TheTenderfoot

The Tenderfoot (1932)...

...has been released by Warner Archives. It stars Joe E. Brown as Calvin Jones, a bumbling Texas cattle rancher who journeys into New York City looking to get into show business (his lifelong dream). He gets hooked up with a touring company that is floundering, whose owners woo Calvin and his life savings he has brought with him. Ginger plays Ruth, who starts out as the company's secretary, but of course ends up with a much larger role.

It's a pretty cute movie - of the two films Ginger did with Joe E. Brown (the other being "You Said a Mouthful), this one is quite better, as Brown's role is a bit more 'laid back' than in 'Mouthful', which has him as the more bumbling doofus type... well, he is somewhat of a bumbling doofus in Tenderfoot, to be sure, but in a more 'interesting' way. As for Ginger, she is the sweet female lead with some 'sassiness', but is VERY cute and fresh-faced in this one at the ripe old age of twenty...

Here's the link to WB Archives:

http://www.wbshop.com/Tenderfoot-The-1932/1000162141,default,pd.html?adid=C

This one does show up on TCM every now and then, but just passing along the info... again, the WB Archive series DVDs have NO special features (unfortunately), but are typically pretty good visual quality (although not 'fully restored'... they are waiting for Maggie to do that!!!)

KIG, y'all...

VKMfan
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13 comments:

SassyGingerJune 10, 2010 at 7:52 PM

Need to see this one. This is the one that got cut off when that HD channel of TCM disappeared during Ginger's Star of the Month marathon!
FioraonJune 10, 2010 at 9:13 PM

If you asked me of all the actors who worked with Ginger, who did I like the least, the answer would be Joe E. Brown. If Ginger hadn't been in "You Said a Mouthful", I would have quit on that movie. So I wasn't looking forward to "The Tenderfoot", but Joe E. was much better in it. In fact, I even liked the movie. Part of the difference was his role wasn't as bad as most of his - not as much of a doofus, as Huey so aptly characterized it. Also, Ginger had a greater role, and that always helps. I'd say "The Tenderfoot" is definitely worth watching.
CLARISSA SMITHJune 11, 2010 at 3:16 PM

I didn't see any 1932-film yet. But one day I'll start going back step by step. My earliest film still is the 1933-Golddiggers and I'm still waiting for 42nd Street.

Having heard of "Tenderfoot" and "Mouthful" may be a great help then. But I don't know whether I'll like the world before 1933. If I'll see hairdo, clothes and behavior of people there, I might feel like a stranger. So maybe I better start with "Mouthfull" (or whatever I'll get) to travel slowly backwards to those 20s I already know musically.

Thanks for you competent tips, Huey!
Clarissa
GingerellaJune 16, 2010 at 10:26 AM

I was able to record this, and You Said A Mouthful, during Ginger's TCM month. I have to respectfully disagree with Fioraon though, I thought Mr. Brown quite delightful! I'm so glad more of the classics are being released on DVD each year. Now if they would only release Magnificent Doll, I'd be happy!
FioraonJune 16, 2010 at 9:41 PM

Gingerella -- I hope I wasn't too harsh as I don't want to discourage others from trying those movies. I admit that I've never cared for Joe E. Brown's acting. Glad you enjoyed his performances. Have you seen Magnificent Doll?
Gordon PashaJune 17, 2010 at 3:10 PM

VKMfan. Just an aside from Ginger’s book on Joe E. Brown that you probably know, but perhaps Fioraon would appreciate. (I realize that a fellow may be a fine person and one still may not appreciate his acting style. I always found Brown a bit hard to watch.)

Ginger said: “Brown, a deservedly popular comedian, couldn’t have been nicer. Considerate, friendly, kind, and thoughtful, he was everything you could wish for in a colleague. Though he was the star, he took the time to make sure I was okay and kept thinking of ways to turn my face to the camera.”

Thanks. Gerald.
VKMfanJune 17, 2010 at 11:11 PM

SG - It's worth hunting down... I'm kinda surprised that TCM doesn't have it on the next few weeks...they have shown a few of the ones 'concurrent' with the WB Archive release time...

Fioraon - I watched it a few times (of course, the first run thru of any GingerFilm, I am TOTALLY concentrated on Ginger, to the point to where I typically miss a lot of 'non-Ginger' dialouge, and forget about knowing what's going on with the plot...) - and it 'grew' on me...

CS - Hope you get to see it - it's a nice little movie. A lot of the movies she made 'pre-1933' were strangely a LOT more 'unpolished' as far as footage, scenery, actors, etc. - you can really appreciate how big a production ANY of the GandF movies were when you go check the older ones out.

Gingerella - Glad you enjoyed this one! Yes, I would LOVE to have a 'restored' copy of Mag Doll - I DO have a VHS copy of it, so it is fair... It was a 'Universal Studios' movie, who I THINK is owned by NBC - not sure if they are going to crank out any 'archive' movies... hopefully they will consider it.

GP - thanks for the info! - I do remember she had kind words for him when she worked with him... overall he must have been a pretty decent guy - never heard any negative stories concerning him. Not my favorite 'lead actor' by a long shot, but evidently popular enough to crank out quite a few movies... so you have to give him credit for that, if anything...
CLARISSA SMITHJune 18, 2010 at 9:31 AM

Huey, never mind if a film is "unpolished". I have 30s Fox B-Western with young John Wayne. Got that stuff very cheaply in a shopping mall, but find it quite charming (on the box you can't see it's 30s stuff; guess many people who bought that are absolutely disappointed - well, I was very pleased).
______________________

I have marked two films with "no!" in Ginger's book:
(1) Professional Sweetheart (Ginger says they've dubbed her singing and this wouldn't please me, as Ginger was annoyed herself)
(2) Upperworld (her Character gets shot and I couldn't take that)
______________________

Three films are new to me, but I liked what I read:
(1) Sitting Pretty (she sings 3 songs and one of them she chose herself!)
(2) 20 Million Sweethearts (she's Dick Powell's gal!)
(3) In Person (she sings 3 songs!)
______________________

The day before yesterday I ordered: Roberta, Shall We Dance, Stage Door ...
CLARISSA SMITHJune 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM

Huey, you've got Upperworld, as I see on your list: You never faint if you see that??
VKMfanJune 18, 2010 at 11:48 PM

CS - you are correct that the 'polish' isn't everything... look at today's movies... as slick as you can get with all the computer wizardry... but the SOUL is typically not there, thus, they are just exercises in graphics...

Well, there ARE no Ginger movies that I would NOT recommend... the two you mentioned are actually pretty fair movies -
Prof. Sweetheart is Ginger at her sassiest, to the point of being 'bawdy'...really a bit out of character for Ginger... but the singing thing, while quite distracting when you know it isn't her, and you know the 'back story' to it, is still somewhat minimal...I think she sings twice in it.
Upperworld is a pretty good movie, if you ever get past the 'PostGinger' scene... it is quite a 'jolt'... but it goes on from there as a fair 'crime' drama, with dude trying to evade the law and all...
Sitting Pretty - very cute, although the general copy floating around is pretty rough... hope you can find a better one.
20 mil... GREAT! Ginger and Dick Powell should have done a few more together... Joan B would have had a few things to say about that, tho... Ginger's tune 'Out for No Good', is ALONE worth whatever you pay for it...
In Person - MANDATORY G-ology viewing... lots of Gingery goodness permeating throughout that one... some neat tunes, too - my fave is the slow torch song, 'Don't Mention Love to Me'... her voice in that is just beautiful to me...

ok - go get em!
PG Huey
CLARISSA SMITHJune 19, 2010 at 4:02 PM

"Joan B would have had a few things to say about that, tho..."

You can say that again, Huey. Fred's Phylis felt quite the same and she was always watching. - Well, Ginger's career was very easy going - she just marched (actually cruised) through, while other show-people struggled, loosing years. So she had a quite easy sight on life.

Freddy wrote her a letter, while he still was in New York. Ginger didn't need to answer - why should she? She just met her old film-crush - and got him. It's a true Cinderella story. Well, she got Ayres obviously too easy, so she lost him easy again.

Ginger was quite reasonable - she wasn't a men trap - but in a way she was a cute little butterfly. Who could resist?!
VKMfanJuly 7, 2010 at 11:18 PM

Ginger seemed to just have a caring and trusting nature, which unfortunately backfired on her when it came to her husbands (i.e., the Five Gooberheads) - I've said it a million times before, but HOW do you screw up being married to GINGER ROGERS, for cryin' out loud? Of course, it is easy for folks to say, "well, in five marraiges, the common denominator is Ginger, so there you go..." but I honestly think that the dudes just couldn't handle her stardom, and being 'Mr. Ginger Rogers' - but it would not faze me at all, in fact, I would answer to that in a HEARTBEAT! It would have been interesting to see Ginger marry a 'peer', such as Cary or Jimmy - something tells me it would have lasted pretty long...
CLARISSA SMITHJuly 18, 2010 at 9:32 AM

I don't know, James Steward danced Ginger in his kitchen, to have his dishes washed. Jean disliked that young man, because he was so conservative. And I'm afraid Jimmy would've expected Ginger to quit stardom to be just a housewife ...

On the other hand Ginger blamed her dream-man Ayres, because being married to him wasn't conventional enough. She admitted in her book, that she wasn't quite reasonable in this point. Well, she was still very young and unexperienced - full of conflicting expectations: You can't be a great star and have a conventional marriage at the same time.

But how could she know? She had no free time to make experiences and she hardly had time to think it over. I even think those stars can't grow up normally, if they start at the age of 15. I don't consider this a bad thing, it's just a fact. Jean said about herself she was a child, at least she must have stuck in adolescence. I wonder if it was possible to be a Hollywood Star and grown up. Maybe celibacy would be just the right lifestyle for Hollywood stars.

Cary Grant was very charming, but not always kind. I heard a few things that made me skeptic.