''A Successful Failure'' is a 1934 American film directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the '' Francis the Talking Mule'' series and created the talking-horse TV ...

. It was Lubin's first film as director. There is no connection between the fictional radio personality "Uncle Dudley" in this film, and the 1935 comedy film '' Your Uncle Dudley'', with

Edward Everett Horton Edward Everett Horton Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. Early life Horton was born in Kings County, ...

Plot

Ellery Cushing ( William Collier Sr.) has trouble at home, and at work. When he's fired from the newspaper where he's worked for fifteen years, his friend Phil (

Russell Hopton Harry Russell Hopton (February 18, 1900 – April 7, 1945) was an American film actor and director. Biography Hopton was born in New York City, New York. He appeared in 110 films between 1926 and 1945, often playing streetwise characters f ...

) quits too, outraged. Together, they work from their "office", on a park bench, until Phil can get Ellery a try-out, on a radio spot, as "Uncle Dudley". The character is a big hit, with his folksy witticisms. Meanwhile, at home, Ma, Mrs. Cushing (

Lucile Gleason Lucile Gleason ( Webster; February 6, 1888 – May 18, 1947) was an American stage and screen actress. Gleason was also a civic worker who was active in film colony projects. Early life Lucile Webster was born on February 6, 1888, in Pasad ...

), has her hands full with their daughter, Ruth (

Gloria Shea Olive Gloria Shea (May 30, 1910 – February 8, 1995) was an American film actress. She was sometimes billed as Olive Shea. Biography Born in New York City, Shea received her schooling at the Convent of Notre Dame de Sande and was trained for ...

), who has spurned Phil's attentions for an aging

Lothario Lothario is a male given name that came to suggest an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in '' The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.

, Jerry (

Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from his early ...

). While their oldest son, Robert (

William Janney William Janney (born Russell Dixon Janney, February 15, 1908 – December 22, 1992) was an American actor who appeared in 39 films between 1929 and 1937. He was the son of author and theatrical producer Russell Janney,(28 December 1940)William ...

), after turning down a job, has got mixed up with some "

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

" rabble-rousers, in the park. Only their youngest son, Tommy (

George P. Breakston George Paul Breakston (January 22, 1920 – May 21, 1973) was a French-American actor, producer and film director, active in Hollywood from his days as a child actor in Andy Hardy films in the 1930s (where he played the character ''Beezy'') ...

), manages to stay out of trouble, doing his homework. Tommy thinks their Dad is alright, even better than "that guy on the radio", who they don't know is their father. It's only after "Uncle Dudley" gets a concussion, after being hit with a brick, quelling a riot of "Reds", in the park that his family begin to value his worth, and, Phil's, if they all live to appreciate it.

Cast

* William Collier Sr. as Ellery Cushing aka Uncle Dudley *

as Mrs. Cushing *

as Phil Stardon *

as Tommy Cushing *

as Robert Cushing *

as Ruth Cushing * Clarence Wilson as H. T. Flintly, News Record Editor *

as Jerry Franklin, Ruth's Beau * Richard Tucker as J. W. Blair, Atlas Broadcasting *David Hanna as The savage, Atlas Broadcasting

Production

This film is based on the short story,"Your Uncle William" by Michael Kane, published in ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

''. William Collier signed in June 1934. The film marked Lucile Gleason's return to movies after a break. Arthur Lubin became attached to direct in July. In August 1934 the film was officially put on Monogram's slate. It was the first film directed by Arthur Lubin who had been an actor and had directed theatre. He says it was shot in five days.

Reception

Lubin said "when it was reviewed in ''The Hollywood Reporter'' the headline was 'A Successful Failure: Aptly Titled'. I didn't think I'd ever be able to direct again!" However he went on to direct two more films for Monogram, launching his career. ''Diabolique'' magazine called it "a creaky comedy-drama about a doddery old reporter... whose family treats him with contempt; he goes on to earns their respect by interrupting his son's communist rally, becoming a radio star and slut shaming his daughter" adding "these sort of worm-turns family dramas were surprisingly common in the thirties (

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

made a bunch), and could be made watchable by strong actors and direction; however ''Successful Failure''s cast was poor and Lubin's handling uneasy."

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Successful Failure, A 1934 films 1934 comedy films American comedy films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Monogram Pictures films Films directed by Arthur Lubin 1930s American films