BARBARY COAST
DIRECTED BY HOWARD HAWKS/WILLIAM WYLER
MUSIC BY ALFRED NEWMAN
THE SAMUEL GOLDWYN COMPANY
UNITED ARTISTS
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Plot Summary
Mary Rutledge arrives from the east, finds her fiance dead, and goes to work at the roulette wheel of Louis Charnalis' Bella Donna, a rowdy gambling house in San Francisco in the 1850s. She falls in love with miner Carmichael and takes his gold dust at the wheel. She goes after him, Louis goes after her with intent to harm Carmichael.
Written by Ed Stephan
Cast
Miriam Hopkins ... Mary 'Swan' Rutledge
Edward G. Robinson ... Luis Chamalis
Joel McCrea ... Jim Carmichael
Walter Brennan ... Old Atrocity
Frank Craven ... Col. Marcus Aurelius Cobb
Brian Donlevy ... Knuckles Jacoby
Clyde Cook ... Oakie
Harry Carey ... Jed Slocum
Matt McHugh ... Broncho
Donald Meek ... Sawbuck McTavish
Rollo Lloyd ... Wigham
J.M. Kerrigan ... Judge Harper
Roger Gray ... Sandy Ferguson
David Niven ... Cockney Sailor Thrown Out of Saloon (uncredited)
Jack Pennick ... Miner Chasing Chinese Man (uncredited)
Hank Worden ... Barfly / Townsman (uncredited)
and many more...
Directed
Howard Hawks
William Wyler ... (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Edward Chodorov ... (uncredited)
Ben Hecht
Stephen Longstreet ... (uncredited)
Charles MacArthur
Produced
Samuel Goldwyn ... producer
Music
Alfred Newman ... (uncredited)
Cinematography
Ray June
Trivia
Joel McCrea's role was initially intended for Gary Cooper,
There were constant struggles between Miriam Hopkins and Edward G. Robinson during the shooting of the movie. She constantly changed her lines and tried to upstage and unsettle Robinson's performance. After two weeks they had to shoot a scene where Robinson had to slap his co-star. He did just that, but put such force in it that she fell to the ground. After a pause the crew began to cheer, fed up as they were with Hopkins' antics.
The famous uncredited early David Niven appearance can require several viewings to spot. It is about twelve minutes into the film, as Mary is led along the street and Old Atrocity (Walter Brennan) says "Make way for a lady!". Niven, wearing a peaked cap with a coat over his left arm, says in his best Cockney accent: "Oright- oright!" and something about bars in Africa, as he leaves the saloon with the main group in front of him.
Filming Locations
Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA (studio)
San Francisco, California, USA
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