Bachelor Bait
| Bachelor Bait | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | George Stevens |
| Screenplay by | Glenn Tryon |
| Story by | Edward Halperin Victor Halperin |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Starring | Stuart Erwin Rochelle Hudson Pert Kelton "Skeets" Gallagher Berton Churchill Grady Sutton Clarence Wilson Anne Shirley |
| Cinematography | David Abel |
| Edited by | James B. Morley |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $120,000[1] |
| Box office | $195,000[1] |
Bachelor Bait is a 1934 American comedy film about a man (William Watts) who is fired from his job issuing marriage licenses at city hall because of the actions of a co-worker. He starts a match making business which becomes very successful because of Mr. Watts' ability to find suitable matches for everybody except for himself. Bachelor Bait (originally titled The Great American Harem) was director George Stevens' first feature-length film for RKO, filmed from 30 April to 18 May 1934. His first feature was The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble (1933), for Universal.[2]
Plot
Stu Erwin plays a kindhearted man who, after losing his job as a civil servant in a marriage license office, opens his own business, Romance Inc., which becomes a successful matrimonial agency. When he sets up his secretary (Rochelle Hudson) with a wealthy client (Grady Sutton), he realizes just in time that he is really in love with her.[2]
Cast
- Stuart Erwin as Mr. William Watts
- Rochelle Hudson as Cynthia Douglas
- Pert Kelton as Allie Summers
- Richard "Skeets" Gallagher as Bramwell Van Dusan
- Berton Churchill as "Big" Barney Nolan
- Grady Sutton as Don Beldon/Diker
- Clarence Wilson as District Attorney Clement Craftsman
- Landers Stevens as Mr. Wells
Analysis
According to Marilyn Ann Moss, Bachelor Bait "is a light comedy that touches briefly on the Depression (when mention is made of "everyone being out of work these days") before it supplies its audience with a leisurely paced series of misadventures."[2]
The film lost $3,000 for RKO Studios.[1]
Production
In February 1934, Lou Brock[3][4] announced The Great American Harem as the next film for Ginger Rogers. [5]
William Seiter was set to direct.[6]
Alice Joyce Moore, daughter of Alice Joyce and Tom Moore, was signed for a role.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p57
- ^ a b c Marilyn Ann Moss, Giant: George Stevens, a Life on Film (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2004), 29; ISBN 9780299204303
- ^ "Lou Brock". Classic Movie Hub. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Lou Brock". tcmdb. prod.tcm.com.
- ^ "PICTURES AND PLAYERS IN HOLLYWOOD". nytimes.com. February 25, 1934. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "(Jan-Oct 1934)". Hollywood Filmograph. Hollywood Filmograph, inc. 1934. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
... William Seiter will start direction of "The Great American Harem," within this ...
- ^ Modern Screen 1934-07
External links
- Bachelor Bait at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Bachelor Bait at IMDb
- Bachelor Bait at the TCM Movie Database