Playing Around

Playing Around is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film with songs, starring Alice White, Chester Morris and William Bakewell. It was adapted from the story entitled Sheba, which was written by Viña Delmar. The film was produced and distributed by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros.

Playing Around
Directed by	Mervyn LeRoy
Produced by	Warner Bros.
Written by	Harvey F. Thew Adele Comandini Frances Nordstrom
Based on	Sheba short story by Viña Delmar
Starring	Alice White Chester Morris William Bakewell
Music by	Earl Sitar and Leo F. Forbstein
Cinematography	Sol Polito
Production company	First National Pictures
Distributed by	First National Pictures
Release date	January 19, 1930
Running time	66 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Alice White plays the part of a working class girl who dreams about living a life of luxury. Her father, Richard Carlyle, runs a cigar store while White works as a stenographer. William Bakewell, a soda jerker, is madly in love with White and has even asked her father for his consent to their marriage. Although Carlyle likes Bakewell and would like to see her daughter marry him, White refuses to consider marrying him on the wage he currently earns. One day, White convinces Bakewell to take her to a fancy exclusive nightclub. Once they arrive and are seated, Bakewell is shocked at the prices and suggests that they go elsewhere. This leads to an argument with White. As the couple is about to leave, an announcement is made for a leg contest and White decides to enter. She wins first place and is awarded her prize by Chester Morris, a gangster. Dazzled by his fancy clothes and car, White accepts his attentions and give Bakewell the air.

Eventually Morris asks White to go away with him. White naively thinks that he intends to marry her. Before they make their trip, Morris, who is low on cash, robs a cigar store and in the process shoots the man behind the counter. Without knowing it, he has shot White's father. As White and Morris are about to leave on their trip, they stop at her father's cigar store to say goodbye. As they approach they see police stationed around and Morris realizes what he has done. He convinces White to stay in the car while he checks out what happened. He talks a bit to the police and then tells White that her father is ok and that he now at the police station to help the police identify a thief. In reality, however White's father is at the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound that Morris gave him. Morris convinces White to continue on the trip with him and they drive to the train station. Bakewell, who suspects that Morris was behind the robbery, asks the police to help him entrap Morris. They manage to get Morris to unwittingly to confess to the crime before he has a chance to board the train. Morris is arrested and White's father recovers. White, chastened by the experience, agrees to marry Bakewell.

Cast

• Alice White as Sheba Miller
• Chester Morris as Nickey Solomon
• William Bakewell as Jack
• Richard Carlyle as Pa Miller
• Marion Byron as Maude
• Maurice Black as Joe
• Lionel Belmore as Morgan
• Shep Camp as Master of Ceremonies
• Ann Brody as Mrs. Fennerbeck
• George 'Gabby' Hayes as Western Union Clerk

Songs

• "You Learn About Love Every Day" (Theme Song; Sung by Alice White and unidentified tenor.)
• "You're My Captain Kidd"
• "That's the Lowdown on the Lowdown"
• "Playing Around"

Preservation

Playing Around survives intact in the Turner Entertainment library.[1] Also preserved in the Library of Congress collection.[2]

References

1. 1957 MOVIES FROM AAP Warner Bros Features & Cartoons SALES BOOK DIRECTED AT TV
2. Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, (<-book title) p.142 by the American Film Institute

External links

• Playing Around on IMDb
• Playing Around at AllMovie
• Playing Around at the TCM Movie Database
• Playing Around at the American Film Institute Catalog