A prison reformer and a controversial judge fall in love and have a child out of wedlock.A prison reformer and a controversial judge fall in love and have a child out of wedlock.A prison reformer and a controversial judge fall in love and have a child out of wedlock.
J. Carrol Naish
- Dr. Sorelle
- (as J. Carroll Naish)
Rafaela Ottiano
- Mrs. Feldermans
- (as Rafaella Ottiano)
Wally Albright
- Mischa Feldermans
- (uncredited)
Margaret Armstrong
- Miss Jones
- (uncredited)
Irving Bacon
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
May Beatty
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome objections were made by the Hays Office concerning the plot of the first draft of the screenplay, where Ann marries Captain Resnick and then has an affair with Barney. The plot was changed to Ann being seduced by the Captain with the offense somehow deemed less if only one of the parties in the adulterous affair is married. No reference is made about any abortion in the trip to Havana, and in the released print the cause of death of Ann's baby girl is never mentioned. RKO applied for an "Approved" certificate in 1935, when the production code was more rigorously enforced, but they were informed that no certificate would be given because of the film's attitude towards adultery.
- GoofsAlthough the first part of the picture takes place in 1918, all of Irene Dunne's hairstyles and clothes are strictly in the 1933 mode, and continue as such through the decade of the 1920s which follows.
- Quotes
Barney Dolphin: [last lines]
Matthew Dolphin: Who are you?
Barney Dolphin: Well, son, i refuse to answer without advice of counsel.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits are printed in the pages of the novel. They are revealed by a man's hand who's opening the book and turning the pages.
- ConnectionsFeatures Her Man (1930)
- SoundtracksSmiles
(1917) (uncredited)
Music by Lee S. Roberts
Lyrics by J. Will Callahan
Played by a band for dance music at the Lorlears Hook Settlement House
Whistled by Sam Hardy
Danced by Sam Hardy and Helen Cromwell and other couples
Featured review
Strong women's empowerment film
Is anyone in the mood for a cross between Back Street and Night Court? Following those 1931 and 1932 dramas, and combining the stars, comes Ann Vickers, a drama about a strong woman who falls in love with a married man, a judge who doesn't let the law rule his personal life. If you liked both of those precursors, I know what you're renting tonight.
This is an extremely racy movie, and it's a miracle it received a seal of approval from the not-yet mandatory Production Code. The beginning of the film follows Irene Dunne as she has a romance with a soldier, Bruce Cabot. She gets pregnant, and while it's not explicitly spelled out, it's made extremely clear that she goes to Havana to have and recover from an abortion. She's seen resting, wincing, and crying, and no further mention is made of her impending pregnancy. If you don't know how much of a big deal that was to include in a 1933 movie, you're probably not ready to watch it yet.
Her best friend, Edna May Oliver, is another strong female figure from the silver screen, so it's no wonder Irene gets back up on her feet and takes another stab at life. This time, the strong feminist takes a job at a women's prison. This is one of those great silver screen flicks that show how terrible prison conditions were, as well as the interactions between female prisoners and the process of becoming a hardened criminal. Irene tries her hand at drastic prison reform, but since she's a woman and she's trying to improve conditions for women, she's ignored, belittled, and dismissed. This is Irene Dunne, so don't think for a second she'll take that treatment lying down.
Where does Walter Huston come in? you might be asking. I'm sorry to tell you, you're going to have a very long wait ahead of you until he shows up. Keep in mind the movie is called "Ann Vickers" not "Judge Dolphin". He has such talent, it's too bad he doesn't take up more screen time, but since he is so talented, he adds a lot to the scenes he's in. Among the supporting cast, you'll see Conrad Nagel, Mitchell Lewis, Rafaela Ottiano, and J. Carrol Naish. Check this forgotten drama out if you like Irene Dunne, racy pre-Code movies, or early feminist pioneers. This movie is screaming for a remake, so don't be surprised if one of the top modern actresses takes on his powerful role in the future.
This is an extremely racy movie, and it's a miracle it received a seal of approval from the not-yet mandatory Production Code. The beginning of the film follows Irene Dunne as she has a romance with a soldier, Bruce Cabot. She gets pregnant, and while it's not explicitly spelled out, it's made extremely clear that she goes to Havana to have and recover from an abortion. She's seen resting, wincing, and crying, and no further mention is made of her impending pregnancy. If you don't know how much of a big deal that was to include in a 1933 movie, you're probably not ready to watch it yet.
Her best friend, Edna May Oliver, is another strong female figure from the silver screen, so it's no wonder Irene gets back up on her feet and takes another stab at life. This time, the strong feminist takes a job at a women's prison. This is one of those great silver screen flicks that show how terrible prison conditions were, as well as the interactions between female prisoners and the process of becoming a hardened criminal. Irene tries her hand at drastic prison reform, but since she's a woman and she's trying to improve conditions for women, she's ignored, belittled, and dismissed. This is Irene Dunne, so don't think for a second she'll take that treatment lying down.
Where does Walter Huston come in? you might be asking. I'm sorry to tell you, you're going to have a very long wait ahead of you until he shows up. Keep in mind the movie is called "Ann Vickers" not "Judge Dolphin". He has such talent, it's too bad he doesn't take up more screen time, but since he is so talented, he adds a lot to the scenes he's in. Among the supporting cast, you'll see Conrad Nagel, Mitchell Lewis, Rafaela Ottiano, and J. Carrol Naish. Check this forgotten drama out if you like Irene Dunne, racy pre-Code movies, or early feminist pioneers. This movie is screaming for a remake, so don't be surprised if one of the top modern actresses takes on his powerful role in the future.
helpful•10
- HotToastyRag
- Mar 12, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Sinclair Lewis' Ann Vickers
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $303,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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