Trouble Preferred (1948)

63 mins | Comedy-drama | December 1948

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Hollywood Reporter
14 May 1948
p. 16
Hollywood Reporter
3 Jan 1949
p. 3
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
6 Nov 1948
p. 4375
Variety
19 Jan 1949
p. 10
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
PRODUCER
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTOR
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Supv film ed
SET DECORATOR
Set dec
MUSIC
Mus supv
Mus score
SOUND
Sd tech
MAKEUP
Makeup artist
Hairstylist
PRODUCTION MISC
Cliff R. Gans
Prod asst
DETAILS
Release Date:
December 1948
Premiere Information:
Los Angeles opening: 31 Dec 1948
Production Date:
12 May--late May 1948 at Motion Pictures Center Studios
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
10 November 1948
LP2094
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
63
Length(in feet):
5,677
Length(in reels):
7
Country:
United States
PCA No:
13234
SYNOPSIS

At the Los Angeles Police Academy, Dale Kent and Madge Walker are undergoing six weeks of intensive instruction as part of their training to become police officers. Lieutenant Rod Brooks handles classroom instruction as well as advising them on the firing range. Sergeant Hazel Craine finds the women an apartment in her building and they move in together so that they can help each other make it through the course. Eventually, Dale and Madge are among seven who graduate, but must serve a further probationary period before they are fully accepted as officers. Rod and Hazel are reassigned to accompany the new recruits to Juvenile Division, and Dale and Madge, who had been expecting exciting assignments, are soon bored by the office routine. At lunch one day, the women attempt to foil a pickpocket but end up arresting the victim instead of the thief, prompting Sgt. Craine to warn them that they are "on borrowed time." Later, Rod takes them along to interview a woman, Virginia Evans, who appears to have attempted suicide, but Virginia resists their offers of help. Marge suspects that Virginia may have a baby somewhere and, when they go to her rooming house, they find a six-month-old boy being looked after by the male apartment manager. After the women establish that Virginia had mistakenly taken roach powder instead of calcium powder and therefore had not attempted suicide, Rod instructs them to take the baby to a hospital. Instead, they take him home with them, and when Hazel discovers the boy, they convince her to let them try to find the baby's father. They attempt to trick Virginia into revealing the father's name, but all they ...

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At the Los Angeles Police Academy, Dale Kent and Madge Walker are undergoing six weeks of intensive instruction as part of their training to become police officers. Lieutenant Rod Brooks handles classroom instruction as well as advising them on the firing range. Sergeant Hazel Craine finds the women an apartment in her building and they move in together so that they can help each other make it through the course. Eventually, Dale and Madge are among seven who graduate, but must serve a further probationary period before they are fully accepted as officers. Rod and Hazel are reassigned to accompany the new recruits to Juvenile Division, and Dale and Madge, who had been expecting exciting assignments, are soon bored by the office routine. At lunch one day, the women attempt to foil a pickpocket but end up arresting the victim instead of the thief, prompting Sgt. Craine to warn them that they are "on borrowed time." Later, Rod takes them along to interview a woman, Virginia Evans, who appears to have attempted suicide, but Virginia resists their offers of help. Marge suspects that Virginia may have a baby somewhere and, when they go to her rooming house, they find a six-month-old boy being looked after by the male apartment manager. After the women establish that Virginia had mistakenly taken roach powder instead of calcium powder and therefore had not attempted suicide, Rod instructs them to take the baby to a hospital. Instead, they take him home with them, and when Hazel discovers the boy, they convince her to let them try to find the baby's father. They attempt to trick Virginia into revealing the father's name, but all they learn is that his name may be "Ed" and that he works for a trucking company. After Rod and Hazel allow Dale and Madge to interview various "Eds," they find Ed Poole, for whom Virginia had worked as a secretary until she met boxer Hal "Tuffy" Tucker, whom she married. Ed has not seen Virginia for several months, but when the women take him to see Virginia at the hospital, he tells her that he will find a place for her and the baby. Virginia informs the women that she broke up with Tuffy over a year before but he did not show up for the divorce hearing and does not know about their baby. Rod and Dale trace Tuffy to a gym, where he is training and encounter his manager, Charlie, and girl friend Hilary. To trap Tuffy, Dale poses as a potential manager but Hilary and Tuffy become involved in a fight over her attentions. Later, Dale tricks Tuffy into coming to their apartment, and Rod tips off Hilary that Tuffy is "breaking training" with Dale. Hilary goes to the apartment, and after causing a big scene, breaks up with Tuffy. Ed, posing as Dale's boy friend, then arrives and threatens Tuffy. Dale shouts for the police, who arrive in the persons of Roy and Madge. They all adjourn to the gym so that Ed can fight Tuffy in the ring. Between rounds, both groups exhort their fighters, and Hazel shows up with Virginia and the baby. Eventually, Ed knocks Tuffy out, the first fight he has ever lost. Manager Charlie then advises Tuffy to retire and he reunites with Virginia and the baby. Dale and Madge look forward to a long career on the force.

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

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