The Animal Kingdom
About The Animal Kingdom
Tom Collier (Leslie Howard) runs a small press and lives with Daisy Sage (Ann Harding), a commercial artist, without marrying her. He then decides to marry Cecelia Henry (Myrna Loy). Daisy asks him to give her a child and, when he refuses, sends him away. Cecelia pushes him to print books that sell, drop his prizefighter friend Red Regan (William Gargan), who works as his butler, and sell the press. At the toast for the sale, Tom signs his birthday check over to Cecelia and walks out to Daisy, treating the marriage as something he has paid off.
Cast & crew
More about The Animal Kingdom
David O. Selznick produced Edward H. Griffith's film from Philip Barry's play, which opened on Broadway on 12 January 1932 with Howard, Gargan, and Ilka Chase. Horace Jackson wrote the screenplay. George Folsey photographed it, Daniel Mandell edited, and Max Steiner wrote the music. RKO's books show a loss of $110,000 for 1932–33. George Cukor is carried as an uncredited director on some credit lists. The British title is The Woman in His House.
Themes
Background
RKO released it on 28 December 1932, in the last months before the Production Code began to be enforced in earnest. The ending treats the marriage as a paid arrangement.
Making
Barry's comedy of manners moved almost intact from the January 1932 Broadway production to RKO the same year, with three of the stage players repeating their parts.
Music
Max Steiner wrote the music.
Preservation
A print survives. The Internet Archive holds a copy under Animal_Kingdom.
Notes
- Neil Hamilton plays Owen, the lawyer who thought Cecelia would marry him. Henry Stephenson plays Tom's banker father, Rufus.
- Ilka Chase, who was in the Broadway cast, plays Cecelia's friend Grace.
- Warner Bros. remade the story in 1946 as One More Tomorrow.
- The Internet Archive identifier is Animal_Kingdom.
Scenes
- Daisy, back from Paris, finds Tom engaged and asks him to father a child before he goes.
- Cecelia wants Red fired and the press sold.
- Tom endorses his birthday check to Cecelia and leaves the party for Daisy.
Influenced by
- The Animal Kingdom, play by Philip Barry (1932)
Influenced
- One More Tomorrow (1946)
Also available
- Internet Archive (Animal_Kingdom)
