The Gentleman from Louisiana
Cast & Crew
Irving Pichel
Eddie Quillan
Charles "chic" Sale
Charlotte Henry
John Miljan
Marjorie Gateson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
During the late 1890s, young Tod Mason leaves the Louisiana farm he works on to become a jockey and test his revolutionary way of riding racehorses. He convinces experienced horse trainer Deacon Devlin to let him ride Deacon's horse and, to everyone's surprise, wins. Later that night, Tod and Deacon meet with Deacon's old friend, Fay Costigan, who owns the Fairfield Stables, and her manager, Baltimore Evans. The four agree to become partners and, shortly after, go to Fay's farm, where Tod meets and falls in love with Fay's pretty daughter Linda. Tod works hard training Linda's horse, "Lucky Linda," and they quickly become a winning team. After an important race, Roger Leland, owner of a prestigious stable, tries to lure Tod away by offering him $25,000 to ride his horse in the English Derby, but Tod refuses. During Tod's rise to the top, Linda becomes engaged to Baltimore, and although Tod still loves her, he agrees to help Baltimore when Baltimore confesses that he has embezzled money from the stables and now needs $23,000 to prevent bankruptcy. Tod goes to Leland, agrees to ride for him in the English Derby and has Leland make his fee payable to Baltimore. Soon after, at the English Derby, Baltimore instructs Tod's replacement, Hadley, to take an immediate lead and to whip Lucky Linda, even though this strategy is contrary to the way Tod trained her. Baltimore then bets on Leland's horse, and the race begins. During the race Tod becomes angry at Hadley's whipping of Lucky Linda, but when he tries to stop him, both jockeys tumble from their horses. The incident results in Tod being barred from racing in England, and after the Jockey Club questions all concerned, they suspect that Tod fixed the race with Baltimore. Tod is then banned from riding in America, and Baltimore is shunned by Fay and Linda. Sometime later, Tod and Deacon are informed by their friend, Steve Brodie, that the Fairfield Stables have gone bankrupt and Lucky Linda is to be sold that afternoon. Deacon goes to the auction and tries to stall the proceedings, but bidding begins on Lucky Linda. Just as Leland is about to claim her, Tod arrives with Diamond Jim Brady, who buys the horse and gives her to Tod. Weeks pass while Tod gets Lucky Linda into shape and Diamond Jim pulls strings to get Tod reinstated so that he may ride her at Saratoga. Baltimore, now reduced to being a bet-taker, is also at Saratoga, but has planned with two other jockeys to prevent Tod from winning. Diamond Jim bets Leland $10,000 that Tod and Lucky Linda will win, while Baltimore has stolen the bettors' money to place his own bet on Leland's horse. The race begins and Baltimore's accomplices attempt to trap Tod between them, but he pulls through and Lucky Linda wins. In the end, Baltimore is captured by his cheated bettors, Diamond Jim has the last laugh on Leland, and Tod receives a kiss from Linda.
Director
Irving Pichel
Cast
Eddie Quillan
Charles "chic" Sale
Charlotte Henry
John Miljan
Marjorie Gateson
Pierre Watkin
Charles Wilson
Holmes Herbert
Matt Mchugh
Mickey Bennett
Snub Pollard
Will Stanton
Gertrude Hoffman
Harry Bowen
Harrison Greene
Ruth Gillette
John Kelly
Arthur Wanzer
Kenneth Lawton
Lowden Adams
Crew
Jerry Chodorov
Colbert Clark
Charles Craft
Joseph Fields
Lee Freeman
Bert Granet
Harry Grey
Terry Kellum
Harry Knight
Nat Levine
Jack Marta
Ernest Miller
Gordon Rigby
Murray Seldeen
John Stransky
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
After the opening credits, the film states: "This story opens in Louisiana over forty years ago. Although suggested by the career of the late Tod Sloan, all events and all characters, except Diamond Jim Brady, Steve Brodie, and John L. Sullivan, are fictitious. Any similarity to any person or event is purely coincidental." According to a December 5, 1933 Hollywood Reporter news item, Tristram Tupper wrote an original story for Monogram entitled "Derby Day," which was based on the life of Tod Sloane, and Trem Carr was going to produce it. After Monogram was absorbed by Republic in 1935, Hollywood Reporter news items reported that Doris Dembow, Endre Bohem and Reginald R. Hammerstein were signed to work on the screenplay, and that Ken Goldsmith would supervise the production. The writers' contribution to the completed film has not been confirmed. Reviews, other contemporary sources and the onscreen credits differ as to the film's cast. Some of the actors credited on screen are not listed in contemporary sources, and some of the characters given in reviews were not in the print viewed, which was incomplete. Irving Pichel made his directing debut in this film.
