An under-appreciated mother inherits a fortune and abandons her family.
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Title: The Merry Frinks (1934)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Aline MacMahon | ... |
Hattie 'Mom' Frink
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| Guy Kibbee | ... |
Uncle Newt Frink
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| Hugh Herbert | ... |
Joe 'Poppa' Frink
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| Allen Jenkins | ... |
Emmett Frink
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 |
Helen Lowell | ... |
Amelia 'Grandma' Frink
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Joan Wheeler | ... |
Lucille Frink
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| Frankie Darro | ... |
Norman Frink
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| Ivan Lebedeff | ... |
Ramon Alvarez
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| Harold Huber | ... |
Benny Lopez
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| Louise Beavers | ... |
Camille, Hattie's Maid
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| Maidel Turner | ... |
Mrs. Shinliver
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| Harry Beresford | ... |
Mr. J. Harold Brumby
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| Harry C. Bradley | ... |
Dr. Shinliver
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James Bush | ... |
Oliver Gilfin
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Charles Coleman | ... |
Witherspoon, Hattie's Butler
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
An under-appreciated mother inherits a fortune and abandons her family.
Plot Keywords:
fired from the job | family relationships | mother's day | new york city | radio |Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 May 1934 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Happy Family See more »Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USACompany Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Benny Lopez: Well, you know how it is... gotta go through it once, like the measles, but i aint working at it now.
See more »
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played and sung on the radio
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Allen Jenkins was less than a year younger than Aline MacMahon, who played his mother in the film. See more »Quotes
Hattie 'Mom' Frink: You look to me like a married man - are you?Benny Lopez: Well, you know how it is... gotta go through it once, like the measles, but i aint working at it now.
See more »
Soundtracks
She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes(uncredited)
Traditional
Played and sung on the radio
See more »
The Frinks are a family of non-stop bickering, drink-sneaking, school skipping folks, and all before breakfast! Viewers with recognize (or hear) the nasal Allen Jenkins as the dad Emmet Frink - always played the new york cab driver, or small time thug. Also look for Louise Beavers, who starred in "Imitation of Life" the same year. Guy Kibbee and Hugh Herbert are along for the vaudeville bits. Not a lot of other big names in this Warner Brothers 68 minute piece, but very entertaining and more realistic than all those sweet, soapy clean, rich, society movies of the late 1930s and 1940s. Kind of a strange moment when the rough, tough-talking son does a mocking, swishing walk across the room, just as the Hays Code was started being enforced. Also, about 20 minutes in, there are film quality issues on the TCM version I saw. Hattie, the mom, is the central figure (played by Aline MacMahon), and has to make big decisions in her life that will affect her whole family. She sometimes says "Noooorman" in a long, shrill, up-swooping voice at the end, Psycho-style. Has the feel of a film made from a play, since most of the action takes place in their kitchen. Produced by Jack Warner and Hal Wallis - (what a wide range of movies Wallis had done - this in 1934, Casablanca in 42, then half of the silly Elvis movies in the 50s and 60s) Fun, realistic, fast paced. Very plain and simple plot. Doesn't get bogged down with long scenes.