Bachelor Bait (1934) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

A romantic starts a marriage agency so he can play Cupid.

Cast & Crew

Read More

George Stevens

Stuart Erwin

Rochelle Hudson

Cynthia Douglas

Pert Kelton

"skeets" Gallagher

Bramwell Van Dusen

Burton Churchill

"Big" Barney Nolan

Film Details

Also Known As

The Great American Harem

Genre

Comedy

Classic Hollywood

Release Date

Jul 27, 1934

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 15m

Sound

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8 reels

Synopsis

After William Watts is fired from his job as a clerk in the city marriage bureau, he is encouraged by his loving neighbor, Cynthia Douglas, to start his own "matrimonial" business by advertising his matchmaking skills in the newspaper. Flooded with responses, William's business soon blossoms into a prosperous enterprise, which is aided by the legal expertise of sometime taxicab driver Bramwell Van Dusen. William's ability at matchmaking attracts the attention of "Big" Barney Nolan, the crooked president of the Civil Betterment Bureau, who tries unsuccessfully to buy out the company. While a frustrated Nolan orders Clem, the district attorney, to "investigate" William, Van Dusen's ex-wife, Allie Summers, threatens to expose their divorce to the straightlaced William unless she is introduced to a millionaire Oklahoma bachelor named Don Beldon. Although William decides that Cynthia, who is now working as his receptionist, should be the "unsullied" match for Don, Allie forces herself on the innocent oilman. To divert Allie, William tricks her into taking an overnight boat cruise with him, and consequently, Cynthia, believing that William is Allie's lover, agrees to marry Don. After Allie accuses Don of seducing her during a drunken date, however, William insists that Don marry Allie instead of Cynthia. Don then reveals that his real name is Diker and telephones the district attorney to tell him of the apparent fraud. Unaware that the police are raiding his business, a disillusioned William goes to see Nolan with an offer to sell. Nolan, also uninformed, hands William a $25,000 check, only to learn later that his purchase is worthless. With the office in ruins, Van Dusen asks Allie to remarry him, and William finally proposes to Cynthia.

Director

George Stevens

Cast

Stuart Erwin

Rochelle Hudson

Cynthia Douglas

Pert Kelton

"skeets" Gallagher

Bramwell Van Dusen

Burton Churchill

"Big" Barney Nolan

Grady Sutton

Don Beldon, alias of Diker

Clarence H. Wilson

Clem, District attorney

William Augustin

Hazel Forbes

Crew

David Abel

Pandro S. Berman

Executive Producer

Lou Brock

Associate Producer

Carroll Clark

Doran Cox

Assistant Director

Edward Halperin

Victor Halperin

Fred Hendrickson

Still Photographer

James B. Morley

Walter Plunkett

Van Nest Polglase

Clem Portman

Max Steiner

Glenn Tryon

Harry Wild

Camera Operator

Jean Yarbrough

Assistant Director

Film Details

Also Known As

The Great American Harem

Genre

Comedy

Classic Hollywood

Release Date

Jul 27, 1934

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 15m

Sound

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8 reels

Articles

Bachelor Bait

February 10, 2010

In the light romantic comedy Bachelor Bait (1934), meek marriage license bureau employee William Watts (Stuart Erwin) is unfairly fired and decides to go into business for himself. Having an uncanny knack for matchmaking, Watts establishes Romance, Inc., a company dedicated to finding wives for eligible bachelors. When the business proves to be a huge success, the naïve Watts must fend off a takeover instigated by a crooked District Attorney. Meanwhile, Watts tries to marry off his attractive secretary Cynthia (Rochelle Hudson) to a bashful Oklahoma millionaire, oblivious to the fact that she is really in love with him.

Bachelor Bait came very early in the career of Oscar®-winning director George Stevens (A Place in the Sun [1951], Giant [1956]). Stevens had recently joined the RKO family following a promising start at Universal where he had directed several shorts as well as his first feature film called The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble (1933).

Stevens started out at RKO directing comic shorts, but his contract there promised him that he would get the chance to make at least one feature film. After being loaned out to MGM to direct a Laurel and Hardy segment in the 1934 revue Hollywood Party, Stevens finally got his chance when RKO assigned him to direct the feature Bachelor Bait.

Stevens handled the breezy comedy of Bachelor Bait with ease, and the film was well-received. Its success helped Stevens hone his directing skills and prime him for the long list of distinguished films that followed.

Bachelor Bait features some charming performances and entertaining comic situations that remind audiences of how little has changed over the years in the matchmaking business. Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Pert Kelton are hilarious as Watts' scene-stealing business partner and his brassy ex-wife.

Director: George Stevens
Screenplay: Glenn Tryon; Edward Halperin, Victor Halperin (story)
Cinematography: David Abel
Art Direction: Carroll Clark, Van Nest Polglase
Film Editing: James B. Morley
Cast: Stuart Erwin (Mr. William Watts), Rochelle Hudson (Cynthia Douglas), Pert Kelton (Allie Summers), Skeets Gallagher (Bramwell Van Dusen, a Lawyer), Burton Churchill ('Big' Barney Nolan), Grady Sutton (Don Belden/Diker), Clarence H. Wilson (District Attorney Clement Graftsman).
BW-75m.

by Andrea Passafiume

Bachelor Bait

Bachelor Bait

In the light romantic comedy Bachelor Bait (1934), meek marriage license bureau employee William Watts (Stuart Erwin) is unfairly fired and decides to go into business for himself. Having an uncanny knack for matchmaking, Watts establishes Romance, Inc., a company dedicated to finding wives for eligible bachelors. When the business proves to be a huge success, the naïve Watts must fend off a takeover instigated by a crooked District Attorney. Meanwhile, Watts tries to marry off his attractive secretary Cynthia (Rochelle Hudson) to a bashful Oklahoma millionaire, oblivious to the fact that she is really in love with him. Bachelor Bait came very early in the career of Oscar®-winning director George Stevens (A Place in the Sun [1951], Giant [1956]). Stevens had recently joined the RKO family following a promising start at Universal where he had directed several shorts as well as his first feature film called The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble (1933). Stevens started out at RKO directing comic shorts, but his contract there promised him that he would get the chance to make at least one feature film. After being loaned out to MGM to direct a Laurel and Hardy segment in the 1934 revue Hollywood Party, Stevens finally got his chance when RKO assigned him to direct the feature Bachelor Bait. Stevens handled the breezy comedy of Bachelor Bait with ease, and the film was well-received. Its success helped Stevens hone his directing skills and prime him for the long list of distinguished films that followed. Bachelor Bait features some charming performances and entertaining comic situations that remind audiences of how little has changed over the years in the matchmaking business. Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Pert Kelton are hilarious as Watts' scene-stealing business partner and his brassy ex-wife. Director: George Stevens Screenplay: Glenn Tryon; Edward Halperin, Victor Halperin (story) Cinematography: David Abel Art Direction: Carroll Clark, Van Nest Polglase Film Editing: James B. Morley Cast: Stuart Erwin (Mr. William Watts), Rochelle Hudson (Cynthia Douglas), Pert Kelton (Allie Summers), Skeets Gallagher (Bramwell Van Dusen, a Lawyer), Burton Churchill ('Big' Barney Nolan), Grady Sutton (Don Belden/Diker), Clarence H. Wilson (District Attorney Clement Graftsman). BW-75m. by Andrea Passafiume

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this film was The Great American Harem. Bachelor Bait was the first feature that George Stevens made for RKO. In a February 1934 Film Daily news item, Ginger Rogers and William Gargan were announced as the stars of the picture, and William Seiter was listed as director. Chick Chandler and Edgar Kennedy were included as cast members in Motion Picture Herald's "In the Cutting Room," but their participation in the final film has not been confirmed.

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