Sis Hopkins (1941)

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Movie
Original title Sis Hopkins
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1941
length 98 minutes
Rod
Director Joseph Santley
script Jack Townley ,
Milt Gross ,
Edward Eliscu
music Cy fire ,
Walter Scharf
camera Jack A. Marta
cut Murray Seldeen ,
Ernest Nims
occupation

Sis Hopkins is an American comedy film in black and white from 1941. Directed by Joseph Santley . The script was written by Jack Townley , Milt Gross and Edward Eliscu . The main role was played by Judy Canova .

action

Horace Hopkins, a plumber who made his fortune with his very successful company, is retiring. In the newspapers he is therefore portrayed as unemployed, so that his niece, Sis Hopkins, invites him and his family to live on their farm for the time being. Since his snooty wife Clara and his equally snooty daughter Carol are busy trying to approach the Farnsworth family - Carol tries to get band leader Jeff, Clara to join the circle around his mother - Horace decides to visit Sis. When he gets there, the farm has just burned down. He then invites Sis to his house. But since Sis doesn't fit there, for example she annoys the whole family and the entire servants by preparing breakfast before six in the morning and loudly rounding up all the residents, Clara soon vehemently demands that Sis be thrown out. Horace then decides to send Sis to college.

When Horace takes Sis to the train station, the two meet the popular Professor Colonna. Horace asks him to take care of Sis. All apartments in the college are already occupied. When Sis arrives there, Ripple, who is responsible for the room allocation, wants to send her away again. When she learns that Sis is the niece of Horace, who has made some generous donations to the college, she places her with Carol. She's not at all enthusiastic about it, and it doesn't get any better than her friends laugh at about it. Since Sis can sing very well, Jeff Farnsworth and Professor Colonna will soon give her the lead role in the musical they are planning. Carol is so angry that she calls Clara, who then arrives immediately with Horace. But he prevails against his wife and daughter and insists that Sis stay in college; Carol could go if she wanted. But Carol doesn't want to and persuades Sis to join her Sorority . Sis is supposed to appear in a burlesque show as an admission ritual.

This appearance by Sis is also a success. Behind the stage, Carol congratulates Sis, but secretly manipulates her dress so that it falls apart on stage. The police, called by Carol, intervene. Sis escapes with the help of Professor Colonna. Vera de Vere, the main actress of the show, also flees very lightly dressed. She penetrates the hotel room in which Horace is waiting for Clara. Only with great difficulty and by pretending to be sick, Horace manages to hide Vera from his wife. When Vera finally disappears, she takes a fur coat with her. Clara misses the coat almost immediately and reports to the police that it has been stolen. Horace now has to play the sick man, which is why he cannot meet with Vera, who will soon give him the coat back. Sis helps him and meets with Vera, but is arrested for theft before she can pass the coat on. Sis is free again quickly, but the dean expels Sis from college. With that, she will not be able to attend the scheduled show that a famous producer visits to see the newfound talent. Horace rushes to the performance and clarifies the matter to the dean. Sis is now allowed to participate, but is already about to leave. Professor Colonna rushes after her to the station and literally calls her out of the departing train. The two come back just in time, so the show is a huge hit.

production

The story of the character Sis Hopkins

The character of Sis Hopkins goes back to the American actress Rose Melville . She played the character in various plays and skits at the theater from the 1890s. Given the character's enduring popularity, a play by Carroll Fleming and Edward E. Kidder called Sis Hopkins was created in 1899 . In 1916 Rose Melville played the role of Sis Hopkins in several short films ; The Internet Movie Database lists 21 such short films in Rose Melville's filmography. In 1919 the play by Clarence G. Badger , also under the title Sis Hopkins , was filmed with Mabel Normand in the title role. Rose Melville acted as a consultant for Mabel Normand.

The script

After Judy Canova's first film for Republic Pictures , Scatterbrain , was a surprise hit, the studio turned to the play Sis Hopkins when looking for content for the next film . It is said to have paid $ 50,000 for the filming rights, but Variety reported that it was only $ 2,500. The story has been massively changed by F. McGrew Willis and the screenwriters. For example, the character Professor Colonna , known from the Bob Hope Show and Bob Hope's troop support, was added.

Occupation and technical staff

Charles Butterworth was hired for the role of Horace . The role of Carol took on Susan Hayward , who was not a star at the time. Jeff Farnsworth was portrayed by band leader Bob Crosby , the younger brother of Bing Crosby . In addition to Jerry Colonna , Elvia Allman also performed from Bob Hope's troupe .

For the costumes in Sis Hopkins was Adele Palmer responsible for Production Design John Victor Mackay .

Filming

Was shot Sis Hopkins from January 16 to the end of February 1941 in the Republic Studios in Hollywood .

music

In Sis Hopkins the songs If You're in Love , Look at You, Look at Me , Well! Well! , That Ain't Hay and Cracker Barrel Count , all originally written and sung for the film by Jule Styne (music) and Frank Loesser (text). There are also Some of These Days by Harry Woods and Arthur Freed and Wait for the Wagon by George P. Knauff (music) and - possibly - R. Bishop Buckley (text).

In addition, Judy Canova sings the aria Ah, fors'è lui che l'anima from the opera La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi .

The Hays Office

Since the original script contained a "strip scene", the Hays Office intervened early on. It was then agreed that Sis should not undress herself, but rather be the victim of the scene and of course be adequately clothed afterwards. Instead there was a scene in which Professor Colonna is sitting in a bathtub. At the end he gets out and you can see that he is wearing a bathing suit. He says the Hays office insisted on it. This gag was praised in a few reviews, for example that of the Motion Picture Herald .

Premiere

Sis Hopkins premiered in St. Louis on April 4, 1941 . The event, dedicated to helping Greece in the Greco-Italian War , was the first ever film to be shown in St. Louis and was celebrated accordingly. The mayor called for a Sis Hopkins day .

The film, distributed by Republic Pictures , was released in US cinemas on April 12, 1941.

reception

Reviews

Sis Hopkins is often seen as ambivalent. The TV Guide says it relatively clearly: Because of the humor that was already out of date when the film was released, the film is stupid and boring for some, but a great joy for others. The critic of the Harrison's Reports sees it similarly . He wrote whoever likes Judy Canova should like the film, and also praised the film's production values. The somewhat unimaginative story and the banal dialogues, on the other hand, would not be so popular with demanding viewers. The Variety was entertained by Judy Canova, whose style, however, she described as backwoods. Bosley Crowther, on the other hand, saw only a silly farce.

The music, hillbilly as well as the aria, is praised, as is the lavish musical number at the end. But Bosley Crowther sees it differently, too. While making fun of a few rural dancers, he mocks that the opera aria goes as well with the film as a fugue by Bach would.

Susan Hayward's acting has received praise as well as Charles Butterworth and Judy Canova. Bosley Crowther, on the other hand, thinks that Charles Butterworth looks confused, while Bob Crosby looks bland.

nomination

Republic Pictures were 1,942 for Sis Hopkins in the category Best Art Direction (black and white) for an Oscar nomination. However, the studio withdrew the film, so the nomination is not official.

consequences

Sis Hopkins' production costs were $ 750,000 according to the studio, but in fact it was probably closer to $ 500,000. Still, that was a great deal given the capabilities of Republic Pictures. Despite this cost, the film made ample profit. This further increased Republic's reputation. After this film, Judy Canova successfully demanded a say over the script, the director and the cast of her future films at Republic Pictures , as well as the right to a share of their profits. This was otherwise only granted to John Wayne at Republic , and to him only much later. In addition, Judy Canova received an additional contract, according to which she would shoot a film with Paramount in the next five years .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sis Hopkins (1941). In: American Film Institute . Retrieved June 30, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Rose Melville in the Internet Movie Database (English) . Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  3. ↑ a b WB’s Buy of 7 Plays for $ 516,500 Topped Hollywood's B'way Invasion . In: Variety . June 4, 1941, p.  46 ( online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  4. ↑ a b c “Sis Hopkins” with Judy Canova, Bob Crosby and Charles Butterworth . In: Harrison's Reports . April 19, 1941, p.  62 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  5. ↑ Hal Erickson : Sis Hopkins (1941). In: AllMovie . Retrieved June 30, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b Ben Ohmart: Judy Canova: Singin 'in the Corn! BearManor Media, Duncan 2010, ISBN 978-1-59393-316-6 , pp. 206 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  7. ^ Duncan Underhill: Hollywood Newsreel . In: Hollywood . May 1941, p. 10 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  8. ↑ a b c Sis Hopkins . In: Motion Picture Herald . April 12, 1941, p.  36 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  9. ^ Majors up into Mountains, Down Underground to Show New Films . In: Motion Picture Herald . April 12, 1941, “Sis Hopkins” Premiered, p.  27–28 ( online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  10. ↑ 'Hopkins' Premiere For Greek Relieve . In: Motion Picture Herald . April 26, 1941, p.  57 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  11. ↑ a b c d e Sis Hopkins. In: TV Guide . Retrieved June 30, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b c d Sis Hopkins . In: Variety . April 9, 1941, p.  18 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  13. ^ A b c Bosley Crowther : The Screen . In: The New York Times . May 1, 1941 ( online on the New York Times pages [accessed June 30, 2019]).
  14. ↑ Sis Hopkins. In: Oscars.org. Retrieved June 30, 2019 .
  15. ↑ a b John Franchey: First Lady of the sticks . In: Hollywood . May 1941, p. 64 (English, online at Archive.org [accessed June 30, 2019]).