The Higgins Family films was

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

' response to

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

's popular

Andy Hardy Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The main film series was released from 1937 to 1946, with a final film made in 1958 in an unsuccessfu ...

series, as well as

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

Jones Family The Jones Family film series is seventeen 20th Century Fox second feature family comedies produced between 1936 and 1940. Somewhat similar to the mildly comic tone of MGM's ''Andy Hardy'' and Columbia Pictures '' Blondie'' films, the Joneses sta ...

series. Nine films were released between 1938 and 1941. In the first seven movies,

James Gleason James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter born in New York City. Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold." Early life Gleason was ...

, his wife Lucile and their son Russell played Joe, Lillian, and Sydney Higgins. In contrast, Harry Davenport played Grandpa (though his name changed from William Jordan in ''The Higgins Family'' to Higgins in ''Should Husbands Work?'' to Ed Carson the rest of the time). In the last two, they were all replaced, by

Roscoe Karns Roscoe Karns (September 7, 1891 – February 6, 1970) was an American actor who appeared in nearly 150 films between 1915 and 1964. He specialized in cynical, wise-cracking (and often tipsy) characters, and his rapid-fire delivery enlivened many ...

Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982) was an American film and stage actress. Early years and family Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Donnelly was the daughter of Harry Augustus and Bessie B. Donnelly. Her uncle Frederi ...

George Ernest George Ernest (born George Ruud Hjorth; November 20, 1921 – June 25, 2009) was an American actor and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) combat photographer/cameraman during World War II. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1930 an ...

and

Spencer Charters Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles. Biography Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until aroun ...

, respectively. Tommy Ryan played Tommy in the second through sixth movies. Betty was played by

Mary Beth Hughes Mary Elizabeth Hughes (November 13, 1919 Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books. . P. 586. – August 27, 1995) was an American film, television, a ...

in the fourth and Lois Ranson in the last five. Lynne Roberts played Marian in the first, then Jean for the second and third.

Gus Meins Gus Meins (March 6, 1893 – August 1, 1940), born Gustave Peter Ludwig Luley, was an American film director. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Career Meins started out in the ‘teens as a cartoonist for the ''Los Angeles Evening Herald'' ...

directed all of the Gleason pictures, and produced some of the later ones.

Films

* '' The Higgins Family'' (1938) * ''

My Wife's Relatives ''My Wife's Relatives'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Jack Townley. The film stars James Gleason, Lucile Gleason, Russell Gleason, Harry Davenport, Lynne Roberts and Tommy Ryan. The film was released on May ...

'' (1939) * '' Should Husbands Work?'' (1939) * '' The Covered Trailer'' (1939) * '' Money to Burn'' (1939) * '' Grandpa Goes to Town'' (1940) * ''

Earl of Puddlestone ''Earl of Puddlestone'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Ewart Adamson and Val Burton. The film stars James Gleason, Lucile Gleason, Russell Gleason, Harry Davenport, Lois Ranson and Tommy Ryan. The film was re ...

'' (1940) * '' Meet the Missus'' (1940) * ''

Petticoat Politics ''Petticoat Politics'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Roscoe Karns, Ruth Donnelly and Spencer Charters. It was the ninth and final of Republic's Higgins Family series. Plot Lil Higgins become excessively ...

'' (1941)

References

{{Higgins Family American film series