Josette (1938)

70 or 74 mins | Romantic comedy | 3 June 1938

Director:

Allan Dwan

Cinematographer:

John Mescall

Editor:

Robert Simpson

Production Designers:

Bernard Herzbrun, David Hall

Production Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
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HISTORY

The working title of this film was Jo and Josette. Sam Hellman is listed as a contributing writer in a SAB Notice of Tentative Credits, but his name is missing from a subsequent listing entitled "Confirmation that contributing writers have agreed on screen credits." Hellman's contribution, if any, has not been determined. According to a HR news item, Sidney Lanfield was originally scheduled to direct, but he was hospitalized and replaced by Allan Dwan a week before shooting began. HR news items also report that production was halted in Jan 1938 with eight days remaining and did not resume until Apr because of Simone Simon's long illness. According to a HR news item, Robert Young was borrowed from M-G-M. Modern sources list Zeffie Tilbury and Harry Holman as additional cast members. ...

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The working title of this film was Jo and Josette. Sam Hellman is listed as a contributing writer in a SAB Notice of Tentative Credits, but his name is missing from a subsequent listing entitled "Confirmation that contributing writers have agreed on screen credits." Hellman's contribution, if any, has not been determined. According to a HR news item, Sidney Lanfield was originally scheduled to direct, but he was hospitalized and replaced by Allan Dwan a week before shooting began. HR news items also report that production was halted in Jan 1938 with eight days remaining and did not resume until Apr because of Simone Simon's long illness. According to a HR news item, Robert Young was borrowed from M-G-M. Modern sources list Zeffie Tilbury and Harry Holman as additional cast members.

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PERSONAL & COMPANY INDEX CREDITS
HISTORY CREDITS
CREDIT TYPE
CREDIT
Personal note credit:
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
4 Jun 1938
---
Daily Variety
11 Jun 1938
p. 3
Film Daily
11 Jun 1938
p. 3
Hollywood Reporter
28 Oct 1937
p. 2
Hollywood Reporter
14 Dec 1937
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
17 Dec 1937
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
20 Dec 1937
p. 15
Hollywood Reporter
31 Dec 1937
sect. II, p. 90
Hollywood Reporter
17 Jan 1938
p. 39
Hollywood Reporter
2 Apr 1938
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
11 Apr 1938
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
27 May 1938
p. 3
Motion Picture Daily
31 May 1938
p. 4
Motion Picture Herald
29 Jan 1938
pp. 39-40
Motion Picture Herald
4 Jun 1938
p. 32
New York Times
11 Jun 1938
p. 9
Variety
1 Jun 1938
p. 12
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION TEXT
Darryl F. Zanuck in charge of production
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCER
Assoc prod
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATOR
Set dec
COSTUMES
Cost
MUSIC
Mus dir
Vocal supv
SOUND
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the play Jo and Josette by Paul Frank and Georg Fraser (production undetermined), which was based on a short story by Ladislaus Vadnai (publication undetermined).
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHORS
SONGS
"May I Drop a Petal in Your Glass of Wine?" "In Any Language It's Love," and "Where in the World," music and lyrics by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel.
SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
DETAILS
Alternate Title:
Jo and Josette
Release Date:
3 June 1938
Production Date:
20 Dec 1937--mid Jan 1938; early Apr--mid Apr 1938
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
3 June 1938
LP8340
Physical Properties:
Sound
RCA High Fidelity Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
70 or 74
Length(in feet):
6,624
Length(in reels):
8
Country:
United States
PCA No:
3995
SYNOPSIS

In New Orleans, strait-laced, business-oriented David Brossard, Jr. and his playboy brother Pierre own a cannery and fishing fleet, which they inherited from their father. Brossand, Sr., who, like Pierre, is quite the ladies' man, constantly gets involved with women who mistakenly think he still owns the business, while in reality he receives an allowance from his sons. After the sons get a telegram from their father vacationing in Havana, informing them that he will soon wed French cabaret singer Josette, they trick their father, who has returned to New Orleans with Josette, into taking a business trip to New York to get him out of the way so that they can buy off Josette. Unknown to Pierre and David, Josette has left for New York along with their father. At the Silver Moon Café, where Josette is supposed to perform, wardrobe mistress Renee Le Blanc, who wants to be a singing star, impersonates the chanteuse. After her first performance, the owner, Barney Barnaby, who thinks she is better than Josette, convinces her to continue the impersonation, but she is recognized as a phony by a drunken man who saw the real Josette perform in Havana. Barnaby, however, manages to keep the man well supplied with liquor to stop him from calling the police. Thinking that Renee is Josette, Pierre decides to romance her in order to keep her away from his father. After Pierre gets Renee to go sailing with him, David, who is suspicious of his brother's scheme, stows away on the boat, and then Renee, attracted to David, hides in his car after the trip. Despite getting the car stuck in ...

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In New Orleans, strait-laced, business-oriented David Brossard, Jr. and his playboy brother Pierre own a cannery and fishing fleet, which they inherited from their father. Brossand, Sr., who, like Pierre, is quite the ladies' man, constantly gets involved with women who mistakenly think he still owns the business, while in reality he receives an allowance from his sons. After the sons get a telegram from their father vacationing in Havana, informing them that he will soon wed French cabaret singer Josette, they trick their father, who has returned to New Orleans with Josette, into taking a business trip to New York to get him out of the way so that they can buy off Josette. Unknown to Pierre and David, Josette has left for New York along with their father. At the Silver Moon Café, where Josette is supposed to perform, wardrobe mistress Renee Le Blanc, who wants to be a singing star, impersonates the chanteuse. After her first performance, the owner, Barney Barnaby, who thinks she is better than Josette, convinces her to continue the impersonation, but she is recognized as a phony by a drunken man who saw the real Josette perform in Havana. Barnaby, however, manages to keep the man well supplied with liquor to stop him from calling the police. Thinking that Renee is Josette, Pierre decides to romance her in order to keep her away from his father. After Pierre gets Renee to go sailing with him, David, who is suspicious of his brother's scheme, stows away on the boat, and then Renee, attracted to David, hides in his car after the trip. Despite getting the car stuck in the mud and becoming soaked in a rainstorm, David and Renee have a wonderful time together and they kiss as they part when they return to the club. Renee wants to quit the impersonation, so as not to deceive David, but Barnaby convinces her to continue for just one more night to avoid having the club taken over by a bank. Meanwhile, the elder Brossard, who was deserted by Josette when she learned his true financial status, returns home feeling foolish and tells David that Josette was only after his money. David gets drunk and rages at Renee, and she leaves with the sweet-talking Pierre. When the real Josette returns to the Silver Moon and discovers that someone has been impersonating her, a reporter overhears her and calls in the story to his newspaper. By the time David discovers the truth, Renee has left with Pierre on his yacht. Wanting to apologize and tell Renee that he loves her, David follows in a boat with Renee's friend, May Morris. On the yacht, Pierre chases Renee until she locks herself in a storage cabin. Pierre then tricks her into coming out, but as David and May arrive, Renee attacks Pierre and swims for shore. David dives in after her. Later, at the café, Renee sings as herself. David sits with Pierre, whose leg is in a cast, and after Renee sings "I love you" to David, Pierre trips him as he attempts to go to Renee.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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