I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Brief Synopsis
An ambitious designer has to choose between her career and love.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Michael Gordon
Director
Susan Hayward
Harriet Boyd
Dan Dailey
Teddy Sherman
George Sanders
J. F. Noble
Sam Jaffe
Sam Cooper
Randy Stuart
Marge Boyd
Film Details
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Apr
1951
Premiere Information
New York opening: 4 Apr 1951; Los Angeles opening: 18 Apr 1951
Production Company
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Distribution Company
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Country
United States
Location
New York City, New York, United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel I Can Get It for You Wholesale by Jerome Weidman (New York, 1937).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 30m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8,311ft
Synopsis
In New York's bustling garment district, fiercely ambitious model Harriet Boyd convinces Sam Cooper, a top "inside man" and production manager, to leave the firm for which they work to start their own dressmaking business. Sam insists that Harriet ask the firm's best salesman, Teddy Sherman, to join them, even though she dislikes Teddy's brash manner and persistent romantic overtures. Harriet shows Teddy some of her own dress designs, and, impressed by her talent and determination, he agrees to become a partner. Harriet's plans are temporarily halted when her mother states that she cannot have her late father's insurance money to begin her business, as Mrs. Boyd has promised the money to Harriet's younger sister Marge, who is to be married soon. Harriet, however, tricks Marge and her fiance Ray into giving her the money, and soon, Sherboyco Dresses opens for business. Buyers Hermione Griggs and Mr. Savage inspect Harriet's designs, and Teddy agrees to take Hermione to lunch and Savage to dinner to discuss their orders. That evening, when Teddy brings two models to have dinner with Savage, as he usually does for their "business meetings," he is dismayed to see that Harriet is already dining with him. Having fallen in love with Harriet, Teddy is outraged to see her flirting with the lecherous Savage, although she reminds him that as a salesman, he often "entertains" clients. The discussion grows more heated, and after Teddy socks Savage for grabbing Harriet, she storms out of the restaurant. Teddy follows her and proposes marriage, but Harriet declines, stating that she does not want to be owned by anyone. Teddy then declares that he wants out of their partnership, and Harriet replies that their contract is unbreakable, and that he had better work hard to make her rich. Later, Harriet meets influential J. F. Noble, the owner of a chain of posh department stores. Harriet and Noble begin dating, and when she sketches a gown design for him, he writes "Harriet of Noble's" on it, pins it to his bulletin board and offers to get her out of her contract so that she can work for him. Uncertain what to do, Harriet becomes edgy at work, yelling at Sam and the models and displaying frustration with designing the spring line. When Teddy discusses the situation with her, Harriet states that she is overworked and wants to quit. During a romantic carriage ride, Teddy again proposes and assures Harriet that he will take care of her. Impressed with Teddy's sincerity, Harriet goes to see Noble to reject his offer, but Teddy finds out where she is and interrupts their meeting. When Teddy sees the "Harriet of Noble's" gown sketch, he mistakenly assumes that Harriet intends to leave Sherboyco. Heartbroken and infuriated, Teddy yells at Harriet that he will not let her go. After Teddy leaves, Harriet asks Noble, who has also fallen in love with her, to help her break her contract. Soon after, Teddy departs on a sales trip, and while he is gone, Harriet shifts funds from Sherboyco to a new gown company, halts production on Sherboyco's line of dresses and begins making extravagant gowns for Noble's department stores. As the weeks pass, Sam becomes distressed, especially as Harriet has not told Teddy, who continues to collect orders for Sherboyco's increasingly in-demand $10.95 dresses. Finally, Hermione questions Teddy about the slow service she received, and Teddy rushes back to New York, where Sam informs him of Harriet's double-cross. Harriet, unaware of Teddy's return, discusses the situation with Noble, who assures her that unless Sam and Teddy sell her gowns to Noble's under their exclusive deal, the extra expense of their production will force Sherboyco out of business and she will be free of her contract. The next evening, Harriet, who is due to sail for Paris with Noble that night, goes to the office, where she tries to convince Sam and Teddy of the riches that await them if they support her gown line. Sam and Teddy have decided to stop production, however, and to accept the bankruptcy of Sherboyco rather than give up their original dream. Harriet tries to dissuade them from their decision, but Teddy insists that he would rather be ruined than comply with her scheme. Harriet then boards the boat, but when Noble callously states that he will do nothing to prevent Sam and Teddy's bankruptcy, she realizes that her place is with her partners. Returning to the office, Harriet professes her love for Teddy, and with Sam's encouragement, Teddy forgives and embraces her.
Director
Michael Gordon
Director
Cast
Susan Hayward
Harriet Boyd
Dan Dailey
Teddy Sherman
George Sanders
J. F. Noble
Sam Jaffe
Sam Cooper
Randy Stuart
Marge Boyd
Marvin Kaplan
Arnold "Four Eyes" Fisher
Harry Von Zell
Savage
Barbara Whiting
Ellie Cooper
Vicki Cummings
Hermione Griggs
Ross Elliott
Ray
Richard Lane
Kelley
Mary Philips
Mrs. Boyd
Steve Geray
Bettini
Charles Lane
Herman Pulvermacher
Benna Bard
Fran
Marion Marshall
Terry
Jayne Hazard
Model
Aline Towne
Model
Eileen Coghlin
Model
Marilyn Johnson
Model
Zell Russell
Model
Eda Reis Merin
Miss Marks
Marjorie Hoshelle
Louise
Doris Kemper
Nurse
Elizabeth Flournoy
Secretary
Jack Carr
Maitre d'
Tamara Shayne
Mrs. Cooper
Ed Max
Tiffany Joe
David Wolfe
Speaker
Harry Hines
Elevator man
Al Murphy
Elevator man
Diana Mumby
Blonde
Shirlee Allard
Blonde
Beverly Thompson
Blonde
Harry Carter
Chauffeur
Rolland Jones
Elevator operator
Bill Wallace
Waiter
Bess Flowers
Saleswoman
Michael Hogan
Ship's officer
Godfrey "bob" Marks
Ship's steward
Crew
Vera Caspary
Adaptation
Howard B. Chapman
Assistant Director
John De Cuir
Art Director
Earle Hagen
Orchestration
Roger Heman
Sound
Sol Kaplan
Music
Milton Krasner
Director of Photography
Charles Lemaire
Wardrobe Director
Winston H. Leverett
Sound
Thomas Little
Set Decoration
Lionel Newman
Music Director
Ben Nye
Makeup Artist
Abraham Polonsky
Screenwriter
Oscar Saul
Contr to Screenplay constr
Emmett Schoenbaum
Stills
Fred Sersen
Special Photography Effects
Sol C. Siegel
Producer
Robert Simpson
Film Editor
Lyle Wheeler
Art Director
Videos
Movie Clip
Film Details
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Apr
1951
Premiere Information
New York opening: 4 Apr 1951; Los Angeles opening: 18 Apr 1951
Production Company
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Distribution Company
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Country
United States
Location
New York City, New York, United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel I Can Get It for You Wholesale by Jerome Weidman (New York, 1937).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 30m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8,311ft
Articles
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
An ambitious designer has to chose between her career and love.
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
An ambitious designer has to chose between her career and love.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although a October 26, 1950 Los Angeles Daily News article reported that novelist Jerome Weidman worked on the film's screenplay, the extent of his contribution to the completed screenplay has not been determined. According to an October 1950 Hollywood Reporter news item, Dennis King was originally cast as "J. F. Noble" but was replaced by George Sanders. According to studio publicity, "large portions" of the film were shot on location in the garment district of New York City. As pointed out in reviews, the protagonist of Weidman's novel, an ambitious businessman named "Harry Bogen," had been changed to a female designer for the film version.
I Can Get It for You Wholesale marked the screen debut of stage actress Vicki Cummings. The picture also marked the last onscreen credit of writer-director Abraham Polonsky prior to his April 1951 appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, during which he refused to deny or affirm membership in the Communist Party. Although he continued to write for film and television under different names, Polonsky did not receive another onscreen credit under his own name until the 1968 Universal production Madigan, for which he wrote the screenplay (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1961-70).
In 1962, the film's title was changed to Only the Best for its television release, to distinguish it from the successful Broadway version of Weidman's novel, starring Barbra Streisand and Elliot Gould. Susan Hayward and Dan Dailey reprised their roles for a Lux Radio Theatre presentation of I Can Get It for You Wholesale on March 31, 1952.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1978
Released in United States January 1998
Released in United States Spring April 1951
Released in United States 1978 (Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (Special Programs - Treasures From the Museum of Modern Art Film Archives) April 13 - May 7, 1978.)
Released in United States January 1998 (Shown in New York City (Walter Reade) as part of program "7th Annual New York Jewish Film Festival" January 10-22, 1998.)
Released in United States Spring April 1951
