RIFFRAFF
US, 1936, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, Una Merkel, Joseph Calleia, Mickey Rooney, J.Farrell McDonald?.
Directed by J.Walter Ruben.
A star vehicle for Jean Harlow. One of her last. She released four films in 1936 and her final one in 1937. Spencer Tracy was up-and-coming – his next roles were in Fury and San Francisco. Una Merkel was once again the wisecracking companion/sister. Joseph Calleia is a heavily-accented corporate villain, with Mickey Rooney still with a juvenile role but with several scenes, anticipating the Boys Town films, with Spencer Tracy. J. Farrell Mc Donald is the union leader, Brains.
The setting is a contemporary 1930s scene, a fishing town on the California coast, the workers and the unions, the clashes with corporate bosses and their wanting strikes so that they can bring in scab labour. Spencer Tracy portrays a hero of the waterfront, but too smug in his self-appraisal, leading the men, but humiliated, throwing his weight around and finally expelled from the union. Jean Harlow works in the canning factory but attracts the eye of the boss who buys her furs. She is always clashing with Tracy. However, they marry, even squabbling at the wedding, he providing her with a luxury house but, losing his union card, everything is repossessed and he goes off.
Meanwhile, Jean Harlow is pregnant, has a baby, finds out that Tracy is in a hobo camp, steals money from the boss to go to find him but is arrested and jailed, giving birth in the jail, having to to give up the baby to her sister for care.
Tracy learns his lessons, returns, is heroic in a security job, gets his card – meanwhile Jean Harlow escapes from prison and is prepared to run away with Tracy. But, because he has changed, she is happy – and the film ends before we find out whether she returns to jail or not.
1. A Jean Harlow star vehicle? Her career at MGM in the 30s? Cut short?
2. Spencer Tracy in support, soon becoming a star? The supporting cast?
3. The waterfront, the tuna boats, the homes, the union meetings, the boss, 4 July celebrations? Hobo camps, prisons? The musical score?
4. Hattie’s story, her alcoholic father, her sister and her husband and the baby, her brother Jimmy, cramped quarters, living close together, the initial episode of his cake? Her going to work, in the cannery? The protest meeting, her watching, listening to Dutch, clashing with him, throwing the mackerel and his going into the water, and the scene on the newsreel? Their arguments? Nick and his attraction, giving her the fur, her resistance? Dutch and his leadership? The wedding, squabbling? The new house, pink, all the electrical goods? Dutch, throwing his weight around, his ignorance, the men turning against him, his being expelled from the union? The repossession, Hattie being upset? The encounters with Nick, her resistance? Hearing where Dutch was, taking the money, not finding him? Being arrested, going to prison, pregnant, Dutch not knowing, giving birth, having to give up the baby, her relationship with her sister, support? Dutch and his visit, the explanation for the escape? The decision to escape, with the girls, the storm the rain, getting away, returning home, hiding, the police not finding her? Waiting for Dutch, his finally coming, her admiration for his change? Prepared to go back to prison?
5. Dutch, the best fishermen on the coast, hard work, full of himself, Brains persuading him to talk, explaining Nick’s plan to break the strikers? His speech, the newsreel, into the water, watching the newsreel? His becoming vain, thinking he had all the answers? The clashes with Hattie, the mackerel, the arguments, the wedding? The new house? His rabble-rousing? The men turning against him, excluded from the union? The repossession, his going on the road, destitute in the hobo camp, visiting Hattie, the baby, urging her to escape? His return, desperation, visiting Brains and his wife, too proud to eat, getting the security job, the attack, his fighting back? His heroism recognised, getting his card back, Jimmy trying to get information, his finally going back, Hattie proud of him – the future?
6. Lil, good-natured, the older sister, looking after the father, the baby, her musician husband? Jimmy in the household, mischief, on the roof, the fireworks? Being around the wharves, seeing Dutch, his security job, getting the police, later trying to indicate to Dutch where Hattie was?
7. Nick, smug, accent despite his name, mixing words, confident in his plan, attracted to Hattie, the gift of the third, Dutch and the money, the gambling, Dutch winning? His plan to get in scab workers? His assistants and their being done?
8. Brains, a good man, the union, fostering Dutch, giving him the ideas, confronting with the truth, giving him the security job, recognising Duchess heroism?
9. The flavour of life in the town, the social concerns of the 1930s, fishermen, the unions, the bosses and their attempts to exploit the workers, the protests?
