By Frank Miller
Earthworm Tractors
Brief Synopsis
At the urging of his ambitious girlfriend, a salesman starts hawking tractors.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Raymond Enright
Director
Joe E. Brown
Alexander Botts
June Travis
Mabel Johnson
Guy Kibbee
Sam Johnson
Dick Foran
Emmet McManus
Carol Hughes
Sally Blair
Film Details
Also Known As
Three in Eden
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jul
18,
1936
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
East Peoria, Illinois, United States
Screenplay Information
Based on short stories by William Hazlett Upson in The Saturday Evening Post .
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 3m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Synopsis
When Mississippi salesman Alexander Botts learns that his fiancée, Sally Blair, will not marry him unless he sells a big, important product, he dashes off a letter to the Earthworm Tractor Company. Impressed by his initiative, H. J. Russell, the company head, hires Alexander, hoping that he will be able to close a big sale with a difficult client. On his way to demonstrate the tractor to prospective customer Mr. Jackson, Alexander stops to help Mabel Johnson, whose car is stuck in the mud. While attempting to free her car, Alexander destroys a bank window and a taxi. Mabel suggests that he sell her father Sam a tractor, but adds that he has thrown out all previous tractor salesmen. Mistaking the name Johnson for his actual prospect Jackson, Alexander persuades Johnson to take a ride on his tractor. As he knows nothing about tractors, Alexander loses control of the machine and cuts a path of destruction through the swamp. Luckily, Jackson has been watching and is so impressed that he orders several tractors. Upon learning that the Johnsons are having their house moved, Alexander decides to surprise them by moving it himself with the tractor. Unfortunately, the Johnsons are having dinner at the time and believe that they are experiencing an earthquake. Discouraged, Alexander finds that Sally has married his rival, Emmet McManus. Delighted by this turn of events, Alexander goes back for Mabel, who, believing that he loves someone else, has run away to Chicago. Alexander goes to Chicago and, after calling every Johnson in the telephone book, finds Mabel working the switchboard in his hotel. He follows her back to Mississippi and takes her father on another wild tractor ride. Johnson is furious until he realizes that a dynamite explosion nearby has improved his hearing. He orders his tractors from Alexander, whose career is thus assured.
Director
Raymond Enright
Director
Cast
Joe E. Brown
Alexander Botts
June Travis
Mabel Johnson
Guy Kibbee
Sam Johnson
Dick Foran
Emmet McManus
Carol Hughes
Sally Blair
Gene Lockhart
George Healey
Olin Howland
Mr. Blair
Joseph Crehan
Mr. Henderson
Rosalind Marquis
Telephone girl
Charles Wilson
H. J. Russell
William Davidson
Mr. Jackson
Irving Bacon
Taxicab driver
Stuart Holmes
The doctor
Sarah Edwards
Mrs. Blair
Russ Powell
Hardware man
Henry Hall
Banker
Harry Depp
Bookkeeper
Cliff Saum
Freight agent/Bellboy
Jerry Fletcher
Bellboy
Milton Kibbee
Clerk
Jack Richardson
Clerk
Sam Flint
Hotel manager
Victoria Vinton
Secretary
Henry Otho
Workman
Phil Ryley
Aquarium porter
Evelyn Burwill
Harvey Perry
Crew
Sam Bischoff
Supervisor
Hugh Cummings
Screenwriter
Leo F. Forbstein
Music Director
Chuck Geisler
Assistant location Photographer
Doug. Gould
Film Editor
Esdras Hartley
Art Director
Lee Katz
Assistant Director
H. F. Koenekamp
Location Photographer
Richard Macauley
Screenwriter
Peter Milne
Contr to trmt
Paul Smith
Technical Advisor
Paul Gerard Smith
Contr to Screenplay const
Arthur Todd
Photography
Joe Traub
Screenwriter
Jack L. Warner
Executive Producer
Film Details
Also Known As
Three in Eden
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Jul
18,
1936
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
The Vitaphone Corp.; Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
East Peoria, Illinois, United States
Screenplay Information
Based on short stories by William Hazlett Upson in The Saturday Evening Post .
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 3m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Articles
Earthworm Tractors - Earthworm tractors
Rubber-faced clown Joe E. Brown was in his element as a salesman with more enthusiasm than expertise. When his trade in novelty items proves too trivial for fiancée Carol Hughes, he tries to land a job selling Earthworm Tractors (a play on the well-known Caterpillar model. His attempts to impress the wrong client (Guy Kibbee), an irascible businessman with a hatred of all things mechanical, lead to a series of disasters that could cost him his future. But they also throw him together with the man's spirited daughter, June Travis. Brown was one of Warner's top stars in the '30s, and his short, fast-paced comedies landed him in the box-office top ten more than once. For this film, Warner's bought the rights to William Hazlett Upson's popular short stories about gung-ho tractor salesman Alexander Botts. Far from being upset at the film, Caterpillar's management signed on for a series of ads featuring Brown that touted the film and their product in an early example of cross-promotion. The film would be Brown's next to last for the studio. In search of a bigger payday, he left Warner's to work with independent producer David L. Loew, a move that pretty much ended his days as a top star.
By Frank Miller
By Frank Miller
Earthworm Tractors - Earthworm tractors
Rubber-faced clown Joe E. Brown was in his element as a salesman with more enthusiasm than expertise. When his trade in novelty items proves too trivial for fiancée Carol Hughes, he tries to land a job selling Earthworm Tractors (a play on the well-known Caterpillar model. His attempts to impress the wrong client (Guy Kibbee), an irascible businessman with a hatred of all things mechanical, lead to a series of disasters that could cost him his future. But they also throw him together with the man's spirited daughter, June Travis. Brown was one of Warner's top stars in the '30s, and his short, fast-paced comedies landed him in the box-office top ten more than once. For this film, Warner's bought the rights to William Hazlett Upson's popular short stories about gung-ho tractor salesman Alexander Botts. Far from being upset at the film, Caterpillar's management signed on for a series of ads featuring Brown that touted the film and their product in an early example of cross-promotion. The film would be Brown's next to last for the studio. In search of a bigger payday, he left Warner's to work with independent producer David L. Loew, a move that pretty much ended his days as a top star.
By Frank Miller
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The pre-release title was Three in Eden. Film Daily notes that Dick Foran replaced Dick Purcell because Purcell was still working on Murder in the Big House. According to Motion Picture Herald, some of the scenes invented by the screenwriters were based on the actual moving of a movie star's mansion and incidents connected with rebuilding Warner Bros. studios. The Peoria Star notes that author William Hazlet Upson was a former service man at the Caterpillar Tractor Company. Scenes were shot on location in East Peoria, IL at the Caterpiller plant. They were used for background and the action, filmed in Hollywood, was superimposed. Technical advisor Paul Smith worked at the Caterpillar Co. A news item in Hollywood Reporter notes that The Holt Co., manufacturers of Caterpillar tractors, spent $250,000 for ads and brochures, featuring Joe E. Brown and their tractors, in conjunction with the release of the film.
