5th Ave Girl
Encyclopedia
5th Ave Girl is a 1939 comedy film
about a millionaire who feels neglected by his family, so he hires a young woman to stir things up. It stars Ginger Rogers
and Walter Connolly
.
). On his birthday, Borden's secretary gives him a loud tie as a gift, but when he goes home to his Fifth Avenue mansion, he finds nobody there but the servants. His unfaithful wife Martha, his daughter Katherine, and Tim have all forgotten or do not care.
Feeling lonely, he goes to Central Park
, where he meets Mary Grey, a young, out-of-work woman. Seeing that she has only a meager meal to last the day, he invites her to dine with him at a fancy nightclub. They get drunk, start dancing, and are spotted by Martha and her boyfriend. The next morning, he awakes with a hangover and a black eye, to discover that he had apparently invited Mary to spend the night in a guest room.
Seeing the reaction this elicits from his formerly indifferent family, he concocts a scheme: he hires Mary to pretend to be his mistress. He neglects his company, forcing his son to take up the slack. Tim comes up with fresh new ideas to save the firm. Meanwhile, Borden and Mary go out every night, supposedly partying to all hours, though they are actually just driven around by the ardently Communist chauffeur Mike. Embarrassed by the resulting newspaper gossip column items and shunned by her friends, Martha first calls family psychiatrist Dr. Kessler, but he finds nothing wrong with her now-cheerful and carefree husband. She starts staying home, plotting ways to drive Mary out. She has Tim try to buy her off, but that fails. Tim makes no effort to hide his contempt for the interloper, but eventually, he falls in love with her.
Finally, Mary can no longer continue with the charade and tearfully confesses the truth. Katharine shows up and announces she has married Mike, who has decided to quit and open a repair shop. At first, Martha is aghast, but then Borden reminds her that they started their own marriage in about the same way, and she grudgingly accepts her new son-in-law. Borden then retreats to his bedroom, but Martha invites him into hers. Mary leaves, but Tim finds her, picks her up, and carries her back into the mansion. When a policeman tries to interfere, Mary tells him to mind his own business.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about a millionaire who feels neglected by his family, so he hires a young woman to stir things up. It stars Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
and Walter Connolly
Walter Connolly
Walter Connolly was an American character actor who appeared in almost fifty films between 1914 and 1939.Connolly was a successful stage actor who appeared in twenty-two Broadway productions between 1916 and 1935, notably revivals of Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and Chekhov's...
.
Plot
Wealthy industrialist Alfred Borden has problems both at work and at home. His employees at Amalgamated Pump are making demands that may drive the business he has built up from nothing into bankruptcy, and his son Tim has lost a major customer through neglect (he prefers playing poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
). On his birthday, Borden's secretary gives him a loud tie as a gift, but when he goes home to his Fifth Avenue mansion, he finds nobody there but the servants. His unfaithful wife Martha, his daughter Katherine, and Tim have all forgotten or do not care.
Feeling lonely, he goes to Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, where he meets Mary Grey, a young, out-of-work woman. Seeing that she has only a meager meal to last the day, he invites her to dine with him at a fancy nightclub. They get drunk, start dancing, and are spotted by Martha and her boyfriend. The next morning, he awakes with a hangover and a black eye, to discover that he had apparently invited Mary to spend the night in a guest room.
Seeing the reaction this elicits from his formerly indifferent family, he concocts a scheme: he hires Mary to pretend to be his mistress. He neglects his company, forcing his son to take up the slack. Tim comes up with fresh new ideas to save the firm. Meanwhile, Borden and Mary go out every night, supposedly partying to all hours, though they are actually just driven around by the ardently Communist chauffeur Mike. Embarrassed by the resulting newspaper gossip column items and shunned by her friends, Martha first calls family psychiatrist Dr. Kessler, but he finds nothing wrong with her now-cheerful and carefree husband. She starts staying home, plotting ways to drive Mary out. She has Tim try to buy her off, but that fails. Tim makes no effort to hide his contempt for the interloper, but eventually, he falls in love with her.
Finally, Mary can no longer continue with the charade and tearfully confesses the truth. Katharine shows up and announces she has married Mike, who has decided to quit and open a repair shop. At first, Martha is aghast, but then Borden reminds her that they started their own marriage in about the same way, and she grudgingly accepts her new son-in-law. Borden then retreats to his bedroom, but Martha invites him into hers. Mary leaves, but Tim finds her, picks her up, and carries her back into the mansion. When a policeman tries to interfere, Mary tells him to mind his own business.
Cast
- Ginger RogersGinger RogersGinger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
as Mary Grey - Walter ConnollyWalter ConnollyWalter Connolly was an American character actor who appeared in almost fifty films between 1914 and 1939.Connolly was a successful stage actor who appeared in twenty-two Broadway productions between 1916 and 1935, notably revivals of Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and Chekhov's...
as Alfred Borden - Verree TeasdaleVerree TeasdaleVerree Teasdale was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington.A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and trained as a stage actress at the New York School of Expression...
as Martha Borden - James Ellison as Mike
- Tim HoltTim HoltTim Holt was an American film actor perhaps best known for co-starring in the 1948 film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.-Early life:...
as Tim Borden - Kathryn AdamsKathryn Adams DotyKathryn Adams Doty is a retired American actress.She was born as Kathryn Elizabeth Hohn in New Ulm, Minnesota. In 1939, she competed in the national finals of the Jesse L. Lasky radio contest, "Gateway to Hollywood", then remained in California begin a film career under the name of Kathryn Adams....
as Katherine Borden - Franklin PangbornFranklin PangbornFranklin Pangborn was an American comedic character actor. Pangborn was famous for small, but memorable roles, with a comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W.C. Fields films International House, The Bank Dick, and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break...
as Higgins, the butler - Ferike Boros as Olga, another servant
- Louis CalhernLouis CalhernLouis Calhern was an American stage and screen actor.- Early life :Louis Calhern was born Carl Henry Vogt on February 19, 1895 in Brooklyn, New York. His family left New York City while he was still a child and moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he grew up...
as Dr. Kessler - Theodore von EltzTheodore von EltzTheodore von Eltz was an American film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1915 and 1957.He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.-Selected filmography:...
as Terwilliger (as Theodor Von Eltz) - Alexander D'ArcyAlexander D'ArcyAlexander D'Arcy was an Egyptian actor with an international film repertoire.Born Alexander Sarruf in Cairo, Egypt, D'Arcy, variously credited as Alexandre D'Arcy, Alex D'Arcy, Alexandre Darcy and Alex d'Arcy appeared in some 45 films, mostly as a suave gentleman or smooth rogue...
as Maitre D'