''She Wanted a Millionaire'' is a 1932 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 ...

film starring

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

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 ...

. The film, produced and distributed by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

, was directed by

John G. Blystone John G. Blystone (December 2, 1892 – August 6, 1938) was an American film director. He directed 100 films between 1915 and 1938. He was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack. His grave is lo ...

and also features

Una Merkel Una Merkel (December 10, 1903 – January 2, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress. Merkel was born in Kentucky and acted on stage in New York in the 1920s. She went to Hollywood in 1930 and became a popular film ...

. It is the only film that Bennett and Tracy made together in which she was billed over Tracy. They also played the top-billed romantic leads in ''

Me and My Gal ''Me and My Gal'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama and romantic comedy film starring Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett, directed by Raoul Walsh, and released by the Fox Film Corporation. The film tells the story of jaunty young policeman Danny Do ...

'' (1932), '' Father of the Bride'' (1950), and ''

Father's Little Dividend ''Father's Little Dividend'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor. The movie is the sequel to '' Father of the Bride'' (1950). Plot In this sequel to '' Fat ...

'' (1951).

Plot summary

Cast

as Jane Miller *

as William Kelley *

as Mary Taylor * James Kirkwood as Roger Norton *

Dorothy Peterson Bergetta "Dorothy" Peterson (25 December 1897 - 3 October 1979) was an American actress. She began her acting career on Broadway before appearing in more than eighty Hollywood films. Early years Peterson was born in Hector, Minnesota, the dau ...

as Mrs. Miller * Douglas Cosgrove as Mr. Miller * Don Dillaway as Humphrey *

Tetsu Komai (23 April 1894 – 10 August 1970), also known as Tetsuo Komai, was a Japanese-American actor, known for his minor roles in Hollywood films. Biography Born in Kumamoto, Kyushu, Komai had small parts in over 50 films from the 1920s until the m ...

as Charlie * Constantine Romanoff as Monk *

George Chandler George Chandler (June 30, 1898 – June 10, 1985) was an American actor who starred in over 140 feature films, usually in smaller supporting roles, and he is perhaps best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie Martin on the televi ...

as Hotel Worker *

Lucille La Verne Lucille La Verne (November 7, 1872 – March 4, 1945) was an American actress known for her appearances in early sound films, as well as for her triumphs on the American stage. She is most widely remembered as the voices of the Old Witch in the 19 ...

as Mother Norton *

Judith Vosselli Judith Vosselli (June 25, 1895 – September 18, 1966) was a Spanish-born actress who appeared on the American stage and screen during the 1920s and 1930s. Biography Born in Barcelona, Vosselli made her American acting debut in the successful Bro ...

as French Society Woman *

Cecilia Parker Cecilia Parker (April 26, 1914 – July 25, 1993) was a Canadian-born American film actress. She was best known for portraying Marian Hardy, the sister of Andy Hardy in eleven of the Andy Hardy film series. Early life and career Cecilia ...

as Miss Hollywood * June Lang as Beauty Contest Contestant *

Sheila Bromley Sheila Bromley (born Sheila LeGay; October 31, 1911 – July 23, 2003), (The reference work ''Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003'' gave her birth date as October 31, 1907). sometimes billed as Sheila LeGay, Sheila Manners, Sheila Manno ...

as Beauty Contest Contestant *

Janet Chandler Janet Chandler (December 31, 1911 – March 16, 1994) was a model and actress in American films. She had starring roles in several films of the 1930s. She was born Lillian Guenther in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She began her film career as a child actr ...

as Beauty Contest Contestant *

Peaches Jackson Peaches Jackson (October 9, 1913 – February 23, 2002) was an American film actress. Her sister, Mary Ann Jackson also became a child actor, and appeared in many of the Little Rascals short films for Hal Roach. Peaches (Charlotte) stoppe ...

as Beauty Contest Contestant

Production

During filming, Bennett suffered an accident when she fell from a horse. Her recovery lasted several months, delaying the film's completion.

Critical Response

"Director John Blystone, the technical departments and a competent cast," said Clara Sawdon, reviewer for ''International Photographer'', "contribute everything possible to make this picture meritorious entertainment, but even such heroic efforts cannot make a story plausible or convincing when it is lacking in such essentials."Sawdon, Clara M. "When Seen Through Feminine Eyes." ''The International Photographer'' Vol. 4 No. 2 p34-35. March, 1932. Accessed 7 May 2023.

References

Bibliography

* Solomon, Aubrey. ''The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography''. McFarland, 2011.

External links

''She Wanted a Millionaire''
at

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

* * * 1932 films Fox Film films 1932 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Films produced by William Fox Films with screenplays by Dudley Nichols Films directed by John G. Blystone American black-and-white films 1930s American films Silent romantic drama films {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub