By Violet LeVoit
They Wanted to Marry
Brief Synopsis
A photojournalist and his pet pigeon crash a society party and find love.
Cast & Crew
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Lew Landers
Director
Betty Furness
Sheila [Hunter]
Gordon Jones
Jim [Tyler]
E. E. Clive
Stiles
Patsy Lee Parsons
Patsy [Hunter]
Henry Kolker
Mr. [William Gordon] Hunter
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Feb
5,
1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
60m
Film Length
6 reels
Synopsis
With help from Roger Coleman, an advertising executive, newspaper photographer Jim Tyler crashes the wedding of socialite Helen Hunter, whose wealthy father is notoriously camera-shy, and snaps candid shots of the Hunter family. Before he is able to send Emily, his carrier pigeon, to the newspaper with his exposed film, however, Jim is found out by Stiles, the Hunter butler, and a detective. Chased around the house, Jim hides in the bedroom of Helen's impetuous sister Sheila, who is amused by his predicament and escapes with him through her window. She then joins him for dinner at Roger's lavish New York apartment. There, Jim and Sheila are confronted by the apartment manager, who demands that they pay for the champagne and caviar Sheila had ordered from room service. A fight ensues, and Jim and Sheila are put in jail. After Sheila promises her angry, disapproving father, whose wedding picture has appeared in Jim's newspaper, that she will not see Jim for six months, she dons dark sunglasses and becomes Jim's devoted assistant. When Jim accidentally takes a photograph of Hunter gambling in an illegal casino and lands himself and Sheila in jail again, he forces Hunter's hand. To assure their marriage, Sheila insists that Jim give up his photography and take a position at Roger's advertising firm. Jim complies but, on the day of his engagement party, Sheila and Hunter discover that Jim is taking photographs for an advertising campaign. Furious at Jim's apparent betrayal, Sheila breaks the engagement without allowing him to explain that he was forced by Roger to take the photographs in order to keep him from using snapshots of her in an advertisement. Confused and heartbroken, Jim tricks his former editor into re-hiring him and then sneaks into Sheila's bedroom to retrieve his camera. After explaining the situation, Jim is forgiven by Sheila, who also accepts Jim's determination to return to photography. Just before they are to be married, however, Hunter sees another embarrassing photograph of himself in Jim's column and storms the ceremony. Supported by his editor, Jim convinces Hunter that the photograph actually was taken by his young granddaughter Patsy. Blessed by her father, Sheila finally marries Jim.
Director
Lew Landers
Director
Cast
Betty Furness
Sheila [Hunter]
Gordon Jones
Jim [Tyler]
E. E. Clive
Stiles
Patsy Lee Parsons
Patsy [Hunter]
Henry Kolker
Mr. [William Gordon] Hunter
Frank M. Thomas
Detective
Charles Wilson
[Charles] Clark
William Benedict
Freckles
Diana Gibson
Helen [Hunter]
Franklin Pangborn
Apartment manager
Maxine Jennings
Miss Murdock
Crew
Larry Bachmann
Story
Ethel Borden
Screenwriter
Samuel J. Briskin
Executive Producer
Howard Campbell
Art Director Associate
Denzil A. Cutler
Recording
Desmond Marquette
Editing
Russell Metty
Photography
Zion Myers
Associate Producer
Van Nest Polglase
Art Director
Edward Stevenson
Costumes
Daniel L. Teilhet
Story
Paul Yawitz
Screenwriter
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Feb
5,
1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
60m
Film Length
6 reels
Articles
They Wanted To Marry
Newspaper lensman Jim Tyler (Gordon Jones) will stop at nothing to get a good photo, including using his trusty pet homing pigeon Emily to deliver fresh pictures back to the newspaper darkroom. But when he sneaks into a society wedding to take snapshots of reclusive millionaire Hunter (Henry Kolker), he raises the ire of the family and hides in a bedroom belonging to the bride's fun-loving sister Sheila (Betty Furness), who thinks he's much more fun than her stuffy family. (She even likes his bird!) But what does her family think about that -- and what does Jim think about getting an assistant with such a knack for trouble? Starring Betty Furness, years before her reinvention as Westinghouse spokesperson and consumer advocate, Gordon Jones before Abbott and Costello tapped his formidable presence to become their longtime foil "Mike The Cop", and introducing 5-year old Patsy Parsons, later seen as little Josie Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
They Wanted To Marry
Newspaper lensman Jim Tyler (Gordon Jones) will stop at nothing to get a good photo, including using his trusty pet homing pigeon Emily to deliver fresh pictures back to the newspaper darkroom. But when he sneaks into a society wedding to take snapshots of reclusive millionaire Hunter (Henry Kolker), he raises the ire of the family and hides in a bedroom belonging to the bride's fun-loving sister Sheila (Betty Furness), who thinks he's much more fun than her stuffy family. (She even likes his bird!) But what does her family think about that -- and what does Jim think about getting an assistant with such a knack for trouble? Starring Betty Furness, years before her reinvention as Westinghouse spokesperson and consumer advocate, Gordon Jones before Abbott and Costello tapped his formidable presence to become their longtime foil "Mike The Cop", and introducing 5-year old Patsy Parsons, later seen as little Josie Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Five-year-old Patsy Lee Parsons made her screen debut in this production. According to Hollywood Reporter production charts, Clara Kimball Young, Ray Mayer and Moroni Olsen were to be cast members, but their participation in the final film is doubtful. Eric Blore was replaced by E. E. Clive in the role of "Stiles." Gordon Jones and Betty Furness, whom RKO borrowed from M-G-M, replaced Louise Latimer and Owen Davis, Jr. prior to production, according to Hollywood Reporter.
