, manages to stall Bannister until the police arrive and arrest him. When the mobsters and their leader are put behind bars, Willie is re-united with his now proud wife and hailed as a hero by the public.
Director
Raoul Walsh
Cast
Charles Butterworth
Una Merkel
Harvey Stephens
Eugene Pallette
Nat Pendleton
Ruth Selwyn
Donald Meek
Dorothy Libaire
Edward Nugent
Robert Livingston
Stanley Fields
Raymond Brown
Wade Boteler
Bradley Page
Richard Carle
G. Pat Collins
Claude Gillingwater
Galen Gough
Carl Stockdale
Sherry Hall
Harry C. Bradley
Wallis Clark
Will Stanton
Frank Moran
Lee Phelps
Walter Maher
Donald Kerr
Billy Camp
Robert Wayne
Paul Porcasi
Bert Hanlon
Jack Baxley
Charles C. Wilson
Wilbur Mack
Crew
Chris Borneman
Robert Bronner
Howard H. Campbell
Cedric Gibbons
William S. Gray
James Harper
Horace Hough
Nunnally Johnson
Edwin H. Knopf
Bud Lawton
Charles Lederer
Oliver T. Marsh
Edgar Selwyn
Barry Trivers
Edwin B. Willis
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Public Enemy No. 2. Some contemporary sources conflict with the film on the screenplay credits: while the onscreen credits list Nunnally Johnson and Edwin H. Knopf with the screenplay, Variety lists Harry Segall and Barry Trivers. Variety credits Johnson and Knopf with the adaptation. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, Frank Lackteen, William Demarest, Robert McWade and Harry Tyler were added to the cast, their appearance in the released film has not been confirmed.
