La grande dame et le mauvais garçon

This Technicolor semi-musical seems an odd assignment for Henry Hathaway, but perhaps it's his direction that keeps the tough side of San Francisco tough even with showgirls, rich dames and little girls traipsing around. Hathaway was one of the few directors who understood - from experience on earlier great films with him - how effective a broken George Raft could be, and when that moment comes in this film it is quietly Raft's best scene. Raft plays Tony Angelo, owner of a popular saloon in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, a saloon that is more of a three-ring circus with shows, boxing matches and drinking going on simultaneously. He's got an undefined romance with his star showgirl Sally Templeton (young Vivian Blaine) and his political opinions carry a lot of weight in that rough part of town. In walks little Irish girl Katie (Peggy Ann Garner) expecting to meet her uncle, only to find he has died. Tony, who was his boss, agrees to take her in for a couple of months until the next boat leaves for Ireland. She introduces him to Miss Carruthers (Joan Bennett), who lives on Nob Hill. Her brother Lash Carruthers is running for office, and brother and sister both realize working up a relationship with Tony could bring in much-needed votes from the lower part of town. Though knowing full well that those down below don't mix with those on the hill, Tony is drawn into the propaganda of her sweet talk. In this sense, he is as naive as Katie as to their true intentions, and he alienates his fellow bar owners with his new political stand. Only after the election does he get a reality check. Strange to say, but parallels can be drawn between Tony and Shakespeare's Proteus in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." One look at a beautiful new girl and he seems to completely forget about his true love down the hill. And when he is ultimately rejected he becomes disturbingly aggressive. Blaine, who has all the musical numbers, is a lovely entertainer but one would not guess from this role what marvelous comic chops she had. That would really come to the fore years later in "Guys and Dolls," which also featured B.S. Pulley, who plays a barman in "Nob Hill." (Another link to that film is the fact that the production design was fashioned after the Raft trademark gangster style, coin-flipping and all -- too bad he wasn't in it.) Garner was one of the true great child actors, always earnest and natural even when putting on an Irish accent. She's the heart of the story, always thinking the best of the grownups around her. Bennett (who starred with Raft 10 years earlier in the screwball comedy "She Couldn't Take It") has a rather thankless part, an admittedly split personality who does not seem to know what she really wants. There is nothing particularly special about this film. But to see this particular mix of actors has historical interest, and it would be nice to see it available on DVD.

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!

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.

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.

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.