''The Under-Pup'' is a 1939 American feature film by
Richard Wallace that introduced soprano singing star
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...
to the screen.
Plot
The story, adapted by
Grover Jones
Grover Jones (November 15, 1893 – September 24, 1940) was an American screenwriter - often teamed with William Slavens McNutt - and film director. He wrote more than 100 films between 1920 and his death. He also was a film journal publish ...
from a magazine story by Australian author
I. A. R. Wylie, casts Gloria as a streetwise girl who is sent to a summer camp for wealthy girls. She is at first bullied by the other girls, but she stands up for herself and wins everyone over, including the girl who had bullied her the most, to earn a place in their group, "The Purple Order of Penguins".
Cast
Production
Filming took place from May to June 1939. It was originally budgeted at $445,000.
Reception
The film had its premiere in Scranton.
The film was well received, and was followed by an unofficial sequel, ''
A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940). Many of the cast members from ''The Under-Pup'' appear in the second film, but with different character names.
Radio adaptation
The film script was adapted for radio and was presented on ''
Lux Radio Theater
''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...
'' on April 15, 1940, with
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...
and Nan Grey reprising their film roles.
References
External links
*
1939 films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Richard Wallace
Universal Pictures films
1939 musical films
Films produced by Joe Pasternak
American musical films
Films based on works by I. A. R. Wylie
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
{{Musical-film-stub