The title of this film is quite interesting, and unless one thinks about it, it's easy to dismiss it as just an oddity. But, I think it has everything to do with this film. The definition of riffraff is refuse, rubbish, or a disreputable person. And, disreputable means disgraceful, shameful, shoddy, shady, dishonorable or unrespectable. So, then, who or how many characters in this film which bears this title, fit the bill?
Jean Harlow's Hattie is a good girl who doesn't go for the carousing of Spencer Tracy's Dutch Muller. But she definitely has the hots for him. That the film makes this so obvious is, I think, one of it's many screenplay and character foibles. Hattie isn't riffraff, at least at this point, but maybe all those other girls whom Dutch parties with are? And what about Dutch? Well, he parties and has fun, but mostly he's a conceited braggart and self-centered character who lives on his reputation as the best tuna fisherman on the docks. But, that doesn't make him riffraff. Well, then, what about Joseph Calleia's Nick Lewis? He's the big boss of a fish company who owns a fleet of tuna boats. He has lots of dough and the hots for Hattie. He's sly and cunning, and doesn't get upset about a possible union strike because he can get cheaper labor and make more money. He's greedy, clever in his business dealings, but he hasn't really done anything dishonorable.
So, none of the main characters are riffraff - yet. But each will take on some of the descriptions that apply at stages in the film. In the meantime, there is one character early on for whom the title seems to fit. Paul Hurst's Belcher tries to coax the union fishermen into a strike. He's the one character who solidly remains riffraff throughout the film. He tries to coax Dutch into trouble. He cheats Hattie when he takes the money she has stollen and says he will give it to Dutch when he meets him in a couple day. And he tries to set fire to a ship late in the film.
Well, Hattie becomes disreputable when she steals money from Nick to give to Dutch. And, she goes to prison for her deed - The Soreno Valley Women's Prison. Dutch becomes disreputable when he becomes a tyrant as the head of the fishermen's union; and then when he's voted out of office. Nick becomes disreputable when he hires scabs to work his tuna boats during a strike, and then persists in Hattie's conviction and prison sentence. So, most of the leads in the film turn out to be riffraff of some sort. But not all of the cast are. Hattie's sister, Lil (played by Una Merke), her dad, Pops (Roger Imhof), and Brains McCall (J. Farrell MacDonald) keep their heads above water and their feet on the ground.
"Riffraff" is a melodrama with clear overacting by Harlow and Tracy, and a screenplay that makes each of their sudden character changes questionable, if not unbelievable. Mickey Rooney has a supporting role as Jimmy, Lil's son and Hattie's nephew. His loudmouth, disrespectful behavior toward adults suggests future riffraff, but Jimmy does have a couple of key roles. George Givot has a small role as Nick Lewis's attorney, Markis. Highly regarded as one of the earliest and best Greek dialect comedians, Givot has one line that provides some humor for this conflicted film. He says, "As your attorney, Mr. Lewis, I have to ask you these answers."
Brains McCall has the only other good lines in the film when he dresses down Dutch Muller. He says, "Don't run before you learn to walk." Then, after Tracy's Dutch blows his stack, McCall says, "Ain't it time you forget your conceit and stop thinkin' you're bigger than anybody else?"
This is a pretty forgettable film. But it's an example to show that all performers who became big Hollywood stars in time weren't born stars from the get-go. And, that even stars don't' always have great hits or performances. But, before the end of this same year, Harlow and Tracy would co-star with William Powell and Myrna Loy in a smash comedy, "Libeled Lady." It's one of the best comedy films of all time.
Jean Harlow's Hattie is a good girl who doesn't go for the carousing of Spencer Tracy's Dutch Muller. But she definitely has the hots for him. That the film makes this so obvious is, I think, one of it's many screenplay and character foibles. Hattie isn't riffraff, at least at this point, but maybe all those other girls whom Dutch parties with are? And what about Dutch? Well, he parties and has fun, but mostly he's a conceited braggart and self-centered character who lives on his reputation as the best tuna fisherman on the docks. But, that doesn't make him riffraff. Well, then, what about Joseph Calleia's Nick Lewis? He's the big boss of a fish company who owns a fleet of tuna boats. He has lots of dough and the hots for Hattie. He's sly and cunning, and doesn't get upset about a possible union strike because he can get cheaper labor and make more money. He's greedy, clever in his business dealings, but he hasn't really done anything dishonorable.
So, none of the main characters are riffraff - yet. But each will take on some of the descriptions that apply at stages in the film. In the meantime, there is one character early on for whom the title seems to fit. Paul Hurst's Belcher tries to coax the union fishermen into a strike. He's the one character who solidly remains riffraff throughout the film. He tries to coax Dutch into trouble. He cheats Hattie when he takes the money she has stollen and says he will give it to Dutch when he meets him in a couple day. And he tries to set fire to a ship late in the film.
Well, Hattie becomes disreputable when she steals money from Nick to give to Dutch. And, she goes to prison for her deed - The Soreno Valley Women's Prison. Dutch becomes disreputable when he becomes a tyrant as the head of the fishermen's union; and then when he's voted out of office. Nick becomes disreputable when he hires scabs to work his tuna boats during a strike, and then persists in Hattie's conviction and prison sentence. So, most of the leads in the film turn out to be riffraff of some sort. But not all of the cast are. Hattie's sister, Lil (played by Una Merke), her dad, Pops (Roger Imhof), and Brains McCall (J. Farrell MacDonald) keep their heads above water and their feet on the ground.
"Riffraff" is a melodrama with clear overacting by Harlow and Tracy, and a screenplay that makes each of their sudden character changes questionable, if not unbelievable. Mickey Rooney has a supporting role as Jimmy, Lil's son and Hattie's nephew. His loudmouth, disrespectful behavior toward adults suggests future riffraff, but Jimmy does have a couple of key roles. George Givot has a small role as Nick Lewis's attorney, Markis. Highly regarded as one of the earliest and best Greek dialect comedians, Givot has one line that provides some humor for this conflicted film. He says, "As your attorney, Mr. Lewis, I have to ask you these answers."
Brains McCall has the only other good lines in the film when he dresses down Dutch Muller. He says, "Don't run before you learn to walk." Then, after Tracy's Dutch blows his stack, McCall says, "Ain't it time you forget your conceit and stop thinkin' you're bigger than anybody else?"
This is a pretty forgettable film. But it's an example to show that all performers who became big Hollywood stars in time weren't born stars from the get-go. And, that even stars don't' always have great hits or performances. But, before the end of this same year, Harlow and Tracy would co-star with William Powell and Myrna Loy in a smash comedy, "Libeled Lady." It's one of the best comedy films of all time.