The House Across the Bay

The House Across the Bay is a 1940 film directed by Archie Mayo, starring George Raft and Joan Bennett, produced by Walter Wanger, written by Myles Connolly and Kathryn Scola, and released by United Artists. The supporting cast features Lloyd Nolan, Walter Pidgeon and Gladys George.

The House Across the Bay
Directed by	Archie Mayo Alfred Hitchcock (uncredited)
Produced by	Walter Wanger
Written by	Myles Connolly Kathryn Scola
Starring	George Raft Joan Bennett Lloyd Nolan Walter Pidgeon
Music by	Werner Janssen
Production company	United Artists
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	March 1, 1940 (1940-03-01)
Running time	88 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$713,965[1]
Box office	$684,374[1]

Plot

A singer (Bennett) waits for an imprisoned gangster (Raft) to be released from Alcatraz.

Cast

• George Raft as Steve Larwitt
• Joan Bennett as Brenda Bentley
• Lloyd Nolan as Slant Kolma
• Walter Pidgeon as Tim Nolan
• Gladys George as Mary Bogel
• Peggy Shannon as Alice
• June Knight as Bebe
• Max Wagner as Jim
• Joe Sawyer as Charley
• Cy Kendall as Crawley
• Joseph Crehan as Federal Man
• Edward Fielding as Judge
• James Craig as Brenda's Friend (uncredited)
• James Farley as Prison Guard (uncredited)

Production

The film was based on an original story by Myles Connolly. In 1939 it was reported Warner Bros were considering buying it as a vehicle for James Cagney and Marlene Dietrich.[2] They could not come to an agreement and Walter Wanger bought the rights.[3] Wanger made the film as part of what was meant to be a slate of six films for United Artists. Filming was pushed back so Wanger could make Foreign Correspondent.[4]

George Raft was loaned by Warner Bros, dropping out of It All Came True, in which he was replaced by Humphrey Bogart.[5][6] Walter Pidgeon was borrowed from MGM. Director Archie Mayo was borrowed from Sam Goldwyn. Bennett was under contract to Wanger.[7]

Filming started 16 October 1939.

Some scenes of Pidgeon and Bennett in an airplane were filmed by Alfred Hitchcock as a favor to Wanger, who directed Foreign Correspondent for Wanger the same year.[7]

Bennett and Wanger married after filming completed.[8]

Reception

Box office

The film recorded a loss of $101,334.[1] It caused tension between Raft and Warner Bros, to whom he was under long-term contract, because in this United Artists film, Raft played a gangster who loses in the end – the sort of role he had refused to play for Warner Bros.[9]

Critical

The New York Times called it a "somewhat less than fascinating tale of one of the more glamorous Rock-widows of Alcatraz" which was "old hat and scarcely worth its maker's bother—or yours."[10] The Los Angeles Times thought it was "curiously (and unnecessarily) complicated."[11]

References

1. Matthew Bernstein, Walter Wagner: Hollywood Independent, Minnesota Press, 2000 p440
2. Schallert, E. (Feb 23, 1939). "MacMurray, carroll together in 'air raid'". Los Angeles Times – via ProQuest.
3. "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD". New York Times. Mar 16, 1939 – via ProQuest.
4. "32 FILMS ON LIST OF UNITED ARTISTS". New York Times. May 8, 1939 – via ProQuest.
5. Schallert, E. (Oct 25, 1939). "SCREEN". Los Angeles Times – via ProQuest.
6. Vagg, Stephen (February 9, 2020). "Why Stars Stop Being Stars: George Raft". Filmink.
7. "The House Across the Bay". Turner Classic Movies.
8. "JOAN BENNETT WED TO WALTER WANGER". New York Times. Jan 13, 1940 – via ProQuest.
9. Everett Aaker, The Films of George Raft, McFarland & Company, 2013 p 91
10. "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; 'House Across the Bay,' With George Raft, Joan Bennett and Walter Pidgeon, Opens at Loew's State--'Black Friday' and 'Viva Cisco Kid' Here". New York Times. March 22, 1940.
11. Scheuer, P. K. (Feb 27, 1940). "Alcatraz 'break' depicted". Los Angeles Times – via ProQuest.

External links

• The House Across the Bay at the TCM Movie Database
• The House Across the Bay on IMDb
• The House Across the Bay at Allmovie
• The House Across the Bay at BFI