La grande dame et le mauvais garçon

While not an exact remake of 1943's "Hello Frisco Hello", 1945's "Nob Hill" borrows heavily from the earlier film, and the opening street scene is film footage lifted directly from the earlier film right down to the song "San Francisco" as the soundtrack.

The basic plot is the same: Barbary Coast ruffian thinks he can crash high society on Nob Hill. Well, it's not the first time that a movie script got remade, and with WW II budget constraints, you really can't fault 20th Century Fox for taking some economies. At least they made it in Technicolor.

I also understand that WWII created a shortage of leading men, so the lead in this film went to George Raft, about age 50 at the time this film was made, well beyond draft age. However, considering the movie parts he played, he is suitable to portray a saloon keeper. Although Raft did some dancing in his film career, and also in a film a year prior to this (Follow The Boys), he is not given any dance performance in this film. Nor does he do any singing, although they could have dubbed him as they did for others. Well, perhaps a singing George Raft would have been too far away from his on-screen persona.

All of the musical performance in this film is given to Vivian Blaine. Since she portrays the entertainer at the saloon, the musical segments make some sense. They showcase Blaine's fine singing (no dubbing needed here). As a redhead in this film, Blaine is lovely in Technicolor.

Blaine is given two new ballads to introduce, composed by well-known composers Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh (see IMDb soundtrack listing for details). It's strange that neither of these songs became standards, for they are as good as any other songs written by the composers, and good as others from 20th Century Fox movies of the time.

Blaine also has three production numbers—all using older songs: "On San Francisco Bay" (1907); the perennial "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For" (1916); and the third, "San Francisco, The Paris of the U.S.A." (1912).

Although it's not on VHS or DVD, this film comes up on Fox Movie Channel's schedule from time to time.

My angel Peggy Ann Garner was, is and always will be the greatest actress who ever lived. Her immortal performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn will live forever, but her performance in Nob Hill ranks right along side Tree. Peggy Ann's cute little Irish accent will never be forgotten. Even George Raft knew how great Peggy Ann was when he co-starred with her in Nob Hill. This movie is very hard to find today- It is never shown on television but it can be found on Ebay if you are lucky. I love Peggy Ann Garner and she will always be my little angel! Peggy Ann is not with us anymore having died on Tuesday, October 16,1984 but she will always live in my heart through her great performances.

GOD BLESS YOU,SWEETHEART!

Except for a contract obligation, I don't know why Joan Bennett would have taken her part in Nob Hill. Perhaps she thought she had signed on as the female lead, or perhaps they changed the screenplay after she had agreed to participate. Joan isn't given anything to do except be very forward for the time period (aka slutty) and snobbish. Vivien Blaine is the heroine of the story from page one. She is the one who loves George Raft unconditionally even when the entire town turns against him, she takes Peggy Ann under her wing, and she warns George that the people he thinks are his friends are really trying to use him for political gain. If you don't like Vivien, you will not like this movie.

Peggy Ann Garner is very cute, with as many endearing expressions as the screenplay calls for. She's an Irish orphan who comes to San Francisco with a note around her neck hoping to meet her uncle. She loves everything about America, the beautiful clothes, scenery, and houses; it isn't long before George's heart melts. He wants to give her everything, even a plot of land on Nob Hill. But with deep class distinction, it might not be possible.

I liked seeing George in a different, sweeter role that was different from his usual gangster persona. The costumes, filmed in Technicolor, are beautiful, and the heart of the story is a timeless one. But I'm much more of a Joan Bennett fan than a Vivien Blaine fan, so I knew I'd be disappointed.

Tony Angelo (George Raft) owns a fancy saloon in late 19th century San Francisco. Into his life plops a young girl, Katie (Peggy Ann Garner). It seems she's come to live with her uncle who works for Tony...but the uncle recently died and the child has no other kin in American. So, nice guy Tony lets her stay with him...for now at least. And, it's through Katie that she introduces Tony to a nice lady she met on the boat to America. But Tony meeting Harriet (Joan Bennett) is problematic for two reasons. First, Tony hates all those stuck up swells living on Nob Hill...and Harriet lives there! This definitely challenges Tony's stereotype! Second, Sally (Vivian Blaine) is a singer in Tony's saloon....and she secretly is in love with him. What will she do now that Harriet seems to have eyes for Tony as well? And, is there something more to all this?

Aside from perhaps one or two songs too many, "Nob Hill" is a pretty good picture. The plot is interesting and at times you assume it will follow a certain formula...but doesn't in most cases. I appreciate that. Not a great film but a lovely to look at and enjoyable picture.

Nob Hill is a significant milestone in the career of George Raft. This film marks the last time he would be starring in a A film product. From now on his films would be B films in which he would star or they would be A products like Some Like It Hot where he was in the supporting cast. Not a milestone I'm sure Raft counted with any kind of relish.

In the George Raft biography by James Parrish, Raft's co-star Joan Bennett wrote the forward and this film marked the fourth and last time she was in a film with him. Raft was not happy making this film and did walk off the set for a short time. He felt that 20th Century Fox was building up Vivian Blaine and Peggy Ann Garner at the expense of him and Joan Bennett. She was inclined to be more philosophical than he about the vagaries of the film business. As we know he did come back and finish the movie.

Raft plays the owner of one of the more upscale clubs on the Barbary Coast at the turn of the last century and Vivian Blaine is his chief attraction. One day into his life comes young Peggy Ann Garner who is fresh from Ireland because her uncle sent for her, her uncle being a bartender at Raft's joint. But in the meantime he's passed on.

Nevertheless Garner's one Irish charmer and Raft decides he'll take care of her as does Blaine.

Raft has ambitions however to get beyond the Barbary Coast and crash the genteel society on Nob Hill which Blaine calls Snob Hill. Fueling those ambitions is Joan Bennett with her brother Edgar Barrier running for District Attorney.

His romantic and political entanglements get kind of mixed and his fellow entertainment barons on the Barbary Coast aren't happy with Raft's new friends. How Raft resolves all these personal and political problems is the basis for Nob Hill.

If Raft was worried about who was being showcased, he was right. Peggy Ann Garner steals this film right out from under her adult co-stars. Maybe if Vivian Blaine had gotten some memorable songs from the team of Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson she might have been better served by the film as well.

I've a feeling this film might very well have been intended for Betty Grable to co-star with Raft. She and Raft were an item back in the day before she married Harry James, maybe Darryl Zanuck thought he could have gotten some box office mileage. In any event Grable didn't do Nob Hill, not that her career would have been helped or hurt had she been in the cast.

Joan Bennett's forward says that at all times George Raft was a classy gentleman and a terrific dancer. She recalled that many times she and husband Walter Wanger were out on the town and if Raft was in the same club, she inevitably got to dance with him.

Nob Hill is a decent enough film that doesn't quite measure up to some of the other nostalgic type films that 20th Century Fox was putting out then that usually starred Betty Grable or Alice Faye. Still it's not bad and a must for fans of the winsome Peggy Ann Garner.