Man from Frisco
Encyclopedia
Man from Frisco is a United States
feature length
spy
and war film
by Republic Pictures
directed by Robert Florey
and starring Michael O'Shea
(1906–1973) and Anne Shirley.
The screenplay
was by Arnold Manoff
and was his first, while the story was by George Worthing Yates
.
, is a civil engineer
during World War II
who has new ideas for shipbuilding. Braddock tries to establish yards for building prefabricated ships on the West Coast
, but he is hindered by a rival shipbuilder, Joel Kennedy.
In a tale of espionage
and sabotage
, the refusal by a disappointed lover to deliver an important message leads to the collapse of a new ship's superstructure
and the death of a boy.
Like the later Betrayal from the East
(1945), Man from Frisco included actual radio reports of the negotiations with the Japanese before their attack on Pearl Harbour of 7 December 1942, reinforcing the message of enemy duplicity.
The film is set in the Kaiser Shipyards
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
feature length
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
spy
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
and war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
by Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
directed by Robert Florey
Robert Florey
Robert Florey was a French screenwriter, director of short films, and actor who moved to Hollywood in 1921. In 1950, Florey was made a knight in the French Légion d'honneur....
and starring Michael O'Shea
Michael O'Shea (actor)
Michael O'Shea , was an American character actor whose career spanned from the 1940s-1960s. O'Shea was born in Hartford, Connecticut...
(1906–1973) and Anne Shirley.
The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was by Arnold Manoff
Arnold Manoff
Arnold Manoff was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
and was his first, while the story was by George Worthing Yates
George Worthing Yates
George Worthing Yates was an American screenwriter. He was born on 14 August 1901 in New York and died 6 June 1975 in Sonoma. His early work was on serials shown in cinemas, he later progressed to feature films, primarily science fiction.-Filmography:...
.
Storyline
Matt Braddock, a character said to be based on the real-life Henry J. KaiserHenry J. Kaiser
Henry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
, is a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who has new ideas for shipbuilding. Braddock tries to establish yards for building prefabricated ships on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, but he is hindered by a rival shipbuilder, Joel Kennedy.
In a tale of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, the refusal by a disappointed lover to deliver an important message leads to the collapse of a new ship's superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
and the death of a boy.
Like the later Betrayal from the East
Betrayal from the East
Betrayal from the East is a 1945 film starring Lee Tracy and Nancy Kelly. The movie was directed by William A. Berke and based on the book, Betrayal from the East: The Inside Story of Japanese Spies in America, by Alan Hynd.-Cast:...
(1945), Man from Frisco included actual radio reports of the negotiations with the Japanese before their attack on Pearl Harbour of 7 December 1942, reinforcing the message of enemy duplicity.
The film is set in the Kaiser Shipyards
Kaiser Shipyards
The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J...
.
Cast
- Michael O'SheaMichael O'Shea (actor)Michael O'Shea , was an American character actor whose career spanned from the 1940s-1960s. O'Shea was born in Hartford, Connecticut...
– Matt Braddock - Anne Shirley – Diana Kennedy
- Gene LockhartGene LockhartEugene "Gene" Lockhart was a Canadian character actor, singer, and playwright. He also wrote the lyrics to a number of popular songs.-Early life:...
– Joel Kennedy - Dan DuryeaDan DuryeaDan Duryea was an American actor, known for roles in film, stage and television.-Early life:Born and raised in White Plains, New York, Duryea graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1924 and Cornell University in 1928. While at Cornell, Duryea was elected into the Sphinx Head Society...
– Jim Benson - Stephanie Bachelor – Ruth Warnecke
- Ray Walker – Johnny Rogers
- Tommy BondTommy BondThomas Ross "Tommy" Bond was an American actor. A native of Dallas, Texas, Bond was best known for his work as a child actor for two different nonconsecutive periods on Our Gang comedies, and also for being the first actor to portray the role of "Superman's pal" Jimmy Olsen on screen.-Early years...
– Russ Kennedy - Robert Warwick – Bruce McRae
- Olin HowlandOlin HowlandOlin Howland was an American film actor. From 1909 to 1927 he appeared on the Broadway stage while balancing a career in silent movies. In 1921, he appeared in the play Two Little Girls in Blue with Oscar Shaw and the Fairbanks Twins. He was in Janice Meredith with Marion Davies...
– Eben Whelock (as Olin Howlin) - Ann Shoemaker – Martha Kennedy
- Russell SimpsonRussell Simpson (actor)Russell McCaskill Simpson was an American character actor.Born in San Francisco, California, Simpson is best known for his work in the films of John Ford and, in particular, for his portrayal of Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath in 1940.Simpson reportedly prospected for gold in Alaska in his youth,...
– Dr Hershey - Stanley AndrewsStanley AndrewsStanley Andrews was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program Little Orphan Annie and later as "The Old Ranger", the host of Death Valley Days.-Early life:...
– Chief Campbell - Forbes Murray – Maritime Commissioner
- Erville AldersonErville AldersonErville Alderson was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1957. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and died in Glendale, California.-Selected filmography:*America...
– Judge McLain