Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Ted Healy (Solo)
115.2 min. (Feature Film)
Mary Blake, an aspiring opera singer, arrives in San Francisco with a dream to perform at the Tivio Opera House, but has to take a job at the Paradise, Blackie Norton's successful nightclub in the roughest section of the Barbary Coast. Blackie made his fortune by being tough, but never corrupt, thanks in large part to his childhood friend and conscience, Father Tim Mullin. Norton is at first infatuated by Mary, and then upset to realize that he may have real feelings for her when society patron Jack Burley, owner of the Tivio, also falls in love with her. Burley wants to buy-out her Paradise contract. Although Mary is in love with Blackie, she's willing to settle on a life with Jack so she can avoid the rough and corrupt Barbary Coast life. Mary is caught in the middle as Jack and Blackie go to war, just before the devastating 1906 earthquake hits San Francisco.
Healy stooges Sammy Wolfe (Sammy Glasser), Red Pearson and Jimmy Brewster appeared as Mat's stooges, but their screen time was deleted in editing before SAN FRANCISCO's release.
Clark Gable
Blackie Norton
Jeanette MacDonald
Mary Blake
Spencer Tracy
Father Tim Mullin
Jack Holt
Jack Burley
Harold Huber
Babe
Ted Healy
Mat
Jessie Ralph
Maisie Burley
Margaret Irving
Della Bailey
Shirley Ross
Trixie
Bert Roach
Freddy Duane
Roger Imhof
Alaska Joe Kelso
Kenneth Harlan
Chick
Charles Judels
Tony
Russell Simpson
Red Kelly
Al Shean
Professor Hansen
William Ricciardi
Signor Baldini
Edgar Kennedy
Sheriff Jim
Jane Barnes
Girl in fire
Dennis O'Keefe
New Year's celebrant
Charles Sullivan
Fire spectator
Sherry Hall
New Years well wisher
Ortho Wright
Fireman
Pat O'Malley
Fireman
Beatrice Roberts
Mrs. Forrestal
Harry Myers
Mr. Forrestal
Vince Barnett
Drunk from Los Angeles
Don Rowan
Barbary Coast type
Gertrude Astor
Drunk's girlfriend
Chester Gan
Jowl Lee
Tom McGuire
Paradise bartender
Cy Kendall
Paradise headwaiter
Leonard Kibrick
Choirboy
Sammy McKim
Choirboy
Jerry Tucker
Choirboy
Danny Jackson
Choirboy
Jack Kennedy
Mike, Irishman in church
Bill Wolfe
Parishioner
Edward Hearn
Parishioner
Jack Baxley
Kinko
Warren Hymer
Hazeltine
Bruce Mitchell
Heckler
Vernon Dent
Dancing fat man
Irving Bacon
Picnicker
Homer Hall
Founders Club member
Richard Carle
Founders Club member
Delos Jewkes
Founders Club member
Frank Sheridan
Founders Club member
Ralph Lewis
Founders Club member
Oscar Apfel
Founders Club member
Belle Mitchell
Louise, Mary's maid
Adrienne D'Ambricourt
Madame Albani
Naomi Childers
Woman in Burley's opera box
Bronislau Kaper
Tivio orchestra leader
Tandy MacKenzie
'Faust'
Tudor Williams
'Mephistopheles'
John Kelly
Kelly, stagehand
Maude Allen
Opera attendee
Sidney Bracey
Allen, the Burley butler
Tom Mahoney
Charlie, Police Captain
Ben Taggart
Policeman
Tommy Bupp
Bill, newsboy
Douglas McPhail
Tenor in 'La Traviata', voice
Henry Roquemore
Lyric Hall drunk
William H. O'Brien
Lyric Hall waiter
Anthony Jowitt
Lyric Hall guest
Nyas Berry
Lyric Hall dancer
Mae Digges
Lyric Hall dancer
Orrin Burke
Della's Lyric Hall date
Robert McKenzie
Dave
Ben Hall
Man praying
G. Pat Collins
Steve, Lyric Hall bartender
Bud Geary
Man restraining Blackie
George Magrill
Presidio Marine
Harry Strang
Soldier on Nob Hill
Carl Stockdale
Salvation Army man
Margaret Bert
Salvation Army nurse
Lillian Rich
Nun
Flora Finch
Earthquake extra
Rosemary Theby
Earthquake extra
James Murray
Earthquake extra
Amber Norman
Earthquake extra
Fay Helm
Earthquake extra
Donald Hall
Earthquake extra
Fritzi Brunette
Earthquake extra
Robert J. Wilke
Earthquake extra
Edward Earle
Earthquake extra
Tony Beard
Earthquake extra
Myrtle Stedman
Earthquake extra
Rhea Mitchell
Earthquake extra
Ruth Gillette
Earthquake extra
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Earthquake extra
Mahlon Hamilton
Earthquake extra
Helene Chadwick
Earthquake extra
Helen Shipman
Earthquake extra
King Baggot
Earthquake extra
George Guhl
Earthquake extra
Jean Acker
Earthquake extra
Wilbur Mack
Bartender
Fred Fagan
Waiter
John George
Paradise janitor
Jim Farley
Policeman
D. W. Griffith
'San Francisco' conducter
Spec O'Donnell
Man searching in rubble
William Newell
Man in breadline
John 'Skins' Miller
Man on stretcher
Edgar Edwards
Young earthquake survivor
Owen Marsh
Boy
James Macklin
Young man
Sonny Bupp
Boy
Phyllis Hurst
Girl
Corinne Varian
Girl
Jason Robards Sr.
Father
Sam Ash
Orchestra leader
Tom Dugan
Drunk
Frank Mayo
Dealer
Nigel De Brulier
Old man
Bing Connolly
Show spectator
George Nardelli
Show spectator
James Dime
Show spectator
Hans Moebus
Show spectator
Jimmy Brewster
Waiter / Mat's stooge, scene deleted
Sammy Wolfe
Waiter / Mat's stooge, scene deleted
Red Pearson
Waiter / Mat's stooge, scene deleted
W. S. Van Dyke
Director
John Emerson
Producer
Bernard H. Hyman
Producer
Robert E. Hopkins
Story
Anita Loos
Screenplay
Oliver T. Marsh
Photography
Tom Held
Film Editor
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
Arnold Gillespie
Associate Art Director
Edwin B. Willis
Associate Art Director
Harry McAfee
Associate Art Director
Joseph M. Newman
Assistant Director
Willard Sheldon
Assistant Director
D. W. Griffith
2nd Unit Director
Cliff Shirpser
Assistant Cameraman
Herbert Stothart
Musical Director
Edward Ward
Original Music
Nacio Herb Brown
Original Music
Walter Jurmann
Music and Lyrics
Bronislau Kaper
Music and Lyrics
Gus Kahn
Lyrics
Arthur Freed
Lyrics
Thomas Railey
Lyrics
Adrian
Gowns
William Von Wymetal
Choreographer
Val Raset
Choreographer
Russell A. Cully
Special Effects
Slavko Vorkapich
Special Effects
James Basevi
Special Effects
John Hoffman
Montage Sequences
Loyal Griggs
Effects Photographer
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