''Advice to the Lovelorn'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by

Alfred L. Werker Alfred L. Werker (December 2, 1896 – July 28, 1975) was a film director whose work in movies spanned from 1917 through 1957. After a number of film production jobs and assistant directing, Werker co-directed his first film, ''Ridin' the Wind ...

and starring Lee Tracy, Sally Blane, Paul Harvey and Sterling Holloway. The film was released on December 1, 1933, by United Artists. It is based on the novel '' Miss Lonelyhearts'' by Nathanael West with a number of changes made.

Synopsis

After Los Angeles

reporter A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

Toby Prentiss angers his

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

by missing a major story due to being in a drunken stupor, he is assigned as punishment to take over the role of the retiring "Miss Lonelyhearts" advice column. Enraged but contractually-bound, Prentiss tries to get himself deliberately fired by writing a string of replies that offend conventional morality. Instead he proves to be a major success and becomes a syndicated national columnist. This causes considerable difficulties with his girlfriend Louise.

Cast

* Lee Tracy as Toby Prentiss * Sally Blane as Louise * Paul Harvey as Gaskell * Sterling Holloway as Benny *

C. Henry Gordon C. Henry Gordon (born Henry Racke; June 17, 1883 – December 3, 1940) was an American stage and film actor. Gordon was born in New York City, New York. He was educated both in New York and abroad in Switzerland and Germany. For some years ...

as Kane * Isabel Jewell as Rose * Jean Adair as Mrs. Prentiss * Clay Clement as Joseph C. Douglas, District Attorney * May Boley as Miss Lonelyhearts * Matt Briggs as Richards * Judith Wood as Cora *

Jimmy Conlin Jimmy Conlin (October 14, 1884 – May 7, 1962) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 150 films in his 32-year career. Career Conlin was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1884, and his acting career started out in vaudeville, ...

as California Booster * Adalyn Doyle as Miss Curtis * Ruth Fallows as Miss Howell * Wade Boteler as Federal Detective *

Thomas E. Jackson Thomas E. Jackson (July 4, 1886 – September 7, 1967) was an American stage and screen actor. His 67-year career spanned eight decades and two centuries, during which time he appeared in over a dozen Broadway plays, produced two others, acted i ...

as Federal Detective * Charles Lane as Circulation Manager * George Dobbs as Reporter * Tom Herbert as Reporter * Franklyn Ardell as Reporter * Wilfred Lucas as Reporter * Wilbur Mack as Reporter * William H. Turner as Reporter * John Vosper as Reporter * Billy Wayne as Reporter * Bonnie Bannon as Girl

References

External links

* 1933 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Alfred L. Werker Films scored by Alfred Newman United Artists films Twentieth Century Pictures films 1933 drama films American drama films Films based on American novels Films about journalists 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-drama-film-stub