''The San Francisco Story'' is a 1952 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Robert Parrish Robert R. Parrish (January 4, 1916December 4, 1995) was an American film director, screenwriter, editor and former child actor. He received an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his contribution to ''Body and Soul (1947 film), Body and Soul ...

and starring

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he beca ...

and

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

. The rough and tumble Barbary Coast of San Francisco is recreated with attention to detail, including

Florence Bates Florence Bates ( Rabe; April 15, 1888 - January 31, 1954), was an American film and stage character actress who often played grande dame characters in supporting roles. Life and career Bates was the second child born to Jewish immigrant pare ...

as a saloon keeper

Shanghaiing Shanghaiing or crimping is the practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as ''crimps''. The related term ''press gang'' ...

the unwary. Noir elements include many shadows, discordant musical score, snappy dialogue, a disabused hero who resists the good fight, and a femme fatale. A schematic but insightful rendering of political corruption, the film is essentially about standing up to bullies.

Plot summary

Law in San Francisco in 1856 is an ideal struggling to be established. Rick Nelson (

) is a loner with his own code of ethics, now a miner visiting his old stomping ground. He meets raven-haired beauty Adelaide McCall (

), who's in the buggy of corrupt political power broker Andrew Cain (

Sidney Blackmer Sidney Alderman Blackmer (July 13, 1895 – October 6, 1973) was an American Broadway and film actor active between 1914 and 1971, usually in major supporting roles. Biography Blackmer was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, t ...

). Newspaper editor Jim "Captain" Martin (

Onslow Stevens Onslow Stevens (born Onslow Ford Stevenson; March 29, 1902 – January 5, 1977) was an American stage, television and film actor. Early years Born in Los Angeles, California, Stevens was the son of British-born character actor Houseley Ste ...

) begs his old friend Rick to rejoin his peace-keeping Vigilantes to put an end to Cain's reign of thuggery. Rick knows how easy it is to buy a judge, so he settles matters his way.

Cast

as Rick Nelson *

as Adelaide McCall *

as Andrew Cain *

Richard Erdman Richard Erdman ( John Richard Erdmann; June 1, 1925 – March 16, 2019) was an American character actor and occasional film and television director. He appeared in more than 160 films and television productions between 1944 and 2017, mostly in ...

as Shorty *

as Sadie *

as Capt. Jim Martin * John Raven as Lessing * O.Z. Whitehead as Alfey *

Ralph Dumke Ralph Ernest Dumke (July 25, 1899 – January 4, 1964) was an American comedian and actor who had an active career from the early 1920s up until his death in 1964. He rose to fame as part of a comedy duo with Ed East, performing nationally in ...

as Winfield Holbert *

Robert Foulk Robert C. Foulk (May 5, 1908 – February 25, 1989) was an American television and film character actor who portrayed Sheriff H. Miller in the CBS series '' Lassie'' from 1958 to 1962. Early years Foulk attended the University of Pennsylva ...

as Thompson *

Lane Chandler Lane Chandler (born Robert Clinton Oakes, June 4, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American actor specializing mainly in Western (genre), Westerns. Biography Early life Chandler was raised on a ranch near Culbertson, Montana, the so ...

as Morton

Production

The film was based on the novel ''Vigilante'' by Richard Summers, an English professor from the University of Arizona. The novel was set in 1856 concerned the career of

David C. Broderick David Colbreth Broderick (February 4, 1820 – September 16, 1859) was an attorney and politician, elected by the legislature as Democratic U.S. Senator from California. Born in Washington, DC, to Irish immigrant parents, he lived in New York un ...

and his fictitious mistress Hester Barton, and their involvement in the second vigilante movement. Film rights were bought by

and

Jacques Tourneur Jacques Tourneur (; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French film director known for the classic film noir ''Out of the Past'' and a series of low-budget horror films he made for RKO Studios, including ''Cat People (1942 film), Cat ...

in early 1949, before the novel had even been published. McCrea announced he only wanted to produce, not star, and that Tourneur would direct. They hoped to set up the film at MGM and cast

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

. The novel was published in July 1949. The ''New York Times'' called it an "excellent short novel... a well-written, lusty yarn". In March 1951 it was announced the film would be made by Fidelity Pictures starring McCrea and an "unknown" actress. Fidelity was a new company established in 1949 by producer Howard Welsch. In July 1951 Fidelity announced the film would be one of six movies Fidelity would make for release through

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

. Yvonne de Carlo signed to co-star.

Jerome Chodorov Jerome Chodorov (August 10, 1911 – September 12, 2004) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical ''Wonderful Town'' starring Rosalind Russell. The musi ...

was reported as working on the script in August. He is not credited on the final film.

signed to appear opposite McCrea in September 1951. She signed a two-picture deal with Fidelity and returned early from a tour she was making to

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

. Fidelity announced the six films they would make for Warners would be budgeted between $600,000 and $700,000 and include ''The San Francisco Story'', ''My Fine Feathered Friend'' with

Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner, December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one obi ...

, ''Gardenia'' based on a story by

Vera Caspary Vera Louise Caspary (November 13, 1899 – June 13, 1987) was an American writer of novels, plays, screenplays, and short stories. Her best-known novel, ''Laura (novel), Laura'', was made into a Laura (1944 film), successful movie. Though she cl ...

, ''Lela Cade'', ''The Gentleman from Chicago'' by

Horace McCoy Horace Stanley McCoy (April 14, 1897 – December 15, 1955) was an American writer whose mostly hardboiled stories took place during the Great Depression. His best-known novel is '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1935), which was made into ...

, ''Reluctant Bride'' by

Frederick Stephani Frederick Stephani (June 13, 1903 – October 31, 1962) was a screenwriter and film director. He is best known for co-writing and directing the 13-chapter science fiction serial ''Flash Gordon'' in 1936. The serial became Universal's second highe ...

and ''The Scarlet Flame'', a story about Brazil's battle for independence by

Emilio Tovar Emilio may refer to: * Emilio Navaira, a Mexican-American singer often called "Emilio" * Emilio Piazza Memorial School, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State * Emilio (given name) * ''Emilio'' (film), a 2008 film by Kim Jorgensen See also * Emílio (dis ...

, to star De Carlo. Most of these films were not made. Filming took place in late 1951. During filming, Will Jacoby, husband of cast member

died. Bates was offered time off but she elected to continue to work.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:San Francisco Story 1952 films 1950s historical films American historical films 1952 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films American Western (genre) films Films based on American novels Warner Bros. films Films directed by Robert Parrish Films set in San Francisco Films set in the 1850s Films scored by Emil Newman Films scored by Paul Dunlap 1950s English-language films 1950s American films