''Whipsaw'' is a 1935 American crime

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-g ...

directed by

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...

and starring

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

and

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

. Written by Howard Emmett Rogers, based on a story by

James Edward Grant James Edward Grant (July 2, 1905 – February 19, 1966) was an American short story writer, screenwriter and film director, who contributed to more than fifty films between 1935 and 1971. He collaborated with John Wayne on twelve projects, start ...

, the film is about a government agent working undercover traveling across the country with an unsuspecting woman, hoping she will lead him to her gang of jewel thieves. The film was produced by

Harry Rapf Harry Rapf (16 October 1880, in New York City – 6 February 1949, in Los Angeles), was an American film producer. Biography Born to a Jewish family, Rapf began his career in 1917, and during a 20-year career became a well-known producer of fil ...

for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

, and was released on December 18, 1935, in the United States.

Plot

Thieves Ed Dexter and Harry Ames are trying to steal some valuable pearls. When Ed discovers another gang, led by "Doc" Evans, has the same idea, he tips off the police to get rid of the competition. Then Ed and Harry get what they were after. When the authorities connect Vivian to the robbery (she had worked with Ed and Harry in the past, but not on this theft), government agent Ross McBride is assigned to get Vivian to lead him to her partners by pretending to be a crook named Danny Ackerman. However, Vivian quickly realizes Ross is a plant. Nonetheless, she plays along, as the other bunch of crooks is following her. Meanwhile, Ed has hidden the pearls in the handle of Vivian's hand mirror without her knowledge. On their travels, Ross and Vivian stop at a farmhouse, where they help the distraught Dabsons with the birth of twins. Ross and Vivian gradually fall in love with each other. When he overhears her phoning Ed to tell him she is quitting her life of crime, he is at a loss what to do, "whipsawed" as he calls it. He confesses to her that he is government agent; she reveals that she already knows. He then embraces her, but drops the mirror he was holding, revealing the pearls. He does not believe her protestations of innocence. Evans and his gang find Ed and Harry and force the story out of them at gunpoint. Then Evans, his associate Steve and Ed go to pick up the loot. Hearing the ruckus, Ross manages to toss the pearls out the window just before they break into the bedroom where he and Vivian are staying (pretending to be a newly married couple, but sleeping in separate beds). Vivian tells them that she found the pearls, and her "husband" claims he hid them in St. Louis. They set out for the city; Ross manages to take along his gun undetected. Ross suggests they stop at a roadside cafe for breakfast, then sends Vivian to the ladies' room. With her out of danger, he pulls out his gun, and they all start shooting. Vivian warns him as Ed sneaks to the side and is just about to get a clear shot at him. The two men shoot each other. State troopers passing by gain control of the situation. Afterward, Ross exonerates Vivian from his hospital bed by having her answer questions "yes" or "no", nothing else, in the presence of his boss and a stenographer. Once that is done, she grills him in turn, making him admit he loves her. He has one more question for her, but she already knows what it is and answers "yes".

Cast

as Vivian Palmer *

as Ross McBride / anny Ross Ackerman*

Harvey Stephens Harvey Stephens (August 21, 1901 – December 22, 1986) was an American actor, known initially for his performances in Broadway productions, and thereafter for his work in film and on television. He was most active in film beginning in the 193 ...

as Ed Dexter *

William Harrigan William Harrigan (March 27, 1894 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor who performed in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s and on stage. Early years Harrigan was born in New York City and attended New York Military Academy. Harrigan was ...

as "Doc" Evans *

Clay Clement Clay Clement (May 19, 1888 – October 20, 1956) was an American stage, film, and TV actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1918 and 1947. Clement was one of the earliest members of the Screen Actors Guild.Robert Gleckler Robert Gleckler (January 11, 1887 – February 25, 1939) was an American film and stage actor who appeared in nearly 60 movies between 1927 until his death in 1939. He was cast for the role of Jonas Wilkerson, overseer of the slaves at Tara in ...

as Steve Arnold *

Robert Warwick Robert Warwick (born Robert Taylor Bien, October 9, 1878 – June 6, 1964) was an American stage, film and television actor with over 200 film appearances. A matinee idol during the silent film era, he also prospered after the introduction ...

as Robert W. Wadsworth *

Georges Renavent Georges Renavent (born Georges DeChaux, April 23, 1892 – January 2, 1969) was a French-American actor in film, Broadway plays and operator of American Grand Guignol. He was born in Paris, France. In 1914, he immigrated to the United Stat ...

as Monetta * Paul Stanton as Chief Hughes *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as Humphries * Don Rowan as Curley *

John Qualen John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was an American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Early years Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son ...

ill ILL may refer to: * ''I Love Lucy'', a landmark American television sitcom * Illorsuit Heliport (location identifier: ILL), a heliport in Illorsuit, Greenland * Institut Laue–Langevin, an internationally financed scientific facility * Interlibrar ...

Dabson *

Irene Franklin Irene Franklin (June 13, 1885 - June 16, 1941) was an American actress on stage and screen, vaudeville comedian, and singer. Biography Irene Franklin was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1885. While many sources have suggested her birth year as ...

as Mme. Marie *

Lillian Leighton Lillianne Brown Leighton (May 17, 1874 – March 19, 1956), known professionally as Lillian Leighton, was an American silent film actress. Leighton started her career in Chicago. Leighton was born in Auroraville, Wisconsin, on May 17, 187 ...

as Aunt Jane * J. Anthony Hughes as Bailey * William Ingersoll as Dr. Williams * Charles Irwin as Larry King

Production

Development

Initially the film was designed for the duo William Powell and Myrna Loy. Spencer Tracy was called due to unavailability of the actor. Originally, the title of this movie was ''Unexpected Bride''. Shooting dates were October 22 to November 20, 1935. In one scene, Myrna Loy appears without makeup, her hair unkempt. MGM executive E.J. Mannix chastised photographer 'Howe, James Wong' for doing so, as MGM had spent millions glamorizing Loy. Finally the scene was cut. It was noted that Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy had an affair during the shooting, in the greatest secrecy. It was the first film of the two actors together. In her autobiography, Myrna Loy stated that Spencer Tracy, who had fallen in love with her, had harassed her during the filming. Rumors are that they had been romantically linked to the end of the filming, to resume a year later in ''

Libeled Lady ''Libeled Lady'' is a 1936 screwball comedy film starring Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy, written by George Oppenheimer, Howard Emmett Rogers, Wallace Sullivan, and Maurine Dallas Watkins, and directed by Jack Conway (fi ...

''. Loy and Tracy would hide their affair.

Reception

Frank Nugent Frank Stanley Nugent (May 27, 1908 – December 29, 1965) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and film reviewer, who wrote 21 film scripts, 11 for director John Ford. He wrote almost a thousand reviews for ''The New York Times'' before lea ...

, critic for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', described the film as "at once an effective melodrama and a pleasant love story." Though he found the premise not particularly original, he wrote that "Sam Wood has directed it at a brisk pace and with a rare knack of making the expected happen in the most unexpected way. Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy demonstrate again that they are among the screen's most interesting players, and they are assisted most capably by the rest of the cast." According to MGM records, the film earned $574,000 in the US and Canada and $391,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $404,000.

References

External links

* * * * {{Sam Wood 1935 films American black-and-white films American crime drama films American romantic drama films Films produced by Harry Rapf Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1935 crime drama films 1935 romantic drama films Films set in London 1930s English-language films 1930s American films