:''for others with the same name, see The Holy Terror (disambiguation);; ''The Holy Terror'' is a 1937 American film directed by

James Tinling James Tinling (May 8, 1889 in Seattle – May 14, 1967 in Los Angeles) was an American film director. He worked during the silent period as a prop boy and stuntman, and directed primarily for 20th Century Fox in the 1930s and 1940s. He has bee ...

as a vehicle for child star

Jane Withers Jane Withers (April 12, 1926 – August 7, 2021) was an American actress and children's radio show host. She became one of the most popular child stars in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s, with her films ranking in the top ten list for ...

. The film follows the comic adventures of 11-year-old Withers as she causes mild havoc and catches spies on her father's naval base.

Plot

After U.S. Navy Commander Captain J. J. Otis (

Andrew Tombes Andrew Tombes (29 June 1885 – 17 March 1976) was an American comedian and character actor. Biography The son of a grocer, originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Tombes was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy. Early in his career, he worked as a v ...

) complains to Lieutenant Commander Wallace (

John Eldredge John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book '' Wild at Heart''. Life and work Eldregde received his undergraduate degree in theater from ...

) about his daughter Cork (

), the darling of the enlisted men but getting under foot. H. D. Phelps (Raymond Brown) of the House Appropriations Committee is investigating a request for an increase in appropriations, Corky flies a miniature aircraft with her two pals, Axel Svenson (

El Brendel Elmer Goodfellow "El" Brendel (March 25, 1890 – April 9, 1964) was an American vaudeville comedian turned movie star, best remembered for his dialect routine as a Swedish immigrant. His biggest role was as "Single-0" in the sci-fi musical ' ...

) and Pelican Beek (

Joe E. Lewis Joe E. Lewis (born Joseph Klewan; January 12, 1902 – June 4, 1971) was an American comedian, actor and singer.Obituary ''Variety'', June 9, 1971, page 54. Early life Lewis was born was born into a family of Russian immigrants on Januar ...

) but the aircraft flies into Otis' window disrupting the meeting with Phelps. Corky gets one more chance with seaman Dan Walker ( Tony Martin) looking after her. Dan's girl friend, Marjorie Dean ( Leah Ray), works at the Golden Anchor cafe where Danny sees Chief Petty Officer Carson (

Fred Kohler Jr. Fred Kohler Jr. (July 8, 1911 – January 7, 1993) was an American actor who performed in a number of Westerns such as '' The Pecos Kid'' and ''Toll of the Desert''. He played nearly 130 film and television roles between 1929 and 1978. Kohler' ...

) flirting with her. Corky sees the shore patrol coming, and makes out their fight is just an act. Two sinister figures, Redman ( Gavin Muir) and Maria Blair (

Gloria Roy Dolores Rousse (August 17, 1901 – December 16, 1985)California, Death Index. 1940-1997 atabase on-line Via Ancestry.com. Provo, Utah. was an American film actress who performed under the name Gloria Roy later in her career. Career In May 1922 ...

), want to buy the cafe to watch the hangar where a secret aircraft is being built. Marjorie refuses to sell the cafe but a worry about being declared off-limits, may force her hand. Corky and Pelican get into trouble, Redman starts a riot and the cafe is declared out of bounds for sailors. The two spies break into the cafe. Next morning, Phelps is there for an exhibition flight, but Corky is sure there are spies about. She enters the radio room and commands all the flyers to parachute and land at the Golden Anchor where they capture the spies. Some of the flyers end up in hospital where Corky's new miniature aircraft, which creates havoc as it flies through the recovery room.

Cast

as "Corky" Wallace * Tony Martin as Danny Walker * Leah Ray as Marjorie Dean *

as "Bugs" Svenson *

as Pelican Beek *

Joan Davis Josephine "Joan" Davis (June 29, 1907 – May 22, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy ''I Married Joan'', Davis had a successful earl ...

as Lili *

as Commander Otis *

as Carson * Victor Adams as Flandro * Raymond Brown as Phelps *

as Maria Blair * Gavin Muir as Redman *

as Lt. Comdr. Wallace

Production

Principal photography on ''The Holy Terror'' took place from late October to late November 1936."Original print information: 'The Holy Terror'."
''TCM'', 2019. Retrieved: July 7, 2019. The title of the film was taken from a play by

Winchell Smith Winchell Smith (5 April 1871 – 10 June 1933) was an American playwright, known for big hit works such as '' Brewster's Millions'' (1906) and '' Lightnin' '' (1918). Many of his plays were made into movies. He spent freely but left a large fort ...

and

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...

, owned by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, which was the basis of the 1927 Fox film ''

Hills of Peril ''Hills of Peril'' is a lost 1927 American silent Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Buck Jones and Georgia Hale. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Cast * Buck Jones - Laramie * Georgia Hale - Ellen ...

''.

Reception

''The Holy Terror'' had its premiere in Brooklyn, New York on January 22, 1937. Aviation film historian James Farmer in ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1984) considered ''The Holy Terror'', "a minor piece of sentiment and song built around the able talents of Miss Withers as the resident under-age trouble-maker with a passion for flying."Farmer 1984, p. 315.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Maltin, Leonard. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia''. New York: Dutton, 1994. .

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holy Terror 1937 films American aviation films 20th Century Fox films 1937 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by James Tinling 1930s American films