- Published on
“O, ye amateurs of Hollywood, stop, look, and listen, to this professional!”
Screenland (Feb 1930)
Date of Release: Nov 24, 1929
Studio: Fox
Director: Donald Gallaher
Screenplay: Maude Fulton, Frank Gay
Music: Abel Baer, L. Wolfe Gilbert
Leading Actors: Mae Clarke (Jackie Lee), Robert Ames (Bert Wills), William Harrigan (Johnny Brown), Maude Fulton (Stella Foster), George MacFarlane (Ed Foster), Frederick Graham (Baring), Camille Rovelle (Miss Woods), Grace Wallace (Bonnie Tucker), Hugh McCormack (Jim Tucker), Ben Hall (Cliff), Marshall Ruth (Billy), Billy Colvin (Hoffman), Louise Beavers (Magnolia)
Nix on Dames was yet another backstage musical comedy. The lead actors were not well-known stars, and several commentators noted that the film would have trouble bringing in audiences.
As such, Motion Picture News advised theatre managers to pair the film with “lively” acts to help generate word of mouth. The New York screening at the Roxy presented the film in conjunction with a well-received live show that featured Daniel Haynes, who had appeared in Hallelujah, and an elaborate number called “Pastelle.” Mordaunt Hall described the number as “a huge painting, with a palette and brushes of relative proportions.”
Nix on Dames told the story of two acrobats, Bert Wills (Robert Ames) and Johnny Brown (William Harrigan), who swear to never let a girl interfere with their friendship. Johnny is injured during a performance, and the pair head to a boarding house to recuperate. They come across a pretty female, Jackie Lee (Mae Clarke) who also happens to be an acrobat and, of course, the two men fall in love with her. Johnny recovers from his accident, and when they begin to perform again, the two men fight over a misunderstanding to put Jackie in the act. The quarrel is resolved, and all ends well.
While the plot sounds fairly run-of-the-mill, the critics agreed that the comedy, particularly the portrayal of life in the boarding house, was very well done.
It was also agreed that under Donald Gallaher’s direction, Nix on Dames was a cut above the average backstage musical. Picture Play stated “…there is knowing and imaginative direction of a simple, human story rich in characterization and quite devoid of backstage hokum.” Gallaher was a prominent early Broadway actor who later worked in Hollywood as an actor, writer, and director. He appeared in over twenty films, including Married in Hollywood (1929).
The three leads, Robert Ames, William Harrigran, and Mae Clarke were described by The Film Daily as “An unusually fine cast,” and received high praise for their performances from the vast majority of critics. Robert Ames was a successful stage and screen actor, whose career was tragically cut short when he died unexpectedly at the age of 42 in 1931. He had also appeared in The Trespasser (1929).
William Harrigan was a stage and screen actor whose career spanned nearly six decades. Over the course of his career, Harrigan appeared in over forty films and television shows, and over thirty Broadway plays.
Despite the title nixing women, the clear stand out was Mae Clarke. Clarke had started out as a dancer, working in vaudeville before being scouted by Fox. Nix on Dames was one of her first screen appearances, and she went on to appear in over 120 films. Her best known credits are The Public Enemy (1931), in which James Cagney famously squished a grapefruit on her face, and Frankenstein (1931). Clarke continued to appear in film until the 1970, though her roles were usually small or uncredited. She made appearances in Royal Wedding (1951) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Her sister-in-law was Fannie Brice.
Motion Picture News stated that Clarke “gives a corking performance.” Picture Play gushed,
Studio: Fox
Director: Donald Gallaher
Screenplay: Maude Fulton, Frank Gay
Music: Abel Baer, L. Wolfe Gilbert
Leading Actors: Mae Clarke (Jackie Lee), Robert Ames (Bert Wills), William Harrigan (Johnny Brown), Maude Fulton (Stella Foster), George MacFarlane (Ed Foster), Frederick Graham (Baring), Camille Rovelle (Miss Woods), Grace Wallace (Bonnie Tucker), Hugh McCormack (Jim Tucker), Ben Hall (Cliff), Marshall Ruth (Billy), Billy Colvin (Hoffman), Louise Beavers (Magnolia)
Nix on Dames was yet another backstage musical comedy. The lead actors were not well-known stars, and several commentators noted that the film would have trouble bringing in audiences.
As such, Motion Picture News advised theatre managers to pair the film with “lively” acts to help generate word of mouth. The New York screening at the Roxy presented the film in conjunction with a well-received live show that featured Daniel Haynes, who had appeared in Hallelujah, and an elaborate number called “Pastelle.” Mordaunt Hall described the number as “a huge painting, with a palette and brushes of relative proportions.”
Nix on Dames told the story of two acrobats, Bert Wills (Robert Ames) and Johnny Brown (William Harrigan), who swear to never let a girl interfere with their friendship. Johnny is injured during a performance, and the pair head to a boarding house to recuperate. They come across a pretty female, Jackie Lee (Mae Clarke) who also happens to be an acrobat and, of course, the two men fall in love with her. Johnny recovers from his accident, and when they begin to perform again, the two men fight over a misunderstanding to put Jackie in the act. The quarrel is resolved, and all ends well.
While the plot sounds fairly run-of-the-mill, the critics agreed that the comedy, particularly the portrayal of life in the boarding house, was very well done.
It was also agreed that under Donald Gallaher’s direction, Nix on Dames was a cut above the average backstage musical. Picture Play stated “…there is knowing and imaginative direction of a simple, human story rich in characterization and quite devoid of backstage hokum.” Gallaher was a prominent early Broadway actor who later worked in Hollywood as an actor, writer, and director. He appeared in over twenty films, including Married in Hollywood (1929).
The three leads, Robert Ames, William Harrigran, and Mae Clarke were described by The Film Daily as “An unusually fine cast,” and received high praise for their performances from the vast majority of critics. Robert Ames was a successful stage and screen actor, whose career was tragically cut short when he died unexpectedly at the age of 42 in 1931. He had also appeared in The Trespasser (1929).
William Harrigan was a stage and screen actor whose career spanned nearly six decades. Over the course of his career, Harrigan appeared in over forty films and television shows, and over thirty Broadway plays.
Despite the title nixing women, the clear stand out was Mae Clarke. Clarke had started out as a dancer, working in vaudeville before being scouted by Fox. Nix on Dames was one of her first screen appearances, and she went on to appear in over 120 films. Her best known credits are The Public Enemy (1931), in which James Cagney famously squished a grapefruit on her face, and Frankenstein (1931). Clarke continued to appear in film until the 1970, though her roles were usually small or uncredited. She made appearances in Royal Wedding (1951) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Her sister-in-law was Fannie Brice.
Motion Picture News stated that Clarke “gives a corking performance.” Picture Play gushed,
Her naturalness is disarming, but it is really technique of the highest order, and she speaks the vernacular of vaudeville to perfection, but with the distinctness and modulation of the trained actress. O, ye amateurs of Hollywood, stop, look, and listen, to this professional!"
Clarke performed nearly all the songs in the film, including "Two Pals," "Say the Word," "The Song of My Heart," and "Fading Away." A gospel number, "Oh, Lord, Pour Down Your Waters and Baptize Me" was performed by African American actress Louise Beavers.
Beavers appeared in over 160 films and television shows, often playing the stereotypical “mammy” role. For her performance in Imitation of Life (1934), one of the first serious roles for an African American woman, Beavers received much praise and the role generated intense discussion about the portrayal and treatment of African American people in film.
Beavers appeared in over 160 films and television shows, often playing the stereotypical “mammy” role. For her performance in Imitation of Life (1934), one of the first serious roles for an African American woman, Beavers received much praise and the role generated intense discussion about the portrayal and treatment of African American people in film.
Picture Play (March, 1930)
The music in Nix on Dames was well received, with The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle describing the songs as “snappy” and The Film Daily stating that the “songs add pleasure to the proceedings.”
The score was written by Fox studio writers Abel Baer and Louis Wolfe Gilbert. The pair had previously worked on Love, Live and Laugh (1929). After starting out in medicine Abel Baer went on to become a prominent Broadway and Hollywood composer. His songs include “My Mother’s Eyes,” “Gee Buy You’re Swell,” “Chapel of the Roses,” and “I’m Sitting Pretty.” His film credits included Lucky Boy (1928), and Why Be Good (1929).
Ukrainian-born Louis Wolfe Gilbert was a prominent stage and screen composer who is credited with writing the first theme song for a film, “Ramona.” His songwriting credits include “Hop-along Cassidy March,” “Lucky Lindy,” and “My Mother’s Eyes.”
Despite enthusiasm for the director and cast, Nix on Dames was not a smash. Several reviewers mentioned the “poor English” used in the film. It seems the script called for the actors to speak in a colloquial vernacular, and some critics just did not like the casual banter. The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle stated the film “…represents a new talkie departure, both dramatically and photographically.” Perhaps it was just too ahead of its time?!
Also ahead of its time was the fact that Nix on Dames had three credited women in the production team, writer Maude Fulton, editor Dorothy Spencer, and costumer designer Sophie Wachner.
Maude Fulton was a prominent actor and writer who worked on Broadway and in Hollywood. Upon her death in 1950, the New York Times wrote that Fulton was “one of the most versatile performers of her day, she was an accomplished writer, dancer, composer, concert pianist, stage director and theatre manager.” Fulton wrote and appeared in her own plays, including hits The Brat (1917) and The Humming Bird (1923). In addition to writing the screenplay, Fulton also appeared in Nix on Dames.
Dorothy Spencer edited over 70 films, including Married in Hollywood (1929), in a career spanning fifty years. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing four times for her work on Stagecoach (1939), Decision Before Dawn (1951), Cleopatra (1963), and Earthquake (1974). She worked with some of the most highly regarded directors, including John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ernst Lubitsch. A terrific article on the history of women and film editing can be found at Premium Beat.
After starting out as a designer on Broadway, Sophie Wachner moved to Hollywood. She went on to design costumes for over 100 films, in a career spanning almost twenty years. Wachner worked for MGM, and later, Fox Studios where she served as head of the costume department for several years. Her credits include Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929), Married in Hollywood (1929), Love, Live, and Laugh (1929), A Song of Kentucky (1929), Sunnyside Up (1929), Hot for Paris (1929), Words and Music (1929),
In my research, I came across a strange coincidence. Over half the ensemble from Nix on Dames also appeared in Wall Street, a Columbia drama released in the same week. What is unusual is that the actors have the same character names in both films. Apart from the actors, the films have nothing in common. They were made by different studios and production teams, and contain very different storylines. I had initially thought it was an error in IMDb and the AFI Catalog listings, but by comparing cast lists in various trade magazines and newspaper articles, the names remain the same.
It seems that although Nix on Dames contained strong elements, they weren’t enough to make it stand out from the twenty or more backstage musicals that had already been released in 1929.
Although the film had decent box office numbers, it was not a smash, and even deemed a flop by Motion Picture News when the Thanksgiving holiday did not provide the usual box office boost.
Nix on Dames is considered to be a lost film.
The score was written by Fox studio writers Abel Baer and Louis Wolfe Gilbert. The pair had previously worked on Love, Live and Laugh (1929). After starting out in medicine Abel Baer went on to become a prominent Broadway and Hollywood composer. His songs include “My Mother’s Eyes,” “Gee Buy You’re Swell,” “Chapel of the Roses,” and “I’m Sitting Pretty.” His film credits included Lucky Boy (1928), and Why Be Good (1929).
Ukrainian-born Louis Wolfe Gilbert was a prominent stage and screen composer who is credited with writing the first theme song for a film, “Ramona.” His songwriting credits include “Hop-along Cassidy March,” “Lucky Lindy,” and “My Mother’s Eyes.”
Despite enthusiasm for the director and cast, Nix on Dames was not a smash. Several reviewers mentioned the “poor English” used in the film. It seems the script called for the actors to speak in a colloquial vernacular, and some critics just did not like the casual banter. The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle stated the film “…represents a new talkie departure, both dramatically and photographically.” Perhaps it was just too ahead of its time?!
Also ahead of its time was the fact that Nix on Dames had three credited women in the production team, writer Maude Fulton, editor Dorothy Spencer, and costumer designer Sophie Wachner.
Maude Fulton was a prominent actor and writer who worked on Broadway and in Hollywood. Upon her death in 1950, the New York Times wrote that Fulton was “one of the most versatile performers of her day, she was an accomplished writer, dancer, composer, concert pianist, stage director and theatre manager.” Fulton wrote and appeared in her own plays, including hits The Brat (1917) and The Humming Bird (1923). In addition to writing the screenplay, Fulton also appeared in Nix on Dames.
Dorothy Spencer edited over 70 films, including Married in Hollywood (1929), in a career spanning fifty years. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing four times for her work on Stagecoach (1939), Decision Before Dawn (1951), Cleopatra (1963), and Earthquake (1974). She worked with some of the most highly regarded directors, including John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ernst Lubitsch. A terrific article on the history of women and film editing can be found at Premium Beat.
After starting out as a designer on Broadway, Sophie Wachner moved to Hollywood. She went on to design costumes for over 100 films, in a career spanning almost twenty years. Wachner worked for MGM, and later, Fox Studios where she served as head of the costume department for several years. Her credits include Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929), Married in Hollywood (1929), Love, Live, and Laugh (1929), A Song of Kentucky (1929), Sunnyside Up (1929), Hot for Paris (1929), Words and Music (1929),
In my research, I came across a strange coincidence. Over half the ensemble from Nix on Dames also appeared in Wall Street, a Columbia drama released in the same week. What is unusual is that the actors have the same character names in both films. Apart from the actors, the films have nothing in common. They were made by different studios and production teams, and contain very different storylines. I had initially thought it was an error in IMDb and the AFI Catalog listings, but by comparing cast lists in various trade magazines and newspaper articles, the names remain the same.
It seems that although Nix on Dames contained strong elements, they weren’t enough to make it stand out from the twenty or more backstage musicals that had already been released in 1929.
Although the film had decent box office numbers, it was not a smash, and even deemed a flop by Motion Picture News when the Thanksgiving holiday did not provide the usual box office boost.
Nix on Dames is considered to be a lost film.
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