Sons O' Guns

Last updated
Sons O' Guns
Sons o' Guns poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Lloyd Bacon
Screenplay by Jerry Wald
Julius J. Epstein
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Starring Joe E. Brown
Cinematography Sol Polito
Edited by James Gibbon [1]
Music by Heinz Roemheld
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • May 30, 1936 (1936-05-30)
Running time
82 or 85 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sons O' Guns is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Jerry Wald and Julius J. Epstein. It stars Joe E. Brown, and features Joan Blondell, with Beverly Roberts, Eric Blore, Craig Reynolds and Wini Shaw. It was released by Warner Bros. on May 30, 1936. [2] [3]

Contents

The film is based on a stage musical of the same name with book by Fred Thompson and Jack Donohue, music by J. Fred Coots, and lyrics by Arthur Swanstrom and Benny Davis, which played on Broadway for 295 performances beginning on November 26, 1929. [4] Only one song from the stage production was used, "Over Here", the two other songs in the film – "Arms of an Army Man" and "A Buck and a Quarter a Day" – were written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. [5] [6]

Plot

Broadway musical star Jimmy Canfield (Joe E. Brown) prefers performing to fighting in World War I, to the distress of his fiancée Mary Harper (Beverly Roberts), and her father, General Harper (Joe King), who forbids Canfield from seeing his daughter unless he joins the Army. When Canfield finds out that Bernice Pierce (Wini Shaw) is about to bring a breach of promise suit against him, he pretends to enlist to dodge the suit, but ends up actually in the Army by mistake. Sent to France, Buck private Canfield finds that his valet, Hobson (Eric Blore) is now his sergeant.

Canfield becomes friendly with Yvonne (Joan Blondell), a pretty French barmaid from the nearby cafe, after he protects her from the unwanted advances of an American officer (Craig Reynolds), but Yvonne becomes jealous when Mary appears, pleased to see that Canfield is in the Army at last. Canfield denies to Yvonne that Mary is his girl, and takes her to a YMCA show, in which he performs. Bernice suddenly arrives from Paris to perform, and gives Canfield a passionate kiss, saying she's been looking all over France for him. Yvonne is jealous once again and storms out.

Canfield takes a room in Yvonne's house, unaware that her stepfather is a German spy. After he releases the spy's carrier pigeons, because they're keeping him awake, he is arrested and charged with espionage. He escapes from prison by disguising himself as an officer, but then is ordered to the front – as the officer – to capture a German machine gun emplacement. An artillery shell knocks him out and blows away his uniform, so he puts on a German pickelhaube helmet and is mistaken by the machine gunners as a German officer. He climbs into a German trench and puts on a German officer's greatcoat, ordering a retreat. He approaches the machine gun nest from the rear, and grabs their gun, using it to march them back to Allied lines. On a break, Canfield finds that the Germans are tired of fighting, so they escort him back to the German lines, where all the men in the German regiment want to follow him and give themselves up to the Allies. The Allies naturally think that they're witnessing a German attack, until the Germans hold up white flags.

Canfield himself, still wearing the German helmet and officer's coat, is arrested as a spy and a traitor. Mary and Bernice turn their backs on him, but Yvonne believes that he is innocent. Canfield is thrown into the guard house, where he is held until he can be shot, but when he is taken out, it is not for an execution, but to be rewarded by the French Army with the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre for single-handedly capturing "hundreds and hundreds" of Germans. His final reward is a kiss from Yvonne.

Cast

Related Research Articles

Joan Blondell American actress (1906–1979)

Joan Blondell was an American actress who performed in film and television for half a century.

Eric Blore English actor (1887–1959)

Eric Blore Sr. was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appeared in variety. In the 1930s Blore acted mostly in Broadway productions. He made his last London appearance in 1933 in the Fred Astaire hit Gay Divorce. Between 1930 and 1955 he made more than 60 Hollywood films, becoming particularly well known for playing butlers and other superior domestic servants. He retired in 1956 for health reasons, and died in Hollywood in 1959 at the age of 71.

Neil Hamilton (actor) American actor (1899–1984)

James Neil Hamilton was an American stage, film and television actor, best remembered for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s. During his motion picture career, which spanned more than a half century, Hamilton performed in over 260 productions in the silent and sound eras.

<i>This Gun for Hire</i> 1942 film by Frank Tuttle

This Gun for Hire is a 1942 American film noir crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan Ladd. It is based on the 1936 novel A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene.

Noah Beery American actor (1882–1946)

Noah Nicholas Beery was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominent character actor Noah Beery Jr. He was billed as either Noah Beery or Noah Beery Sr. depending upon the film.

<i>Three on a Match</i> 1932 film by Mervyn LeRoy

Three on a Match is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama released by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and stars Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis. The film also features Lyle Talbot, Humphrey Bogart, Allen Jenkins and Edward Arnold.

<i>Gold Diggers of 1933</i> 1933 film by Mervyn LeRoy, Busby Berkeley

Gold Diggers of 1933 is a pre-Code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. It stars Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell, and features Guy Kibbee, Ned Sparks and Ginger Rogers.

Wini Shaw American actress and singer (1907–1982)

Wini Shaw, sometimes credited as Winifred Shaw, was a 20th century American actress, dancer and singer.

June Travis American actress (1914–2008)

June Travis was an American film actress.

Richard Loo American character actor (1903-1983)

Richard Loo was a third-generation Chinese-American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1982.

Otto Fries American actor

Otto Hugo Fries was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1920 and 1938.

<i>Bullets or Ballots</i> 1936 film by Edward G. Robinson, William Keighley

Bullets or Ballots is a 1936 gangster film starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, and Humphrey Bogart. Robinson plays a police detective who infiltrates a crime gang. This is the first of several films featuring both Robinson and Bogart.

<i>Colleen</i> (1936 film) 1936 American film directed by Alfred Edward Green

Colleen is a 1936 Warner Bros. romantic–musical film directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, and Joan Blondell.

<i>Three Girls About Town</i> 1941 film by Leigh Jason

Three Girls About Town is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joan Blondell, Binnie Barnes and Janet Blair. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The story was written by Richard Carroll.

<i>New York Town</i> 1941 film by Charles Vidor

New York Town is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, Akim Tamiroff, and Robert Preston. The film was written by Lewis Meltzer and an uncredited Preston Sturges based on a story by Jo Swerling.

<i>Mariners of the Sky</i> 1936 film by Nate Watt

Mariners of the Sky is a 1936 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Nate Watt, in his directorial debut. The film stars William Gargan, Claire Dodd and Douglas Fowley. Filmed with the cooperation of the U.S. Navy, it was a mild recruiting film in an era when the United States military was gearing up for a future war.

<i>Spring Is Here</i> (film) 1930 film

Spring Is Here is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical comedy film produced by First National Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. It was adapted by James A. Starr from the 1929 musical play, of the same name, by Owen Davis, with music by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The film stars Lawrence Gray, Alexander Gray, and Bernice Claire.

<i>Frontier Gal</i> 1945 film by Charles Lamont

Frontier Gal is a 1945 American Western film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Cameron.

Stage Struck is 1936 American musical film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and Warren William.

<i>The Singing Kid</i> 1936 film by William Keighley

The Singing Kid is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Warren Duff and Pat C. Flick. Starring Al Jolson, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot and Allen Jenkins, it was released by Warner Bros. on April 11, 1936.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sons O' Guns at the American Film Institute Catalog
  2. ↑ "Sons O' Guns (1936) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  3. ↑ J. T. I. (1936-05-14). "Movie Review - Sons O Guns - At the Strand". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  4. ↑ "Sons O' Guns" at Internet Broadway Database
  5. ↑ Mankiewicz, Ben (March 15, 2020) Introduction to the Turner Classic Movies presentation of the film
  6. ↑ Miller, Frank (ndg) "Sons O' Guns (1936)" TCM.com
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.