The House on 56th Street (1933)

It is the World War I period, and Peggy Martin, a showgirl and mistress to London Fiske, marries her love, handsome Monte Van Tyle. They move into the house on 56th street and have a baby, ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

Austin Parker (screen play), Sheridan Gibney (screen play)

Stars:

Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez, Gene Raymond

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kay Francis	...	Peggy Martin
Ricardo Cortez	...	Bill Blaine
Gene Raymond	...	Monty Van Tyle
John Halliday	...	Lyndon Fiske
Margaret Lindsay	...	Eleanor Van Tyle Burgess
Frank McHugh	...	Chester Hunt
William 'Stage' Boyd	...	Bonelli (as William Boyd)
Hardie Albright	...	Henry Burgess
Sheila Terry	...	Dolly
Phillip Reed	...	Freddy
Philip Faversham	...	Gordon
Walter Walker	...	Dr. Wyman
Nella Walker	...	Eleanor Van Tyle

Storyline

It is the World War I period, and Peggy Martin, a showgirl and mistress to London Fiske, marries her love, handsome Monte Van Tyle. They move into the house on 56th street and have a baby, Eleanor. Monte enlists in the army and is killed in action. Peggy is revisited by Fiske who wants her back or he'll commit suicide. She refuses his advances and the gun he brought accidentally goes off killing him. Peggy is convicted with murdered and jailed. Eleanor is told her mother is dead. Twenty years later, Peggy is released and meets gambler, Bill Blaine. The house on 56th street is now a gambling house owned by politician, Bonelli. Bill and Peggy get jobs there. Eleanor comes to visit them, and goes with Bill into his office. Bill threatens Eleanor, now a huge gambler, that he'll tell her husband about her huge debts. Eleanor kills Bill and Peggy takes the blame. Bonelli believes Peggy is innocent and offers to help her if she only stays at the house on 56th street.

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Plot Keywords:

gambling | showgirl | makeover | mistress | manslaughter | 

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Taglines:

She does them wrong in the right way!

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Haus in der 56. Straße

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$211,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to studio records Adolphe Menjou was to play the male lead, which was to be his first picture with Warner Bros. He was instead assigned Convention City (1933), and Ricardo Cortez was borrowed from Paramount for the role of Bill.

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Goofs

The film opens in 1905, at a performance of Florodora. However, this show, which opened on Broadway in 1900, would have closed several years before 1905.

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Quotes

Bill Blaine: You've gambled on everything else... why not love?

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Connections

Remade as The Return of Carol Deane (1938)

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Soundtracks

In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree
(1905) (uncredited)
Music by Egbert Van Alstyne
Played on piano in the bar

User Reviews

Kay Francis and Irony

Lightning-paced drama directed by Robert Florey stars Kay Francis (top female star at Warners) as a chorus girl in 1905 who is pursued by an older man (John Halliday) who has no interest in marriage and a younger man (Gene Raymond) who wants to marry her. She opts for Raymond and becomes a society hostess and eventually has a baby. Later, when she learns Halliday is ill, she visits. He tries to commit suicide but Francis is convicted and jailed for 20 years. The baby daughter grows up (Margaret Lindsay). Out of jail, Francis goes by the name of Mrs. Stone and meets up with a gambler (Ricardo Cortez). They work in a speakeasy and everything is OK until the daughter shows up one night. The ironic ending is perfect.

At 68 minutes, this film whizzes along but is filled with lots of period detail and plot elements. Very nicely done. Kay Francis gets to transform from the frilly 1905 fashions and hair to a sleek henna-rinsed beauty in 1927 and finally to a slightly graying babe dealing cards in 1933. She's terrific, and the ending will surprise you.

Co-stars include Nella Walker, Henry O'Neill, Frank McHugh, Hardie Albright, and William "Stage" Boyd.