Finn and Hattie (1931)

80 or 82 mins | Comedy | 28 February 1931

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HISTORY

In an earlier screenplay, Charles Winninger was listed for the role of "The Bottin" and Lawrence Grant for the street cleaner. The working title of the film was Finn and Hattie Abroad. The title of this film is a play on the words "finnan haddie," which is a term for dried haddock. ...

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In an earlier screenplay, Charles Winninger was listed for the role of "The Bottin" and Lawrence Grant for the street cleaner. The working title of the film was Finn and Hattie Abroad. The title of this film is a play on the words "finnan haddie," which is a term for dried haddock.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Film Daily
1 Feb 1931
p. 10
Hollywood Reporter
3 Dec 1930
p. 3
Motion Picture Herald
11-Oct-30
---
Motion Picture Herald
10 Jan 1931
p. 45
Motion Picture Herald
24 Jan 1931
p. 55
Motion Picture Herald
7 Feb 1931
pp. 51-52
New York Times
31 Jan 1931
p. 15
New York Times
5 Apr 1931
p. 5
Variety
4 Feb 1931
p. 16
DETAILS
Alternate Title:
Finn and Hattie Abroad
Release Date:
28 February 1931
Production Date:

Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Paramount Publix Corp.
27 February 1931
LP2012
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Sound System
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
80 or 82
Length(in feet):
6,841
Length(in reels):
8
Country:
United States
Language:
English
SYNOPSIS

Finn Haddock, the wealthy inventor of a combination toothpick and mint, takes his wife Hattie, their precocious daughter Mildred, and nephew Sidney on an ocean voyage to Paris for a vacation. On the way, they meet Henry Collins and Bessie Chalmers, who poses as a princess to lure Finn into an affair with her so she can milk him for his wealth. Hattie befriends a divorcée who tries to educate her about the pitfalls of marriage, while Mildred finds various methods of ridding herself of Sidney, such as dumping him down the coal shaft, in addition to trying to keep her father out of mischief with "The Princess." In Paris, Hattie plays the retiring wife and refuses to go out with Finn. Finn goes to a cafe where he gets drunk and hires "The Bottin" to take Hattie out on the town. The Princess meets him at the cafe and persuades Finn to go to an apache nightclub with her, where she cons him into writing her a $50,000 check. While attending the same club with The Bottin, Hattie sees Finn and The Princess together and becomes enraged. After Finn and The Bottin, both drunk, go outside, The Princess tells Hattie that Finn misled her and Hattie relents and gets drunk too. Finn sneaks into the apartment late the next morning, but Hattie wakes up and discovers that The Princess spent the night with her. Mildred intervenes while the adults argue, and knocking The Princess over, takes the check out of her stocking. The Princess leaves with Henry, but not before Finn manages to flip Henry with a wrestling move. ...

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Finn Haddock, the wealthy inventor of a combination toothpick and mint, takes his wife Hattie, their precocious daughter Mildred, and nephew Sidney on an ocean voyage to Paris for a vacation. On the way, they meet Henry Collins and Bessie Chalmers, who poses as a princess to lure Finn into an affair with her so she can milk him for his wealth. Hattie befriends a divorcée who tries to educate her about the pitfalls of marriage, while Mildred finds various methods of ridding herself of Sidney, such as dumping him down the coal shaft, in addition to trying to keep her father out of mischief with "The Princess." In Paris, Hattie plays the retiring wife and refuses to go out with Finn. Finn goes to a cafe where he gets drunk and hires "The Bottin" to take Hattie out on the town. The Princess meets him at the cafe and persuades Finn to go to an apache nightclub with her, where she cons him into writing her a $50,000 check. While attending the same club with The Bottin, Hattie sees Finn and The Princess together and becomes enraged. After Finn and The Bottin, both drunk, go outside, The Princess tells Hattie that Finn misled her and Hattie relents and gets drunk too. Finn sneaks into the apartment late the next morning, but Hattie wakes up and discovers that The Princess spent the night with her. Mildred intervenes while the adults argue, and knocking The Princess over, takes the check out of her stocking. The Princess leaves with Henry, but not before Finn manages to flip Henry with a wrestling move. Finn and Hattie apologize to one another and are reunited as they hear the cries of Sidney, whom Mildred has kept busy by maliciously putting the fishbowl on his head.

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

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.