Spitfire (1934 film) - Misplaced Pages

1934 film by John Cromwell

Spitfire
movie poster
Directed by	John Cromwell
Screenplay by	Lula Vollmer Jane Murfin
Based on	Trigger 1927 play by Lula Vollmer
Produced by	Pandro S. Berman
Starring	Katharine Hepburn Robert Young Ralph Bellamy Martha Sleeper
Cinematography	Edward Cronjager
Edited by	William Morgan
Music by	Bernhard Kaun
Release date	March 30, 1934 (1934-03-30)
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$223,000
Box office	$604,000

Spitfire is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film based on the play Trigger by Lula Vollmer. It was directed by John Cromwell and starred Katharine Hepburn, Robert Young and Ralph Bellamy.

Plot

Two engineers building a dam in the mountains, John Stafford and George Fleetwood, are attracted to local hillbilly "spitfire" Trigger Hicks who is the local faith healer. Things come to a head when the locals think that she is a witch.

Cast

Katharine Hepburn as Trigger Hicks
Robert Young as John Stafford
Ralph Bellamy as George Fleetwood
Martha Sleeper as Eleanor Stafford
Louis Mason as Bill Grayson
Sara Haden (as Sarah Haden) as Etta Dawson
Virginia Howell as Granny Raines
Sidney Toler as Jim Sawyer
Will Geer (as High Ghere) as West Fry
John Beck as Jake Hawkins
Therese Wittler as Mrs. Jim Sawyer

Reception

The film was popular and (after cinema circuits deducted their exhibition percentage of box office ticket sales) made a profit of $113,000.

References

^ Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994, p. 56
Variety film review; March 13, 1934, page 16.
Harrison's Reports film review; March 10, 1934, page 39.

External links

Spitfire at IMDb
Spitfire at the TCM Movie Database
Spitfire at AllMovie
Spitfire at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

v t e Films directed by John Cromwell
Close Harmony (1929) The Dance of Life (1929) The Mighty (1929) Street of Chance (1930) The Texan (1930) For the Defense (1930) Tom Sawyer (1930) Scandal Sheet (1931) Unfaithful (1931) The Vice Squad (1931) Rich Man's Folly (1931) The World and the Flesh (1932) Hell's Highway (1932) Sweepings (1933) The Silver Cord (1933) Double Harness (1933) Ann Vickers (1933) Spitfire (1934) This Man Is Mine (1934) Of Human Bondage (1934) The Fountain (1934) Village Tale (1935) Jalna (1935) I Dream Too Much (1935) Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) To Mary – with Love (1936) Banjo on My Knee (1936) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) Algiers (1938) Made for Each Other (1939) In Name Only (1939) Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) Victory (1940) So Ends Our Night (1941) Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942) Since You Went Away (1944) The Enchanted Cottage (1945) Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945) Anna and the King of Siam (1946) Dead Reckoning (1947) Night Song (1948) Caged (1950) The Company She Keeps (1951) The Racket (1951) The Goddess (1958) The Scavengers (1959) A Matter of Morals (1961)

Films directed by John Cromwell

Close Harmony (1929)
The Dance of Life (1929)
The Mighty (1929)
Street of Chance (1930)
The Texan (1930)
For the Defense (1930)
Tom Sawyer (1930)
Scandal Sheet (1931)
Unfaithful (1931)
The Vice Squad (1931)
Rich Man's Folly (1931)
The World and the Flesh (1932)
Hell's Highway (1932)
Sweepings (1933)
The Silver Cord (1933)
Double Harness (1933)
Ann Vickers (1933)
Spitfire (1934)
This Man Is Mine (1934)
Of Human Bondage (1934)
The Fountain (1934)
Village Tale (1935)
Jalna (1935)
I Dream Too Much (1935)
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
To Mary – with Love (1936)
Banjo on My Knee (1936)
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
Algiers (1938)
Made for Each Other (1939)
In Name Only (1939)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
Victory (1940)
So Ends Our Night (1941)
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)
Since You Went Away (1944)
The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945)
Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
Dead Reckoning (1947)
Night Song (1948)
Caged (1950)
The Company She Keeps (1951)
The Racket (1951)
The Goddess (1958)
The Scavengers (1959)
A Matter of Morals (1961)

v t e Jane Murfin
Plays and screenplays	Smilin' Through (1919) Way Back Home (1931) What Price Hollywood? (1932) Our Betters (1933) The Little Minister (1934) Spitfire (1934) Roberta (1935) Alice Adams (1935) The Women (1939) Pride and Prejudice (1940) Dragon Seed (1944)
Family & Relationships	Laurence Trimble Donald Crisp

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