''We're in the Money'' is a 1935 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Ray Enright Ray Enright (March 25, 1896 – April 3, 1965) was an American film director. He directed 73 films between 1927–53, many of them for Warner Bros. He oversaw comedy films like Joe E. Brown vehicles, five of the six informal pairings of Joa ...

. It was released by

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. D ...

on August 17, 1935. The film stars

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

and

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...

and is one of five Warner Bros. films in which they were paired as blonde bombshell comedy duo. The other films include ''

Havana Widows ''Havana Widows'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Ray Enright, starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell. It was released by Warner Bros. on November 18, 1933. Two chorus girls travel to Havana in search of rich husbands. Th ...

'' (1933), ''

Kansas City Princess ''Kansas City Princess'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by William Keighley with a script written by Sy Bartlett and Manuel Seff. Warner Bros. sought to duplicate the success of ' ...

'' (1934), ''

Traveling Saleslady ''Traveling Saleslady'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell. It was released by Warner Bros. on March 28, 1935. It is one of five films by Warner Bros. where Farrell and Blondell ...

'' (1935) and ''

Miss Pacific Fleet ''Miss Pacific Fleet'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright. The film stars Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell, and Hugh Herbert. The film was based on the short story of the same name by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan in the ''Collier's ...

'' (1935). Ginger and Dixie are two process servers, who serve legal papers to a playboy, a racketeer, a wrestler and a singer.

Plot

Ginger Stewart (

) and Dixie Tilton (

) are offered $1000 by ditsy lawyer Homer Bronson (

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Univers ...

) to serve

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

s on reluctant witnesses for a

breach of promise Breach of promise is a common law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...

lawsuit brought by Claire LeClaire against wealthy C. Richard Courtney (

Ross Alexander Ross Alexander (born Alexander Ross Smith; July 27, 1907 – January 2, 1937) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Alexander was born Alexander Ross Smith in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Maud Adelle ( Cohen) and Alexander Ross ...

). They have a deadline, as a new state law will take effect in a few weeks banning such suits. Unbeknownst to Ginger, she already knows the defendant; she and Courtney, masquerading as a chauffeur named Carter, have fallen in love. Courtney himself does not know that Ginger is a process server. Through trickery, Ginger and Dixie manage to serve papers on three of their wary targets:

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

Phil Logan ( Phil Regan), gangster 'Butch' Gonzola, and professional wrestler

Man Mountain Dean Frank Simmons Leavitt (June 30, 1891 – May 29, 1953) was an American professional wrestler of the early 1900s, known by the ring name Man Mountain Dean. Early life Leavitt was born in New York City, the son of John McKenney Leavitt and Henriet ...

, the last in the middle of a bout with Chief Pontiac. Courtney, on the advice of his lawyer, Stephen Dinsmore (

Henry O'Neill Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American film actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles during the 1930s and 1940s. Early years He was born in Orange, New Jersey. Career ...

), prepares to sail away to safety on his yacht. However, Ginger jumps out of a motorboat piloted by the erratic Bronson and pretends to be in distress. She is rescued by Courtney's crewmen. She and Courtney finally learn each other's true identity, but eventually admit they love each other and decide to get married. Ginger sends a message to Dixie, asking her to bring a few things she will need for the honeymoon. However, Dixie assumes her partner is merely luring Courtney in, and when the couple set foot on the dock, Dixie serves the last subpoena. Courtney also assumes Ginger was merely acting and angrily breaks up with her. At the trial, Bronson produces a photograph showing LeClaire cosily nestled in Courtney's lap. Courtney agrees to marry LeClaire. Later, however, Bronson confides to Ginger and Dixie that he faked the picture by combining two others. Ginger rushes over and stops the wedding ceremony just in time. She and Courtney then reconcile.

Cast

as Ginger Stewart *

as Dixie Tilton *

as Lawyer Homer Bronson *

as C. Richard Courtney *

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked i ...

as Max * Phil Regan as Singer Phil Logan * Anita Kerry as Claire LeClaire *

as Lawyer Stephen 'Dinsy' Dinsmore

Songs

* '' ''We're in the Money'' – music and lyrics by

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that emigrated to the United States from Swi ...

and

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

. Background and sometimes hummed by the cast. * ''It's So Nice Seeing You Again'' – music and lyrics by

Allie Wrubel Elias Paul "Allie" Wrubel (January 15, 1905 – December 13, 1973) was an American composer and songwriter. Biography Wrubel was born to a Jewish family in Middletown, Connecticut, United States, the son of Regina (née Glasscheib) and Isaac ...

and

Mort Dixon Mort Dixon (March 20, 1892 – March 23, 1956) was an American lyricist. Biography Born in New York City, United States, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published ef ...

. Sung by Phil Regan in the nightclub scene.

References

External links

* * * * {{Ray Enright 1935 films 1935 romantic comedy films American black-and-white films American romantic comedy films Films directed by Ray Enright Films with screenplays by F. Hugh Herbert 1930s English-language films 1930s American films