A Family Affair (1937 film)

This article is about the 1937 film. For other uses, see Family Affair (disambiguation).
A Family Affair

Film Poster
Directed by George B. Seitz
James Dugan (assistant)
Produced by Lucien Hubbard
Samuel Marx
Written by Kay Van Riper
Hugo Butler
Based on Skidding
1928 play
by Aurania Rouverol
Starring Lionel Barrymore
Cecilia Parker
Spring Byington
Eric Linden
Charley Grapewin
Music by David Snell
Cinematography Lester White
Edited by George Boemler
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • March 12, 1937 (1937-03-12)
Running time
 69 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $178,000[1]
Box office $502,000[1]

A Family Affair is a 1937 American comedy film and the first entry in the sixteen Andy Hardy film series, though Mickey Rooney has a secondary role as the son of Judge Hardy, played by Lionel Barrymore. Lewis Stone and Fay Holden replaced Lionel Barrymore and Spring Byington as Judge and Mrs. Hardy in the subsequent films of the series.[2]

The highly respected judge has to deal with family and political problems. The film was based on the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol.

Trailer Title Card

Plot summary

Judge Hardy (Lionel Barrymore) hopes to be re-elected, but his campaign is put in jeopardy by his opposition of a wasteful public works program.[3] In Carvel (a small, idealized American town) lives the Hardy family of Judge James K Hardy, wife Emily and teenage son Andy (Mickey Rooney). Judge Hardy (Lionel Barrymore) is well admired and respected. However his chances for being re-elected as Judge are threatened when he blocks the construction of a $30,000,000 aqueduct.

Spurned, contractor Hoyt Wells and newspaper publisher Frank Redmond swear to block his re-election campaign. Frank agrees to use his paper, The Carvel Star to publish disparaging stories about the family.

That evening Hardy daughter Marion returns home from college. Older daughter Joan Hardy Martin moves in as well, after a secret separation from her husband Bill. The family throws a party for returning Marion. At the party they are warned by a Star gossip columnist that only negative stories are going to be published about the family. Later that night teenaged Andy Hardy reluctantly takes his childhood sweetheart Polly to a party, and is pleasantly surprised at what a beautiful woman she has grown into. Marion has also found love in Wayne Trent, an engineer who has come to town to work on the aqueduct. Facing the possibility of her boyfriend losing her job, she questions her father’s decision to block the construction.

Meanwhile, Joan confesses to her father that she and Bill are separated after she went to a roadhouse with another man. Although the encounter was innocent, Bill was enraged, and they soon separated.

The Carvel Star publishes an article stating that people are calling for Judge Hardy’s impeachment. Judge Hardy attempts to bring contempt of court proceeding against the Star.

Cast

Original Play

Skidding
Written by Aurania Rouverol
Date premiered 21 May 1928
Place premiered Bijou Theatre
Original language English
Genre comedy
Setting The living room of Judge Hardy in a certain town in Idaho

The movie was based on the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol.[4]

Production

The film was made in the wake of the success of Ah, Wilderness! (1936). Many of the same cast from that movie returned.[5]

Reception

The film made a profit of $153,000.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scott Eyman, Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer, Robson, 2005 p 324
  2. ↑ Internet Movie Database
  3. ↑ AllMovie
  4. ↑ Skidding at IBDB
  5. ↑ Article on A Family Affair at Turner Classic Movies accessed 15 January 2014

External links

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