''Captain Applejack'' is a 1931 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

comedy film, produced and distributed by

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

. The film was directed by

Hobart Henley Hobart Henley (born Hess Manassah Henle; November 23, 1887 – May 22, 1964) was an American silent film actor, Film director, director, screenwriter and producer. He was involved in over 60 films either as an actor or director or both in his twen ...

and stars John Halliday,

Mary Brian Mary Brian (born Louise Byrdie Dantzler, February 17, 1906 – December 30, 2002) was an American actress who made the transition from silent films to sound films. Early life Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas, the daughter of Taurrence J. ...

, and

Arthur Edmund Carewe Arthur Edmund Carewe (December 30, 1884 – April 22, 1937), born Hovsep Hovsepian ( hy, Հովսեփ Հովսեփյան), was an Armenian-American stage and film actor of the silent and early sound film era. Early life Born on December 30, 18 ...

.''Pictorial History of the Talkies'', by Daniel Blum 1958 edition The film was based on a 1921

play of the same name Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

, starring

Wallace Eddinger Wallace Eddinger (July 14, 1881/1883 – January 8, 1929) was an American stage actor. He started as a child actor, known as Wally Eddinger. As a child he played Cedric in ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' which starred female child sensation Elsie Le ...

and written by Walter C. Hackett. The play had previously been filmed as a silent film in 1923 under the title of '' Strangers of the Night''.

Plot

Ambrose Applejohn lives in an extravagant old mansion with his ward, played by Poppy Faire, and his elderly aunt. Poppy is in love with Applejohn but he doesn't realize it and treats her like a child. Applejohn is bored with his sheltered and mundane live and craves excitement. He plans to sell the family mansion and use the money to travel around the world on a quest for adventure and excitement. Aunt Agatha is shocked when she finds out about her nephew's plans while Poppy supports him. Applejohn, however, soon finds unexpected adventure, danger, mystery and excitement right in his own house. On a dark and stormy night, a mysterious woman, Madame Anna Valeska, knocks on the door, seeking shelter from the storm and from a violent man, Ivan Borolsky, who is apparently pursuing her. As a matter of fact, the two are a pair of thieves seeking a treasure which is hidden in the Applejohn home. This treasure was hidden in the house by a pirate ancestor, known as Captain Applejack. Ivan Borolsky shows up at the house but, eventually, Applejohn manages to get Borolsky and Valeska out of the house. Applejohn falls asleep and dreams of his pirate ancestor, of his ship, and of his conquest of a pretty woman, who is at first resistant, but in the end completely surrenders to him. When he awakes he finds that a parchment really exists in the house and that his visitors are really thieves and are seeking a hidden treasure. He races to find the treasures indicated on the parchment before the thieves can find it themselves. In the end he put the villains to rout, finds the treasure and discovers that he also loves Poppy.

Pre-Code aspects

The film is filled with

pre-code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

material, especially during the pirate dream sequence. During that sequence, Captain Applejack brazenly forces a woman to submit to his sexual advances and actually grabs her breasts.

Cast

* John Halliday as Ambrose Applejohn *

as Poppy Faire *Kay Strozzi as Madame Anna Valeska *

as Ivan "Jim" Borolsky * Alec B. Francis as Lush, the butler *

Louise Closser Hale Louise Closser Hale (October 13, 1872 – July 26, 1933) was an American actress, playwright, and novelist. Early life Louise Closser was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1872. Her father was Joseph Closser, a grain dealer, and her ...

as Aunt Agatha *

Claud Allister Claud Allister (born William Claud Michael Palmer, 3 October 1888 – 26 July 1970) was an English actor with an extensive film career in both Britain and Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 70 films between 1929 and 1955. Life and ...

as John Jason *

Julia Swayne Gordon Julia Swayne Gordon (born Sarah Victoria Smith; October 29, 1878 – May 28, 1933) was an American actress who appeared in at least 228 films between 1908 and 1933. Early years Gordon was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Louis and Anna Smith and wa ...

as Mrs. Kate Pengard *

Otto Hoffman Otto F. Hoffman (May 2, 1879 – June 23, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1915 and 1944. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California, from lung cancer. Hoffman's Broadway credit ...

as Horace Pengard * William B. Davidson as Bill Dennett

References

Notes

External links

* * * 1931 films Warner Bros. films American black-and-white films Films scored by Louis Silvers American films based on plays Remakes of American films Sound film remakes of silent films American comedy films 1931 comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-US-film-stub