Me and My Gal is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic crime comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett, directed by Raoul Walsh and released by the Fox Film Corporation. The film tells the story of jaunty young policeman Danny Dolan (Tracy), who falls in love with waterfront cafe waitress Helen Riley (Bennett). It is admired as a pre-Code classic today. According to TCM, it did well with critics and audiences, featuring fine performances from its two stars, "displaying the superb chemistry" that can be seen in their other pictures together.[1]

Me and My Gal
Directed byRaoul Walsh
Written byBarry Conners (story)
Philip Klein (story)
Arthur Kober (screenplay)
Produced byRaoul Walsh
StarringSpencer Tracy
Joan Bennett
Marion Burns
CinematographyArthur C. Miller
Edited byJack Murray
Production
company
Release date
  • December 3, 1932 (1932-12-03)
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A remake, Pier 13, was released in 1940.

Plot

edit

In this wisecracking comedy, Danny Dolan is a cop whose beat is the New York waterfront. Danny has a soft spot for Helen Riley, a sharp-tongued waitress at a cheap diner, while her scatterbrained sister, Kate, is in love with Duke, a sleazy low-level mobster. While Duke makes a play for Kate, both Helen and Dan know that he is bad news, and Danny wants to put Duke behind bars before he can break Kate's heart.

Cast

edit

Production

edit

Development

edit

Bennett and Tracy made She Wanted a Millionaire that year, with their billing reversed (Bennett billed over Tracy), and also played a married couple two decades later in Father of the Bride and Father's Little Dividend.

Me and My Gal was directed by Raoul Walsh, a director of the studio system, having directed Regeneration (1915), The Big Trail (1930) and White Heat (1949). He was also the brother of George Walsh, who plays the villain in this film.

Me and My Gal was remade as a B film in 1940 by Fox as Pier 13, directed by Eugene Forde.

Preservation status

edit

A copy is held in the US Library of Congress collection.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Me and My Gal, Article". www.tcm.com. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  2. ^ Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collections and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, (<-book title) p.114 c.1978 by The American Film Institute
edit