top of page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directed  by           Jim Chrysler

 

Screenplay by        Dale Spaulding

 

Produced by          Joel Goldberg-Steinfarb

 

Starring                   Elva La Treque,

                                Walter Abel

                                Bob Crosby

Cinematographer    David Able

Edited by                 Ellsworth Hoagey 

Music by                  Ingrid Berlin 

Distributed by          Mitsumount Pictures

Release date           August 4,1942

Running time          100 minutes

Country                   United States

 

Language               English

HorsinAround.jpg

This 1946 drama tells the story of how a billionaire's daughter defies her father to marry the stable boy, only to find out he is the heir to the throne of Lithuania and three times richer than her Daddy. Directed  by Jim Chrysler, screenplay by Dale Spaulding, and starring Elva La Treque, Walter Abel and Bob Crosby.

 

In Elva La Treque’s second role with Mitsumount Pictures she plays Molly Fairlane, the isolated only daughter of automobile mogul Frederick Fairlane. Despite his 17 car garage and his fortune gleaned from automobiles Frederick prefers the gallop of a horse to travel around his 67 acre estate. Molly learns at a tender age that riding and riding well is the only way she is going to get her father’s attention. All that time in the stable means all that time with Danielius the stable boy and their affection quickly accelerates. When Frederick realizes the affection growing between the two he immediately warns Danielius to stay away from his prized filly. He then explains to his daughter that while arranged marriage is not an American concept hers most definitely will be and a mere stable boy would not be in the race.

 

Frederick’s threats do little to dissuade the two young people. To illustrate this director Jim Chrysler created a  famous 3 minute scene where their passionate kissing is interrupted and restarted every three seconds. This served to both guarantee box office success and thumb its nose at the Hays Code. Not wanting to completely disregard the code the actors would clearly need to get married after that kind of scene and indeed they do elope.

 

The denouement of the screenplay comes when the father, having discovered the betrothal and the betrayal, is shouting at the couple when an entourage of Lithuanian thugs enter the barn. It is revealed to a shocked Molly that Danielius is the heir to the throne of Lithuania. It is certain that the ending we see where the father’s not only agree to the marriage but jointly throw a lavish party to celebrate it was not Screenwriter Dale Spaulding first draft nor his first choice.  Spaulding is surely making a statement that while Democratic, America has still not shed  its royal configuration and is still deeply embedded in a class system where someone is almost always above you.

 

Recalling the social registry of early New York, Spaulding is critiquing the caste system within the United States and specifically the New Money Hollywood. One gets the sense that the screenwriter is working through his exile after three failed productions on Broadway knocked him off the Great White Way.

 

La Treque is charming as the innocent Molly and the relationship between her and veteran Walter Abel as Frederickfeels genuine. This film is the first sighting of La Treque’s soon to be future, past, future,past, future, past, future, past husband Blanc La Rocque playing a bit part as part of the king’s entourage.

Horsin Around 1942

bottom of page