''Torch Singer'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

film directed by

Alexander Hall Alexander Hall (January 11, 1894 – July 30, 1968) was an American film director, film editor and theatre actor. Biography Hall acted in the theatre from the age of 4 through 1914, when he began to work in silent movies. Following his military ...

and George Somnes and starring

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

, Ricardo Cortez, David Manners and

Lyda Roberti Lyda Roberti (née Pecjak; May 20, 1906 – March 13, 1938) was an American singer and stage and film actress. (According to the opening credits of "The Big Broadcast of 1936," Lyda is pronounced LEE-duh.) Early years Born in Warsaw, then p ...

. The screenplay was written by Lenore J. Coffee and Lynn Starling, based on the short story ''Mike'' by Grace Perkins, which was published in ''

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

'' magazine (May 20–27, 1933). It was released on DVD (as part of a six disc set entitled "Pre-Code Hollywood Collection") on April 7, 2009, and by itself on August 5, 2014.

Plot

Sally Trent has an illegitimate child, but cannot support her and gives the baby up for adoption. The father, Michael Gardner, leaves for China not knowing about the baby, and she assumes he has abandoned her for life. She gets a job as a torch singer, changes her name to Mimi Benton, and becomes notorious for her drinking and philandering. Mimi fills in on a children's radio program as the character "Aunt Jenny," singing and telling bedtime stories, and eventually uses the airtime to find her long lost daughter, part with her wild lifestyle, and reunite with Michael.

Cast

as Sally Trent, aka Mimi Benton * Ricardo Cortez as Tony Cummings * David Manners as Michael "Mike" Gardner *

as Dora Nichols * Baby LeRoy as Bobby (Dora's 1 year old baby) * Charley Grapewin as Andrew "Juddy" Judson *Sam Godfrey as Harry, Radio Announcer * Florence Roberts as Mother Angelica * Virginia Hammond as Mrs. Julia Judson * Cora Sue Collins as Sally (5 years old) * Helen Jerome Eddy as Miss Spaulding *

Albert Conti Albert Maroica Blasius Franz Maria, ''Ritter'' Conti von Cedassamare (29 January 1887 – 18 January 1967), commonly known as Albert Conti, was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American actor. He was a member of the noble Kaboga family. Biograph ...

as Carlotti *

Ethel Griffies Ethel Griffies (born Ethel Woods; 26 April 1878 – 9 September 1975) was a British actress. She is remembered for portraying the ornithology, ornithologist Mrs. Bundy in Alfred Hitchcock's classic ''The Birds (film), The Birds'' (1963). She app ...

as Agatha Alden * Mildred Washington as Carrie *Carlena Beard as Sally

Quotes

*Mimi Benton: "Well, I'll tell you what happened to her. While you were touring China, she went through hell. It's a nice place, you must go there someday." *Michael Gardner: "You've changed all right! You're selfish, hard."
Mimi Benton: "Sure I am, just like glass. So hard, nothing'll cut it but diamonds. Come around some day with a fistful. Maybe we can get together." *Mimi Benton: "Don't ever let any man make a sucker out of you. Make him know what you're worth. Anything they get for nothing is always cheap."

Notes

External links

* * 1933 films American black-and-white films Films based on short fiction Paramount Pictures films American musical drama films Films directed by Alexander Hall 1930s musical drama films 1933 drama films 1930s American films {{musical-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Quotes

See also

Notes

External links