''Hideaway'' is a 1937 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Richard Rosson Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he directed the logging sequences in the 1936 film '' C ...

. Based on the 1937 play ''A House in the Country'' by Melvin Levy, the screenplay was written by J. Robert Bren and

Edmund L. Hartmann Edmund L. Hartmann (September 24, 1911 – November 28, 2003) was an American film and television writer and producer from the 1930s to the 1970s. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Washington University in St. Louis. He later m ...

. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it opened on August 13, 1937. The film stars

Fred Stone Fred Andrew Stone (August 19, 1873 – March 6, 1959) was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act in vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned hi ...

Emma Dunn Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English actress. After starting her acting career on stage in London, she became known for her works in numerous films and Broadway productions. Career Emma Dunn appeared onstage in ...

Marjorie Lord Marjorie Lord (née Wollenberg; July 26, 1918 – November 28, 2015) was an American television and film actress. She played Kathy "Clancy" O'Hara Williams, opposite Danny Thomas's character on ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (''Make Room for Dadd ...

and J. Carroll Naish.

Plot

In the mid-1930s, the Peterson family is

squatting Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

in a vacant house owned by Mike Clarke, whom they have never met. Forestry ranger, Bill Parker, wants to marry Joan Peterson, but Joan wants to pursue life in New York. Joan's father, Franklin (“Frankie”) supports Bill's intentions, but her mother, Emma, supports her desire to move away. The Petersons also have young son, Oscar. In town, Frankie gives a stranger false directions to the “Mike Clarke house” afraid they will be evicted. However, the stranger is Mike Clarke, posing under the alias “John Knox.” He and his gang, Miller and Baxter, have committed murder and robbery, and want to hideout at Clarke's house. Finding the house, and to avoid suspicion, Clarke offers to pay the Petersons a nominal fee for lodging, posing with his gang as “hunters” to explain their firearms. Frankie invites several townspeople to the house for a party in honor of his guests. Bill Parker arrives and competes for the affection of Joan, who is attracted to Miller after he promises to help her if she goes to New York. The tension between Bill and Miller, along with the various antics of the Petersons, including Oscar's pranks, challenge Clarke and his gang to not blow their cover. Clarke offers Frankie $100 to go to New York to assist him with a “real estate deal.” Joan goes too. Clarke is actually using Frankie to get a message to his contact, Jerry Nolan. After Frankie is paid for the job, a disgruntled Joan wants to go home. Frankie finds Clarke's New York house hoping to negotiate with Clarke for the purchase of the house where the Petersons have been living. Rival gang leader, Norris, questions Frankie about his interest in Clarke and learns Clarke and his gang are in the Peterson house. Frankie returns home and tells Clarke about his encounter with Norris. Clarke and his gang hurriedly leave for Mexico, but Norris and his gang intercept them, fatally shooting Clarke. Clarke reveals his true identity to Frankie before dying. Frankie and Bill return to the house which has been breached by Norris. Frankie inadvertently shoots and kills Norris, and the rest of the gang is subdued. When Frankie is honored at a ceremony for his heroism, he is seen sleeping under a tree with his rifle, reflecting the film's opening scene.

Cast

as Franklin Peterson *

as Emma Peterson *

as Joan Peterson *

J. Carrol Naish Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He appeared in over 200 films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He became a dialect specialist, and was called upon to play character roles of many na ...

as Mike Clarke *

William Corson William Corson (December 23, 1909 – January 28, 1981) was an American film actor. Corson was a contract player at RKO Pictures. Partial filmography *'' Sea Devils'' (1937) - Coast Guard Seaman (uncredited) *''China Passage'' (1937) - ...

as Bill Parker * Ray Mayer as Eddie Baxter *

Bradley Page Bradley Page (September 8, 1901 – December 8, 1985) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1931 to 1943. Selected filmography * '' Sporting Blood'' (1931) - Eddie Frazier (uncredited) * '' X Marks the Spot'' ...

as Al Miller *

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American character actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He returned for ...

as Norris *

Tommy Bond Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods in ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...

as Oscar Peterson * Dudley Clements as Sheriff Roscoe W. Wiggins *

Alec Craig Alexander Younger Craig (30 March 1884 – 25 June 1945) was a Scottish-born American character actor, particularly known for his roles in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1935) and '' National Velvet'' (1944). He was particularly known for portraying ...

as Jerry Nolan * Charles Withers as Yokum *

Otto Hoffman Otto F. Hoffman (May 2, 1879 – June 23, 1944) was an American film actor. He appeared in almost 200 films between 1915 and 1944. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California, from lung cancer. Hoffman's Broadway credi ...

as Hank * Bob McKenzie as Walter Mooney

References

External links

* {{Richard Rosson 1937 comedy films 1937 films American comedy films RKO Pictures films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films produced by Cliff Reid Films directed by Richard Rosson 1930s American films 1930s English-language films English-language comedy films