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A Successful Failure is a 1934 American film directed by Arthur Lubin. It was Lubin's first film as director.

There is no connection between the fictional radio personality "Uncle Dudley" in this film, and the 1935 comedy film Your Uncle Dudley, with Edward Everett Horton.

Plot

Ellery Cushing (William Collier Sr.) has trouble at home, and at work. When he's fired from the newspaper where he's worked for fifteen years, his friend Phil (Russell Hopton) quits too, outraged.

Together, they work from their "office", on a park bench, until Phil can get Ellery a try-out, on a radio spot, as "Uncle Dudley". The character is a big hit, with his folksy witticisms.

Meanwhile, at home, Ma, Mrs. Cushing (Lucile Gleason), has her hands full with their daughter, Ruth (Gloria Shea), who has spurned Phil's attentions for an aging Lothario, Jerry (Jameson Thomas). While their oldest son, Robert (William Janney), after turning down a job, has got mixed up with some "Red" rabble-rousers, in the park.

Only their youngest son, Tommy (George P. Breakston), manages to stay out of trouble, doing his homework. Tommy thinks their Dad is alright, even better than "that guy on the radio", who they don't know is their father.

It's only after "Uncle Dudley" gets a concussion, after being hit with a brick, quelling a riot of "Reds", in the park that his family begin to value his worth, and, Phil's, if they all live to appreciate it.

Cast

• William Collier Sr. as Ellery Cushing aka Uncle Dudley
• Lucile Gleason as Mrs. Cushing
• Russell Hopton as Phil Stardon
• George P. Breakston as Tommy Cushing
• William Janney as Robert Cushing
• Gloria Shea as Ruth Cushing
• Clarence Wilson as H. T. Flintly, News Record Editor
• Jameson Thomas as Jerry Franklin, Ruth's Beau
• Richard Tucker as J. W. Blair, Atlas Broadcasting
• David Hanna as The savage, Atlas Broadcasting

Production

This film is based on the short story "Your Uncle William" by Michael Kane, published in The Saturday Evening Post.

William Collier signed in June 1934. The film marked Lucile Gleason's return to movies after a break. Arthur Lubin became attached to direct in July.

In August 1934 the film was officially put on Monogram's slate.

It was the first film directed by Arthur Lubin who had been an actor and had directed theatre. Lubin says it was shot in five days.

Reception

Lubin said "when it was reviewed in The Hollywood Reporter the headline was 'A Successful Failure: Aptly Titled'. I didn't think I'd ever be able to direct again!" However he went on to direct two more films for Monogram, thus launching his career.

Diabolique magazine called it 'a creaky comedy-drama about a doddery old reporter... whose family treats him with contempt; he goes on to earns their respect by interrupting his son's communist rally, becoming a radio star and slut shaming his daughter.' They added, 'these sort of worm-turns family dramas were surprisingly common in the thirties (Frank Capra made a bunch), and could be made watchable by strong actors and direction. However Successful Failure's cast was poor and Lubin's handling uneasy.'

References

1. Schallert, E. (May 28, 1935). "Negotiations started for filming of 'petrified forest' with leslie howard". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 163303169.
2. ""Successful Failure" ...". Picture Show. Vol. 33, no. 842. London. Jun 22, 1935. pp. 5–6, 24.
3. Your Uncle Dudley at IMDb
4. "Screenplay Info".
5. "Talented 3-Year Old Child Discovered as Studios Search for More Shirley Temple". Los Angeles Times. June 21, 1934. p. 11.
6. Schallert, E. (Jul 19, 1934). "Mitzi green, former child star, gets first grown-up role in edward small feature". Los Angeles Times.
7. "HUMAN ADVENTURE". The New York Times. Aug 12, 1934. p. X2.
8. ^ Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (1975). "Arthur Lubin". In Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (eds.). Kings of the Bs : working within the Hollywood system : an anthology of film history and criticism. E. P. Dutton. p. 364.
9. Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2019). "The Cinema of Arthur Lubin". Diabolique Magazine.

External links

• A Successful Failure at IMDb
• A Successful Failure at the TCM Movie Database
• A Successful Failure at British Film Institute
• A Successful Failure at Letterboxd
• A Successful Failure is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive

• 1934 films
• 1934 comedy films
• American comedy films
• 1930s English-language films
• American black-and-white films
• Monogram Pictures films
• Films directed by Arthur Lubin
• 1930s American films