1935 Movie Project

Frank Saltiel

In 1935, two women, Natalie and Natasha (played by Patricia Ellis and Joan Blondell, respectively), are completely inseparable. Best friends since children, roommates since their twenties - and now they find themselves in love with the same man. An uproaring screwball comedy ensues as these two battle for the right to this man, Richard Hart, played by William Gargan, in Torn Apart at the Hart.

Directed by William C. McGann, known for Three Ages, I Like Your Nerve, and Times Square Playboy, this film would be a run-of-the-mill screwball comedy of the time. As a Warner Brothers picture, audiences expect either a musical, comedy, or an intense gangster film. Here, they can escape their troubles with a comedy. Audiences would go to see this to laugh and forget the struggles of being an American at the time. As Hitler is coming to power overseas, Americans were having their own struggles during the Depression. Jobs were sparse and money was a tight as it gets, so this film would (hopefully) bring the audience necessary laughs in the hard times.

Aesthetically speaking, this film would be black-and-white, as most comedies during the time. There is hardly a reason for the fantasy feel of color for this film.

As well, this film may need to work around the Hay’s Code of 1935. Both women are realistically attempting to seduce Mr. Hart, which goes against Part II Rule 3 in the Hay’s Code, so both actresses would not flirt with Mr. Hart in a conventionally way, but by speaking in a “flirtatious” manner when saying very lame things. For example, when Mr. Hart asks to come into their home, they would (on script) say “yes, you may” but in a seducing manner to pass the Hay’s Code.

For the most part, comedies at this time did not need a certainly-skilled cinematographer to capture of the film entirely. Robert Martin would be hired as the cinematographer to ensure all humorous aspects of the film are captured in a realistic way to adhere to Warner Brothers’ standards. Martin mostly worked on British films at this time, but Warner Brothers would hire him in order to appeal to audiences worldwide, and Martin would be able to, apparent in his work like It Happened in Paris and No Limit.

At the end of the film, both women would meet separate men and fall in love with those men instead of Mr. Hart. This is to teach the audience a lesson of respecting friendships and how they are more important than finding a husband. Both women are independent in their own ways unti they meet Mr. Hart, and this film can be seen as highlighting a woman's’ independent nature. Both women are married off, and move out of their shared home, as if to magnify their newfound independence, and to show young women they can also move live freely, as these women did.

This film would be a success with women, as romantic comedies of today are. With the help of Robert Martin’s cinematography skills to capture every joke and William McGann’s ability to showcase a woman’s independence, this film would do very well in the box office. Women would feel a sense of self after viewing this film and men would learn to not lead women on for their own pleasure. Warner Brothers would be happy with the success, for commerce purposes mostly.