''So Red the Rose'' is a 1935 American
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
directed by
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...
and starring
Margaret Sullavan,
Walter Connolly
Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 50 films between 1914 and 1939. His best known film is ''It Happened One Night'' (1934).
Early years
Connolly attended St. Xavier Coll ...
, and
Randolph Scott. The
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
-era romance is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by
Stark Young.
The film did not enjoy great popularity at the box office. After this film, Civil War films were considered box office poison in Hollywood until
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
and Henry Fonda's performance in 1938's ''
,'' which was a success. This was followed by the overwhelming popularity of ''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'' in 1939, an adaptation of
Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...
's bestseller of the same name. In February 2020, the film was shown at the
70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.
Plot
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, Valette Bedford (
Margaret Sullavan) waits patiently for her husband Duncan Bedford (
Randolph Scott), to return home, praying that she will not become a widow.
Cast
*
Margaret Sullavan as Valette Bedford
*
Walter Connolly
Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 50 films between 1914 and 1939. His best known film is ''It Happened One Night'' (1934).
Early years
Connolly attended St. Xavier Coll ...
as Malcolm Bedford
*
Randolph Scott as Duncan Bedford
*
Janet Beecher
Janet Beecher (born Janet Meysenberg; October 21, 1884 – August 6, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress.
Early years
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Von Meysenburg, Beecher was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. Her sister was ...
as Sally Bedford
*
Elizabeth Patterson as Mary
*
Robert Cummings
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...
as Archie Pendleton
*Harry Ellerbe as Edward Bedford
*
Dickie Moore as Middleton Bedford
*
Charles Starrett
Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...
as George McGehee
*
Johnny Downs
John Morey Downs (October 10, 1913 – June 6, 1994) was an American child actor, singer, and dancer. He began his career as a child actor, most notably playing Johnny in the ''Our Gang'' short series from 1923 to 1926. He remained active ...
as Wounded Yankee Corporal
*
Daniel L. Haynes as William Veal
*
Clarence Muse
Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929's ''Hearts in Dixie''. He acted for ...
as Cato
*
James Burke as Major Rushton
*
Warner Richmond
Warner Richmond (born Werner Paul Otto Raetzmann; January 11, 1886 – June 19, 1948) was an American stage and film actor. He began his career as a stock theatre actor and appeared in films in both the silent film and sound eras. His career spa ...
as Confederate Sergeant
*Alfred Delcambre as Charles Tolliver
*
Stanley Andrews
Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...
as Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
*
Suzette Harbin as Belle (uncredited)
*
John Larkin as Cato's Companion (uncredited)
*
Lloyd Ingraham
Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director.
Biography
Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...
as Officer (uncredited)
*
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first black actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer.Lowe, Denise. ''An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films'', Hawo ...
as Slave (uncredited)
References
Sources
* Andre Sennwald,
King Vidor's Screen Version of the Stark Young Novel 'So Red the Rose' at the Paramount" ''The New York Times'', November 28, 1935.
* Rodriguez, Junius P. ''Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion''. Greenwood milestones in African American history. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2007.
External links
*
*
*
''So Red the Rose'' at Turner Classic Moviesa discussion with Charles Woods - Slave Rebellion in the Movies
1935 films
American historical drama films
1930s English-language films
Films directed by King Vidor
American Civil War films
Paramount Pictures films
Films based on American novels
1935 war films
1930s historical drama films
American black-and-white films
American war drama films
1935 drama films
1930s American films
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