Honky Tonk is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical film starring Sophie Tucker in her film debut. The film was a flop when released and is now lost, although the Vitaphone soundtrack for the film and for the trailer still exists. Tucker sings a number of songs in the movie, including her theme song "Some of These Days", and "I'm the Last of the Red Hot Mamas", from which she took her billing as "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas".[2][3]
| Honky Tonk | |
|---|---|
 theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Written by | C. Graham Baker Jack Yellen |
| Starring | Sophie Tucker |
| Cinematography | Ben F. Reynolds |
| Music by | Alois Reiser |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $251,000[1] |
| Box office | $650,000[1] |
Plot
editSophie Tucker plays Sophie Leonard, a singer in a nightclub who at great sacrifice sends her daughter Beth (Lila Lee) to Europe to be educated, keeping her work as an entertainer a secret from her. When the grown-up, expensively educated Beth returns to America, she is shocked to discover her mother's true profession and disowns her, breaking Sophie's heart.
Cast
edit- Sophie Tucker as Sophie Leonard
- Lila Lee as Beth, Sophie daughter
- Wilbur Mack as Stuttering valet
- Audrey Ferris as Jean Gilmore
- Tom Keene as Freddie Gilmore
- Mahlon Hamilton as Jim Blaken
- John T. Murray as Cafe manager
Reception
editAccording to Warner Bros the film earned $448,000 domestically and $202,000 foreign.[1]
Musical numbers
edit- "I'm Doing What I'm Doing for Love" (Milton Ager, Jack Yellen)
- "He's a Good Man To Have Around" (Ager, Yellen)
- "I'm Feathering a Nest (For a Little Blue Bird)" (Ager, Yellen)
- "I'm the Last of the Red Hot Mamas" (Ager, Yellen)
- "I Don't Want To Get Thin" (Ager, Yellen)
- "Some of These Days" (Shelton Brooks)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 7 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
- ^ Honky Tonk at silentera.com
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 American Film Institute (1971)
External links
edit- Honky Tonk at IMDb
- Honky Tonk at AllMovie
- Honky Tonk at the TCM Movie Database
- Honky Tonk at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- lobby poster, original release
- Honky Tonk Soundtrack at Internet Archive
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