''His Woman'' is a 1931 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

romance drama film directed by

Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1886, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an English silent film director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 films as an actor betwee ...

and starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

and

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

. Based on the novel ''His Woman'' by Dale Collins, the story is about a tough sea captain who discovers a baby aboard his freighter and hires a tramp, masquerading as a missionary's daughter, to care for the infant on their passage to New York. It is a remake of the 1928 film ''

Sal of Singapore ''Sal of Singapore'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Howard Higgin. At the 2nd Academy Awards in 1930, Elliott J. Clawson was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Complete prints o ...

''. The 1931 film was 52nd box-office rank by the year.

Plot

While docked in a Caribbean port aboard a third-rate freighter, Captain Sam Whalan (

) gets involved in a drunken brawl in a seedy tavern. Returning to the ship, Sam discovers that a baby boy, rescued from a drifting Navy boat, has been left for an unnamed sailor aboard his ship. Deciding to adopt the child himself, Sam advertises for a "mother" and soon hires Sally Clark (

) as the child's nanny in exchange for her passage to New York. Sally tells him she is the daughter of a recently deceased missionary. Unknown to Sam, Sally is actually a dance hall girl dressed to appear virtuous and proper. During the voyage, Sally takes loving care of the child while Sam protects her from the lusty sailors on board. One night, the first mate, Gatson (Averell Harris), recognizes Sally from a dance hall and tries to blackmail her into sleeping with him. Sally struggles to reject his advances, and Sam comes to her rescue. In the ensuing struggle, Gatson falls overboard. Unable to locate him in the dense fog, he is assumed dead. By the time they arrive in New York, Sam and Sally have fallen in love and intend to marry. The Department of Commerce, however, calls Sam to testify in an investigation of the Gatson incident, and he is soon arrested. Sam and Sally are surprised to learn that Gatson survived, was picked up by a cruise ship, and is now pressing charges against Sam for assault and attempted murder. In the course of the investigation, in order to clear Sam of the charges, Sally is forced to reveal her sordid past as a dance hall girl. Shocked and disappointed by the revelation, Sam tells Sally to leave the ship, and decides to put the baby up for adoption, despite Sally's sincere protests. After sending his assistant Aloysius (Hamtree Harrington) to deliver Sally's luggage, Sam goes off drinking with Gatson. Later that night, a vengeful Sam brings Gatson to Sally's apartment to insult her. When she learns from another sailor that the baby was left out in the rain and is now sick, she immediately comes to care for the infant with the help of a doctor. Sam postpones his next sailing mission until the child's fever breaks and he begins to recover. By the time the baby is well and the ship pulls up anchor, Sam and Sally have made amends and renew their plans to marry.

Cast

as Captain Sam Whalan *

as Sally Clark * Averell Harris as Mate Gatson * Richard Spiro as Sammy *

Douglass Dumbrille Douglass Rupert Dumbrille (October 13, 1889 – April 2, 1974) was a Canadian actor who appeared regularly in films from the early 1930s. Life and career Douglass Dumbrille ( ) was born in Hamilton, Ontario. As a young man, he was employed ...

as Alisandroe * Raquel Davidovich as Maria Estella * Hamtree Harrington as Aloysius *

Sidney Easton Sidney Easton (October 2, 1885December 24, 1971) was an African-American actor, stage performer, playwright, composer, vocalist, and pianist. He worked as a performer in minstrel shows, carnivals, burlesque, and vaudeville. Starting in the 1930s ...

as Mark * Joan Blair as Gertrude *

Charlotte Wynters Charlotte Wynters (December 4, 1899 – January 7, 1991) was an American stage and film actress. Biography A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Wynters appeared as a leading lady in a number of B pictures during the 1930s. During the 1922-19 ...

as Flo * Herschel Mayall as Mrs. Morrisey *

Joseph Calleia Joseph Calleia ( ; born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television. After serving in the British Transport ...

as The Agent * Lon Haschal as Captain of Schooner *

Harry Davenport Harry Davenport may refer to: * Harry Davenport (actor) (1866–1949), American film and stage actor * Harry Davenport (footballer) (1900–1984), Australian footballer * Harry J. Davenport (1902–1977), Democratic Party member of the U.S. House ...

as Customs Inspector * John T. Doyle as Doctor

Production

''His Woman'' was filmed at Paramount-Publix New York Studios in Astoria, Long Island.

References

External links

* * * {{Edward Sloman 1931 films American black-and-white films 1931 romantic drama films Paramount Pictures films Films based on Australian novels Films directed by Edward Sloman American romantic drama films Remakes of American films Sound film remakes of silent films Seafaring films 1930s American films