''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' is a 1939 comedy film directed and produced by

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

. The film stars

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 ...

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies. He appeared in such films as Charlie Chaplin's ''A Woman of Paris'', where he played the lead role; Stanley K ...

and John Hubbard. The screenplay was written by

Rian James Rian James ''(né'' Julian Herbert Rothschild; October 3, 1899 – April 26, 1953) was an American screenwriter and author. He wrote for more than 30 films between 1932 and 1947. Career A "Jack of all trades", James was a columnist coverin ...

, Gordon Douglas,

Jack Jevne Jack Jevne (January 25, 1892 – May 25, 1972) was an American screenwriter. He also worked as an actor and served as sergeant first class during World War I. He wrote for 58 films between 1919 and 1956, notably working with Laurel and Har ...

and

Claude Martin Major-General Claude Martin (5 January 1735 – 13 September 1800) was a French army officer who served in the French and later British East India companies in colonial India. Martin rose to the rank of major-general in the British East India C ...

, based on a novel by

Donald Henderson Clarke Donald Henderson Clarke (August 24, 1887 – March 27, 1958) was an American writer and journalist, known for his romantic novels, mystery fiction, and screenplays. Biography Clarke was born August 24, 1887 in South Hadley, Massachusetts and died ...

. It was the film debut of

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

Plot

Hilda is fed up with her life as a gun moll to gangster Floyd and visits her mother, housekeeper for the cultured Randall family. Professor Randall and his wife go on vacation, leaving behind sheltered son Robert to embark upon a career as a reporter at Hilda's urging. Soon after, Benny, a feeble-minded flower vendor, follows showgirl Gladys Fontaine when Floyd forces her to join him on his houseboat to take Hilda's place. Fearing for Gladys' safety, Benny poisons a cup of coffee intended for the gangster, but Gladys drinks it instead. Benny watches in horror as Floyd tosses the dead girl's body into the river. The next morning, Robert reads about Gladys' death and attaches himself to hard-drinking, womanizing ace crime reporter Deakon Maxwell and his photographer, Ed O'Malley. The trio go to police headquarters, where every bum on the waterfront at the time of the murder has been rounded up for questioning. Benny confesses to accidentally killing Gladys but is ridiculed and not believed. Robert takes pity on the little man and befriends him. After a night of drinking with Deakon and Ed at his expense, and learning from Benny that Gladys was thrown from the houseboat, the drunken Robert calls his editor and reports the details. Waking up the next morning with no memory of the evening's events, Robert finds that his story has scooped the other newspapers and that he is being hailed as a true newspaperman. Robert's byline story leads Floyd to believe that the reporter has the goods on him, and he orders him eliminated. Floyd's gang converges on the Randall house, where he finds and menaces Hilda. Benny makes more of his fatal coffee to protect her. Deakon and Ed are drunkenly shooting fireworks from the roof and, believing them to be gun shots, the gangsters open fire. As the mobsters begin dropping dead from Benny's poisoned coffee, the police come to the rescue and Robert wins the affections of Hilda.

Cast

Production

The film was based on a novel published in 1938. The ''New York Times'' said it had a "good mystery" and "delightful love story." Film rights were bought by Hal Roach.

Sigrid Gurie Sigrid Gurie (born Sigrid Guri Haukelid; May 18, 1911 – August 14, 1969) was an American actress from the late 1930s to early 1940s. Early life Gurie was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was a civil engineer who worked for the N ...

was discussed as a possible lead. In December Jack Jevne was reportedly working on the script. Roach tried to get

Lee Tracy William Lee Tracy (April 14, 1898 – October 18, 1968) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He is known foremost for his portrayals between the late 1920s and 1940s of fast-talking, wisecracking news reporters, press agents, lawye ...

in the film. The role eventually went to

and Joan Bennett was given the female lead. By May Rian James was working on the script. It was the first of a five-picture deal between Hal Roach and United Artists. In June it was announced Roach would direct and Joan Bennett and Peggy Wood would star. Victor Mature was cast after being spotted in a stage play, ''To Quito and Back''. He impressed Hal Roach so much that Roach cast Mature in the lead for ''One Million Years BC''.

Reception

The ''Los Angeles Times'' said it "bears the earmarks of a flicker from the early 1920s. Its characters are two dimensional its continuity hit and miss and its action fast and foolish." The film initially did not perform well at the box office. Roach and United Artists launched a new campaign which played up the more salacious aspects of the story, such as using ad lines like "the housekeeper's daughter did things she hadn't oughter." This approach annoyed Bennett who threatened to sue. Roach refused so Bennett wrote to 3,000 women's clubs arguing she had been maligned and asking them to boycott the film. The resulting publicity helped make the film a box office success. In 1957 it was announced Hal Roach, Jr. would remake the film as a musical. However this never happened.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Housekeeper's Daughter, The 1939 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Hal Roach 1939 comedy films American comedy films Films based on American novels 1930s American films