Cain and Mabel

Director: Lloyd Bacon Lloyd Bacon

Overview

Previously (and uncomfortably) co-starred in Polly at the Circus, Marion Davies and Clark Gable were reteamed in Cain and Mabel, reportedly on the demand of Davies' "sponsor" William Randolph Hearst. The story concerns a hash slinger-turned-Broadway-star named Mabel O'Dare (Davies, endearingly miscast) whose career is in the hands of hotshot publicist Reilly (Roscoe Karns). To stir up interest in Mabel's latest musical show, Karns cooks up a phony romance between his client and boxing champ Larry Cain (Gable) -- even though Mabel and Cain have already developed a healthy dislike for one another. Unfortunately, Karns' brainstorm turns out to be a drizzle: Mabel's show is a flop, and Cain begins losing in the ring. By the time Cain and Mabel have fallen in love for real, both parties have had to virtually abandon their careers as proof that it is for real. Most of the comedy setpieces in the film fall flat, save for a terrific bit near the end: Told that "The show must go on!," a disconsolate Mabel asks "Why?" -- and no one can come up with a good answer! This is the film in which a studio stagehand allegedly pops up during one of the production numbers, but don't kill yourself looking for him. PS: The handsome actor billed as David Carlyle later enjoyed a substantial screen career as Robert Paige.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/2009
UPC:	0883316127056
Original Release:	1936
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:29:00
Sales rank:	37,224

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Clark Gable	Larry Cain
Marion Davies	Mabel O'Dare
Allen Jenkins	Dodo
Ruth Donnelly	Aunt Mimi
Roscoe Karns	Aloysius K. Reilly
Walter Catlett	Jake Sherman
Robert Paige	Ronny Cauldwell
Hobart Cavanaugh	Milo
Pert Kelton	Toddy Williams
William Collier Sr.	Pop Walters
E.E. Clive	Charles Fendwick
Allen Pomeroy	Tom Reed
Guy Kibbee	Actor
David Carlyle	Ronny Cauldwell
Sammy White	Specialty
Robert Middlemass	Cafe Proprietor
Joseph Crehan	Reed's Manager
Eily Malyon	The Old Maid
Jane Wyman	Bit Part
Alexis Dubin	Composer
Harry Warren	Composer

Technical Credits

Laird Doyle

Lloyd Bacon	Director
Laird Doyle	Screenwriter
Samuel Bischoff	Producer,Producer

Editorial Reviews

A member of the studio crew was reportedly visible in the background of one of the gigantic musical numbers in this vanity production, which threatened to completely capsize the waning career of Marion Davies. The unfortunate crew member is not detectable in surviving prints but a gaffe like that would merely prove a minor distraction in a film that had more than its share of embarrassments, chief among them Miss Davies' obvious lack of terpsichorean skills. Marion played a waitress turned Broadway dancing star whose show is suffering from a lack of glamour. Enter fast-talking publicity maven Roscoe Karns, who conjures up a non-existent romance between Miss Davies and prize-fighter Clark Gable (sans trademark mustache). Neither relishes each other's company but both the show and Gable's pugilistic prowess benefit from the association. But when the two fall in love for real and begin discussing retirement, their handlers become worried lest they lose their meal-tickets. Suffice it to say, this less than taxing conundrum is solved to everyone's satisfaction, and at ringside at that. Marion Davies handled the comedy as the old pro she was but in the end, Cain and Mabel proved a major humiliation. Apparently, Davies' benefactor, newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, demanded once again to see his beloved in virginal white organdy and bouffant sleeves but by 1936, Davies was a bit long in the tooth to play the naive ingenue. She was also no Ruby Keeler, but Laird Doyle's screenplay nevertheless centered on a girl, who at the drop of a hat takes over from a temperamental star (Pert Kelton) and, like Keeler's Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street (1933), vows them with her verve and artistry. The result, amusingly inept as it may appear today, must have been devastating to Davies' self-esteem. Here she was, almost stationary in the midst of Bobby Connolly's over-produced musical numbers while such professionals as Sammy White and David Carlyle (later known as Robert Paige) try their level best to cover the lady's inadequacies. White is wonderfully nimble in a Coney Island number and Carlyle does justice to Harry Warren and Al Dubin's great songs, but they cannot hide the fact that Miss Davies' was completely out of her league. The distraction of a wayward scenery worker may in fact have been a blessing in disguise, if only he were visible! In the end, Cain and Mabel proved a notorious flop and Marion Davies wisely chose to retire when Hearst began experiencing financial difficulties in 1937.

All Movie Guide - Hans J. Wollstein