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Remember last week when I said there were three musicals about college football in 1929? I lied. There were four. They all had similar plots, featured footage from actual games, and weren't particularly musical. Warner Bros' offering was The Time, the Place, and the Girl.
Date of Release: July 6, 1929
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Howard Bretherton
Screenplay: Robert Lord, De Leon Anthony
Music: Frank Adams, Irving Berlin, Nat Bonx, J. Fred Coots, Sam Coslow, Herman Darewski, Dorothy Fields, Jack Glogau, E. Ray Goetz, Will Hough, Joseph E. Howard, Moe Jaffe, Robert King, Ray Klages, Herb Magidson, Jimmy McHugh, Al Sherman, Larry Spier, Arthur Wimperis
Leading Actors: Grant Withers (Jim Crane), Betty Compson (Doris Ward), Gertrude Olmstead (Mae Ellis), James Kirkwood (Professor), Vivian Oakland (Mrs. Davis), Gretchen Hartman (Mrs. Winter), Irene Haisman (Mrs. Parks), John Davidson (Ward), Gerald King (Radio announcer), Bert Roach (Butter & egg man)
Based on the play of the same name by Frank R. Adams, Joseph E. Howard and Will Hough (New York, 5 Aug 1907), The Time, the Place, and the Girl is now a lost film. According to a review in the Exhibitors Herald World (June 22, 1929), the “gags were updated” for the film, and the score was completely re-written — with the exception of the original song “Honeymoon.”
Production began in January 1929, and was finished just two months later. The film received little print advertising as Warner Bros was in the middle of production for fourteen Vitaphone films, including On With the Show andThe Desert Song. During production, The Film Daily shared that parts of the Vitaphone sequences would be filmed outside, along with casting announcements.
Although little print advertising can be found in the trade magazines, Warner Bros used other gimmicks to get the audiences into the theatre. Film Daily (Oct 7, 1929) reported that in Colorado, the studio had “Distributed three different kinds of cards, 500 of them reading “The Time”; 500 more reading, “The Place”, and only 50 reading “The Girl.” The game was that if a person turned up to the theatre with a complete set, they would be given three free tickets to the film.
Another gimmick was a kind of film festival. Exhibitors Herald World (July 27, 1929) reported that the film was screened during “The Big 6” at the Minnesota theatre in Minneapolis, a six-week talkie extravaganza to try and lure audiences back into the theatre “after the novelty” of talkies had worn off. The event was advertised “with every possible medium,” including “Billboards, tack cards, programs and the screen.” Each week the theater screened a different film, and audiences were encouraged to come back each week and compare the films.
According to reports in Motion Picture News and Variety, although the film started very well at the box office, it took a nosedive within a couple of weeks.
The reviews were mixed, and critics either loved or hated the film. Motion Picture News (May 4, 1929) declared it “by far one of the best all-talkers that have come from Warners” and praised the “excellent” cast and “humorous, wise-cracking” dialogue.
A critic who had seen the original stage show (though they confessed it had been quite some time between viewings), gushed in the Exhibitors Herald World (June 22, 1929), “It’s a smart, swift, amusing, clever and altogether excellent talking-picture… The new version is better than the old one ever was or could be. It’s great.”
Meanwhile, the critic at The Educational Screen (June, 1929) declared “Another hero with colossal ego, blatant conceit supposed to be funny. Crude voices, diction and dialog. Perfect illustration of ignorance and bad taste in production.” The journal’s hilariously condescending rating guide, divided into three groups “For Intelligent Adults,” “For Youth (15-20)” and “For Children (Under 15),” rated the film as “Stupid,” “Doubtful,” and “No” for each category respectively.
A later review in Exhibitors Herald World (Nov 16, 1929) stated, “Not much to this, no plot or story. Pulled them in fair but failed to satisfy.” Conversely, in the same publication a week later, another critic wrote, “Interesting story, very entertaining… Good satisfaction here.”
Unlike other musical films, none of the reviews make any mention of the music. This supports Jeff Cohen’s (author of the excellent Vitaphone Varieties blog), statement that the music in the film is mostly underscoring, with just one song, the aforementioned “Honeymoon.”
If this is the case, it is puzzling as to why the AFI catalogue lists a massive 19 composers (many of whom went on to highly successful musical careers) and the following songs, “How Many Times,” "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now," “Collegiate," “Collegiana," "Doin' the Raccoon,” "Fashionette," "Jack and Jill,” "Everything I Do I Do for You,” and "If You Could Care.”
The cast and creatives on the film were, for the most part, successful in their Hollywood careers. I've chosen not to include information on the composers here, as I cannot verify if their music was actually used in the film.
The Film Daily (Dec 10, 1929) reported that in 1929 alone, Howard Bretherton directed four feature films and 10 Vitaphone Varieties (short talkies). By the end of his three decade career, Bretherton had directed over 100 films, mostly B grade westerns, often also assuming the role of editor.
Robert Lord wrote, or provided the story, for over 70 films between 1925 and 1957. These included several musicals such as My Man, So Long Letty, and Gold Diggers of Broadway. He won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for One Way Passage (1932), and was nominated for Black Legion (1937).
De Leon Anthony was a writer and editor.
Date of Release: July 6, 1929
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Howard Bretherton
Screenplay: Robert Lord, De Leon Anthony
Music: Frank Adams, Irving Berlin, Nat Bonx, J. Fred Coots, Sam Coslow, Herman Darewski, Dorothy Fields, Jack Glogau, E. Ray Goetz, Will Hough, Joseph E. Howard, Moe Jaffe, Robert King, Ray Klages, Herb Magidson, Jimmy McHugh, Al Sherman, Larry Spier, Arthur Wimperis
Leading Actors: Grant Withers (Jim Crane), Betty Compson (Doris Ward), Gertrude Olmstead (Mae Ellis), James Kirkwood (Professor), Vivian Oakland (Mrs. Davis), Gretchen Hartman (Mrs. Winter), Irene Haisman (Mrs. Parks), John Davidson (Ward), Gerald King (Radio announcer), Bert Roach (Butter & egg man)
Based on the play of the same name by Frank R. Adams, Joseph E. Howard and Will Hough (New York, 5 Aug 1907), The Time, the Place, and the Girl is now a lost film. According to a review in the Exhibitors Herald World (June 22, 1929), the “gags were updated” for the film, and the score was completely re-written — with the exception of the original song “Honeymoon.”
Production began in January 1929, and was finished just two months later. The film received little print advertising as Warner Bros was in the middle of production for fourteen Vitaphone films, including On With the Show andThe Desert Song. During production, The Film Daily shared that parts of the Vitaphone sequences would be filmed outside, along with casting announcements.
Although little print advertising can be found in the trade magazines, Warner Bros used other gimmicks to get the audiences into the theatre. Film Daily (Oct 7, 1929) reported that in Colorado, the studio had “Distributed three different kinds of cards, 500 of them reading “The Time”; 500 more reading, “The Place”, and only 50 reading “The Girl.” The game was that if a person turned up to the theatre with a complete set, they would be given three free tickets to the film.
Another gimmick was a kind of film festival. Exhibitors Herald World (July 27, 1929) reported that the film was screened during “The Big 6” at the Minnesota theatre in Minneapolis, a six-week talkie extravaganza to try and lure audiences back into the theatre “after the novelty” of talkies had worn off. The event was advertised “with every possible medium,” including “Billboards, tack cards, programs and the screen.” Each week the theater screened a different film, and audiences were encouraged to come back each week and compare the films.
According to reports in Motion Picture News and Variety, although the film started very well at the box office, it took a nosedive within a couple of weeks.
The reviews were mixed, and critics either loved or hated the film. Motion Picture News (May 4, 1929) declared it “by far one of the best all-talkers that have come from Warners” and praised the “excellent” cast and “humorous, wise-cracking” dialogue.
A critic who had seen the original stage show (though they confessed it had been quite some time between viewings), gushed in the Exhibitors Herald World (June 22, 1929), “It’s a smart, swift, amusing, clever and altogether excellent talking-picture… The new version is better than the old one ever was or could be. It’s great.”
Meanwhile, the critic at The Educational Screen (June, 1929) declared “Another hero with colossal ego, blatant conceit supposed to be funny. Crude voices, diction and dialog. Perfect illustration of ignorance and bad taste in production.” The journal’s hilariously condescending rating guide, divided into three groups “For Intelligent Adults,” “For Youth (15-20)” and “For Children (Under 15),” rated the film as “Stupid,” “Doubtful,” and “No” for each category respectively.
A later review in Exhibitors Herald World (Nov 16, 1929) stated, “Not much to this, no plot or story. Pulled them in fair but failed to satisfy.” Conversely, in the same publication a week later, another critic wrote, “Interesting story, very entertaining… Good satisfaction here.”
Unlike other musical films, none of the reviews make any mention of the music. This supports Jeff Cohen’s (author of the excellent Vitaphone Varieties blog), statement that the music in the film is mostly underscoring, with just one song, the aforementioned “Honeymoon.”
If this is the case, it is puzzling as to why the AFI catalogue lists a massive 19 composers (many of whom went on to highly successful musical careers) and the following songs, “How Many Times,” "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now," “Collegiate," “Collegiana," "Doin' the Raccoon,” "Fashionette," "Jack and Jill,” "Everything I Do I Do for You,” and "If You Could Care.”
The cast and creatives on the film were, for the most part, successful in their Hollywood careers. I've chosen not to include information on the composers here, as I cannot verify if their music was actually used in the film.
The Film Daily (Dec 10, 1929) reported that in 1929 alone, Howard Bretherton directed four feature films and 10 Vitaphone Varieties (short talkies). By the end of his three decade career, Bretherton had directed over 100 films, mostly B grade westerns, often also assuming the role of editor.
Robert Lord wrote, or provided the story, for over 70 films between 1925 and 1957. These included several musicals such as My Man, So Long Letty, and Gold Diggers of Broadway. He won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for One Way Passage (1932), and was nominated for Black Legion (1937).
De Leon Anthony was a writer and editor.
Grant Withers received universally positive notices for his performance. He went on to appear in over 200 films and television shows, though mostly in supporting roles, in a career spanning thirty years.
Betty Compson was a musician and actress who played the violin. After starting out in vaudeville, she became immensely popular for her wide range of film roles. For a short time Compson ran her own production company, Betty Compson Productions, and, later in life, her own cosmetics label.
Gertrude Olmstead was a silent film actress with over sixty credits to her name. The Time, the Place, and the Girl was her last film.
After starting out in theatre, James Kirkwood had a successful and prolific career in silent film as an actor and director. He made a smooth transition to talkies, and continued acting for another forty years, appearing in over two hundred films and television shows. He is the father of James Kirkwood Jr, who co-wrote the book for A Chorus Line.
Vivian Oakland was a comedienne who got her break performing in the Ziegfeld Follies. She went to become a successful film actor, most notably in Laurel and Hardy films.
Gretchen Hartman worked predominantly during the silent era. She was the mother of Alan Hale Jr, who is best remembered as the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island.
Irene Haisman worked predominantly during the silent era. There is a gorgeous photo of Haisman with her family in the National Portrait Gallery collection.
Gerald King appeared in a few films, however his main profession was in radio. He was the owner and manager of KFWB, Warner Bros’ radio station. After discovering a passion for music and recording, King left radio to start his own recording business.
Bert Roach was a highly prolific actor who appeared in over 350 films, including So Long Letty, over the course of forty years.
Betty Compson was a musician and actress who played the violin. After starting out in vaudeville, she became immensely popular for her wide range of film roles. For a short time Compson ran her own production company, Betty Compson Productions, and, later in life, her own cosmetics label.
Gertrude Olmstead was a silent film actress with over sixty credits to her name. The Time, the Place, and the Girl was her last film.
After starting out in theatre, James Kirkwood had a successful and prolific career in silent film as an actor and director. He made a smooth transition to talkies, and continued acting for another forty years, appearing in over two hundred films and television shows. He is the father of James Kirkwood Jr, who co-wrote the book for A Chorus Line.
Vivian Oakland was a comedienne who got her break performing in the Ziegfeld Follies. She went to become a successful film actor, most notably in Laurel and Hardy films.
Gretchen Hartman worked predominantly during the silent era. She was the mother of Alan Hale Jr, who is best remembered as the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island.
Irene Haisman worked predominantly during the silent era. There is a gorgeous photo of Haisman with her family in the National Portrait Gallery collection.
Gerald King appeared in a few films, however his main profession was in radio. He was the owner and manager of KFWB, Warner Bros’ radio station. After discovering a passion for music and recording, King left radio to start his own recording business.
Bert Roach was a highly prolific actor who appeared in over 350 films, including So Long Letty, over the course of forty years.
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