This week’s mystery movie was the 1935 Warner Bros. film “The Girl From 10th Avenue,” with Bette Davis, Ian Hunter, Colin Clive, Alison Skipworth, John Eldridge, Phillip Reed, Katharine Alexander, Helen Jerome Eddy, Gordon (Bill) Elliott, Edward McWade, Adrian Rosley and Andre Cheron.
Adaptation screenplay by Charles Kenyon from a play by Hubert Henry Davies. Edited by Owen Marks, art direction by John Hughes, photography by James Van Trees, gowns by Orry-Kelly, musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein.
Directed by Alfred E. Green.
“The Girl From 10th Avenue” is available on DVD from Warner Archive.
I picked “The Girl From 10th Avenue” during a search in the trades for popular movies released in 1935. You could call it a Cinderella story if Prince Charming were drunk all the time and mooning over some lost love. Bette Davis as lowly seamstress Miriam Brady and Alison Skipworth as a former Florodora girl who schools Miriam in the ways of high society are the best part of the film.
The movie deals with society lawyer Geoffrey Sherwood (Ian Hunter) going on a long bender after being dumped by Valentine (Katherine Alexander) and marrying Mr. Marland (Colin Clive), who is so fabulously wealthy that he doesn’t need a first name. Miriam decides to rescue Geoffrey from his long drunk and after marrying during a bout of alcoholic amnesia, they make an attempt at marriage. Geoffrey finds a new business interest that keeps him sober and Miriam plunges into self-improvement by reading at the public library.
Valentine, meanwhile, has thrown aside Mr. Marland and is directing her feminine wiles at her old flame, Geoffrey. Mr. Marland buttonholes Miriam at a swank art gallery and shows her an item in a society column implying that Valentine and Geoffrey had an illicit rendezvous during golf (on a municipal course – the horror!). The rest of the movie writes itself, but as long as we have Davis’ big scenes, we don’t mind.
With the male characters strictly two-dimensional and Ian Hunter turning in such a wooden performance that it’s a miracle the cast didn’t get splinters, this is Davis’ film all the way. She and Skipworth are enough – with a brief running time of just over an hour – to keep the plot moving. Otherwise it’s wealthy men, handsomely dressed and heading to the club, though Clive’s drunken singing at the bar is memorable, if you can imagine Dr. Frankenstein warbling while under the influence.
Warner Bros. released “The Girl From 10th Avenue” in substitution for an unidentified Leslie Howard production.
Motion Picture Daily (May 15, 1935) said:
Presented with all the necessary ingredients for good entertainment, director Alfred E. Green made the most of his opportunity here and has turned out a stirring, a gripping and a finished product.
Undoubtedly, the film’s entertainment values are greatly enhanced by the character portrayals of the cast, particularly on the part of Bette Davis and Ian Hunter.
The yarn, handled with a delicate touch, has as its base the familiar theme of the girl of the lower stratum of society who marries far above her station to suffer before obtaining final marital bliss.
…. Women everywhere should go for this picture and its appeal should be almost as great to men. Exhibitors should have no trouble with this one.
Harrison’s Reports (June 1, 1935) said:
Just a program entertainment. The plot is so familiar, and the solution so obvious, that it becomes boresome. It is only because of the sympathy that one feels for Bette Davis that the attention is held at all. Ian Hunter, her husband, is selfish and one feels antagonism towards him. An amusing and somewhat dramatic situation is that in which Miss Davis confronts her society rival in the dining room of a fashionable hotel and berates her for attempting to steal her husband. Aside from Miss Davis, no one else does anything to awaken sympathy.
….Not suitable for children, adolescents or Sundays because of some suggestive situations. Harmless for adults.
Writing in the New York Times (May 25, 1935) Andre Sennwald said:
By energetically skirting the cliches of writing which are implicit in its theme, “The Girl From Tenth Avenue” is able to lift itself by its bootstraps into a semblance of intelligent social comedy. At heart it is still in the Clara Bow stream of literature: the tenement girl who clashes with the ladies of the swanky set and beats them at their own game. If you are sufficiently callous to predict that the society snob will clinch his fists and mutter “I’ve been a blind fool,” and that he will discover his great love for the slum girl before the fadeout, it is the reluctant duty of this department to admit that you are entitled to pick up the marbles. But it happens that the film is credibly played by Bette Davis and Ian Hunter, and a good deal of the writing is fresh enough to make “The Girl From Tenth Avenue” seem modestly stimulating instead of just old potatoes.
And yes, Andre Sennwald is reaching back to the early days of New York Times movie critics.
For Monday, we have a mystery gentleman. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
For Friday, I have uncropped the photo to reveal our unmysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Adrian Rosley and Bette Davis.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman. For a change, she approves of such goings-on.
This is Helen Jerome Eddy.
These mystery fellows, however, do not approve of such goings-on. And they intend to do something about it.
Update: This is James Donlan, left, and Davison Clark.
Our final mystery guest for Tuesday is perplexed by such goings-on. A future mystery guest is exiting to the left and will appear for “Aha Thursday” (OK, I moved her to “Hm Wednesday”). In the scene that just concluded, she heartily approved of such goings-on, in case you are keeping track.
Update: This is Jack Hatfield.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery woman speaking on the phone.
Update: This is Mary Treen.
We also have this mystery gent, also speaking on the phone.
This is Gordon (Bill) Elliott.
And finally, we have this mysterious mystery woman peering out her door. I could do a full frame of her, but you must admit this image has more mystery.
Update: This is Alison Skipworth.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery waiter, Tuesday’s mystery woman, mystery detectives and mystery reporter), David Inman (Tuesday’s mystery detective No. 1) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and mystery detectives).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have these two mystery gents.
Update: This is John Eldridge, left, and Phillip Reed.
We also have this mystery gent.
Update: This is Colin Clive.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), David Inman (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Suzanne
Stone (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery detective No. 1, Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery detectives, Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Sheila (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery women) and Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and mystery detectives and Wednesday’s mystery women).
For Friday, we have this fashionable mystery woman.
Update: This is Katherine Alexander.
We also have this rather astonished mystery gent (the leading lady has just walked out on him).
Update: This is Ian Hunter.
And here’s our mystery leading lady.
Update: This is Bette Davis.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), David Inman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent no. 3), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 2), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 3), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery women, Thursday’s mystery gent No. 3), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and mystery reporter, Wednesday’s peeping woman and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Wild guess: THE SECRET SIX (1931)?
LikeLike
Right decade, but the wrong studio, alas.
LikeLike
Could be Stella and Luther’s baby brother, Jay Adler. Before his face went all Noir on us. Even if it isn’t, that mustache should be written about all unto itself.
LikeLike
Alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
Alphonse martell?
LikeLike
An excellent guess as M’sieur Martell played many waiters. But, alas, not this one.
LikeLike
Joseph Romantini as the waiter and Virginia Sale today. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL.
LikeLike
Right decade and right studio!
LikeLike
Monday: Adrian Rosley in THE GIRL FROM 10TH AVENUE (1935)
Tuesday: Helen Jerome Eddy; James Donlan, Davison Clark; Alison Skipworth, Jack Hatfield.
LikeLike
Tuesday’s duo: the guy on the left sure looks a lot like Ben Alexander.
LikeLike
They are detectives for sure!
LikeLike
Louise Fazenda and James Donlon today?
LikeLike
Helen Jerome Eddy, James Donlan and Davison Clark in GIRL FROM 10TH AVENUE.
LikeLike
Albert Conti for Monday?
LikeLike
Another popular movie waiter. But alas, not this one.
LikeLike
Lady with Glasses: Gertrude Sutton?
LikeLike
Excellent guess, but she wasn’t at our mystery studio in the year our mystery movie was filmed.
LikeLike
Mary Treen; Gordon Elliott; Alison Skipworth.
LikeLike
aka Bill Elliott.
LikeLike
Mary Treen today. Still drawing a blank on the movie title.
LikeLike
Mary Treen, Bill Elliott and Alison Skipworth.
LikeLike
Mary Treen as the secretary in “G-Men”?
LikeLike
THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE. George Humbert Monday, Robert Glecker, Janes Donlan, and David Newell Tuesday, Mary Treen and Wini Shaw today.
LikeLike
Mary Treen (Weds. #1) will help.
LikeLike
Helen Jerome Eddy, Mary Treen, Alison Skipworth in ‘The Girl from 10th Avenue’?
LikeLike
For now, I’m guessing “The Case of the Curious Bride” 1935, and if that is the film…
maybe Leo White is the waiter? I think James Donlan is one of the detectives. Mary Treen is on the phone. Maybe…Wini Shaw is our ‘exiting lady’ (who’s cropped for mysteriousness) of Tuesday.
Will await to hear if the movie is correct.
LikeLike
One more – I think Wheeler Oakman is Weds’ phone guy.
LikeLike
OK – guess #2 on movie is “The Girl From 10th Avenue” 1935
Sticking with James Donlan for one of the detectives. Is the other one Davison Clark?
LikeLike
The Girl from 10th Avenue
Helen Jerome Eddy, James Donlan, Davison Clark, Jack Hatfield, Mary Treen, Alison Skipworth
LikeLike
THE GIRL FROM TENTH AVENUE. Adrian Rosley Monday, Helen Jerome Eddy Tuesday along with Davison Clark and Bill Elliott, Mary Treen, Allison Skipworth Wednesday, and John Eldredge, Philip Reed, and Colin Clive today.
LikeLike
John Eldredge, Phillip Reed, Colin Clive
LikeLike
John Eldredge, Philip Reed; Colin Clive.
LikeLike
The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935) w/Betty Davis, Ian Hunter, Colin Clive, Alison Skipworth, John Eldredge, Philip Reed, Mary Treen
LikeLike
Colin Clive today, and this is “The Girl From 10th Avenue.”
LikeLike
John Eldredge, Philip Reed and Colin Clive.
LikeLike
In my old age it is always a surprise to recognize a face and have a readily available name to go with it, for example this photo of Phil Regan appearing in Manhattan Serenade or some such title.
LikeLike
Right era and the right studio… All should be clear today…
LikeLike
You’ve got some cuties this week, one of whom may be Phillip Reed.
LikeLike
Colin “It’s Alive” Clive on Aha Thursday
LikeLike
Lady peeking around door: Alison Skipworth. Girl on the phone: Mary Treen. Gentleman in striped tie: Colin Clive. “The Girl From 10th Avenue”!
LikeLike
The Girl From 10th Avenue.
Monday: Adrian Rosley
Tuesday: Helen Jerome Eddy, James Donlan, Davison Clark, and Jack Hatfield
Wednesday: Mary Treen, Bill Elliot, and Alison Skipworth
Thursday: John Eldridge and Phillip Reed, and Colin Clive
Friday will have Ian Hunter and Bette Davis and maybe a full view of Alison Skipworth
LikeLike
The only waiter I see listed in IMDb is Heinie Conklin, but if it’s him he sure looks different than usual. The sleeve to right belongs to Bette Davis.
Tuesday’s woman in the charming chapeau, I think is Helen Jerome Eddy. I don’t know the reporter (couldn’t find a photo of a Jack Hatfield that seemed close enough,) but the sleeve of the exiting woman belongs to Alison Skipworth.
Wednesday’s ‘peeking lady’ I think is Alison Skipworth again.
Thursday’s guys on the sofa are John Eldredge and Phillip Reed. Our last ‘not so mysterious’ gent is Colin Clive.
LikeLike
Bette Davis on Monday and last today, Katharine Alexander, and Ian Hunter.
LikeLike
Bette Davis, Katharine Alexander, Ian Hunter, Bette Davis again.
LikeLike
Katharine Alexander; Ian Hunter; Bette Davis.
LikeLike
This week we have Bette Davis, Colin Clive, James Donlan, and John Eldridge in “The Girl From 10th Avenue.”
LikeLike
Katharine Alexander, Ian Hunter and Bette Davis.
LikeLike
Bette Davis in Bureau of Missing Persons? Friday mystery woman: Ruth Donnelly? Leading man: Pat O’Brien?
LikeLike
Pingback: Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +) |