Directed by Jack Conway
Produced by Bernard H. Hyman
Written by Anita Loos
Robert Hopkins
Starring Clark Gable
Jean Harlow
Lionel Barrymore
Frank Morgan
Walter Pidgeon
Hattie McDaniel
Margaret Hamilton
Music by Edward Ward
Cinematography Ray June
Release date(s) July 23, 1937 (1937-07-23)
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Saratoga is a 1937 film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway. The movie stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration. When filming was 90% completed, Harlow collapsed on the set and died about a week later, reportedly of uremic poisoning. MGM wanted to reshoot the movie with Virginia Bruce or Jean Arthur. However, Harlow fans complained, so the remaining scenes were filmed with Mary Dees doubling for the camera and Paula Winslowe supplying Harlow’s voice. The supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, and Margaret Hamilton. The film would be Harlow’s final movie and Harlow’s fans turned out in droves, making Saratoga MGM’s biggest moneymaker of 1937.

Synopsis

Bookie Duke Bradley (Clark Gable) stops the bank from taking the stud of Grandpa Clayton (Lionel Barrymore). Carol Clayton (Jean Harlow) calls from England that she is going to marry the wealthy Hartley Madison (Walter Pidgeon). Duke tells her father, Frank Clayton (Jonathan Hale), and Grandpa. Broke, Frank gives Duke the deed to the family farm to pay his gambling debts. At the races, Duke takes bets and meets Hartley and Carol. Duke greets Fritzi (Una Merkel) with a kiss. During a race, Frank collapses and dies.

Carol asks Duke to sell her the farm, but Duke assures her he won’t foreclose on Grandpa. They quarrel about her marrying for money. Fritzi tells Duke that her husband Jesse Kiffmeyer (Frank Morgan) is allergic to horses. When Jesse sneezes during an auction, Duke sees to it that this is considered a bid, and Jesse ends up buying a horse that Fritzi wanted. Grandpa tells Duke that Carol is selling her horse, Moonray; Carol tells Duke she needs money to pay him off. Duke bids Hartley up to $14,000 but stops before Carol is going to let him win. Hartley asks Grandpa to train Moonray.

Carol studies horses and has won money from Duke. Tip O’Brien (Cliff Edwards) sings “The Horse With the Dreamy Eyes” with Fritzi, Duke, and Rosetta (Hattie McDaniel). Carol is friendly with Duke until he asks her to get Hartley betting. Duke calls on Hartley and tells him to help Carol’s nerves. Hartley calls Dr. Bierd (George Zucco), who says Carol is emotional and should marry soon or not see Hartley. Duke gets Hartley to bet and win $6,000, telling Tip it is bait. Carol tells Hartley not to bet with Duke, who learns Hartley is leaving. Carol asks Hartley to stay.

At the track, Hartley bets with Duke and loses $5,000. On a train, Duke dines with Fritzi and Jesse, who is jealous. Fritzi knows Duke is in love with Carol, and Duke says he plans to win money to marry her. Carol tells Duke she loves him and has broken off her engagement to Hartley. When Duke objects to losing Hartley, she gets angry. At the races, Hartley loses. Hartley hires a new trainer for Moonray. Carol gets Jesse’s contract with the jockey Dixie Gordon (Frankie Darro) so Duke will lose; but Fritzi tells Jesse that that if Duke wins, he will marry Carol. Dixie is riding Moonray. Grandpa quarrels with the new trainer. The race is a photo finish, but Moonray loses. On a train, Carol and Duke celebrate.

Cast

Clark Gable – Duke Bradley
Jean Harlow – Carol Clayton
Lionel Barrymore – Grandpa Clayton
Frank Morgan – Jesse Kiffmeyer
Walter Pidgeon – Hartley Madison
Una Merkel – Fritzi
Cliff Edwards – Tip
George Zucco – Dr. Harmsworth Bierd
Jonathan Hale – Frank Clayton
Hattie McDaniel – Rosetta
Frankie Darro – Dixie Gordon
Margaret Hamilton – Maizie

Quotes

• Duke Bradley: Honey, I love ya!
• Fritzi Kiffmeyer: We women can do things to a man we love that men wouldn’t do to a rattlesnake.
• Duke: Why, honey, you look sharp as a razor.
• Fritzi: Oh, there he is, the sweetheart!
• Duke: Who, your husband?
• Fritzi: No, that colt!

Links

• Saratoga at the Internet Movie Database

Directed by Barry Levinson
Produced by Mark Johnson
Screenplay by Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass
Story by Barry Morrow
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography John Seale
Editing by Stu Linder
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) December 16, 1988 (1988-12-16)
Running time 133 minutes
Country United States
Language English, Italian
Budget $25 million
Gross revenue $354,825,435

Rain Man is a 1988 comedy-drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond, a man with autism of whose existence Charlie was unaware.

The film stars Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt, and Valeria Golino as Charlie’s girlfriend, Susanna. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek, a real-life savant; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill, an earlier film that Morrow wrote.^[1] Rain Man received overwhelmingly positive reviews at the time of its release, praising Hoffman’s role and the wit and sophistication of the screenplay.

The film won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards (March 1989), including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a leading role for Hoffman. Its crew received an additional four nominations.^[2] The film also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

Plot

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), a Los Angeles car dealer in his mid-twenties, is in the middle of importing four grey market Lamborghinis. The deal is being threatened by the EPA, and if Charlie cannot meet its requirements he will lose a significant amount of money. After some quick subterfuge with an employee, Charlie leaves for a weekend trip to Palm Springs with his girlfriend, Susanna (Valeria Golino).

Charlie’s trip is cancelled by news that his estranged father, Sanford Babbitt, has died. Charlie travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to settle the estate, where he learns an undisclosed trustee is inheriting $3 million on behalf of an unnamed beneficiary, while all he is to receive is a classic Buick Roadmaster convertible and several prize rose bushes. Eventually he learns the money is being directed to a mental institution, which is the home of his brother with autism, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), of whose existence Charlie was previously unaware. This leads Charlie to ask the question that permeates the movie: “Why didn’t somebody tell me I had a brother?”

Although Raymond has autism, he also has superb recall, albeit usually with little understanding of the subject matter, and extreme skill in mathematics. He is said to be a savant by some doctors. He is frightened by change and adheres to strict routines (for example, his continual repetition of the “Who’s on First?” sketch). Except when he is in distress, he shows little emotional expression and avoids eye contact. Numbed by learning that he has a brother and determined to get what he believes is his fair share of the Babbitt estate, Charlie takes Raymond on what becomes a cross-country car trip (due to Raymond’s fear of flying) back to Los Angeles to meet with his attorneys. Charlie intends to start a custody battle in order to get Raymond’s doctor, Dr. Gerald R. Bruner (Jerry Molen), to settle out of court for half of Sanford Babbitt’s estate so that the mental institution can maintain custody of Raymond.

During the course of the journey, Charlie learns about Raymond’s autism, which he initially believes is curable — resulting in his frequent frustration with his brother’s antics. He also learns about how his brother came to be separated from his family, as a result of an accident when he was left alone with Charlie when Charlie was a baby. Raymond also sings “I Saw Her Standing There” by The Beatles like he did when Charlie was young. Charlie proves to be sometimes shallow and exploitative, as when he learns that Raymond has an excellent memory and takes him to Las Vegas to win money at blackjack by counting cards. However, towards the end of their trip Charlie finds himself becoming protective of Raymond, and grows to truly love him.

Charlie finally meets with his attorney to try to get his share of his inheritance, but then decides that he no longer cares about the money and really just wants to have custody of his brother. However, at a meeting with a court-appointed psychiatrist and Dr. Bruner, Raymond is unable to decide exactly what he wants. Eventually, the psychiatrist presses Raymond to make the decision, upsetting him and leading Charlie to request that the doctor back off. Raymond is allowed to go back home to Cincinnati. Charlie, who has gained a new brother and mellowed considerably, promises Raymond as he boards an Amtrak train that he will visit in two weeks.

Cast

Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt
Dustin Hoffman as Raymond “Ray / Rain Man” Babbitt
Valeria Golino as Susanna
Jerry Molen as Dr. Bruner
Jack Murdock as John Mooney
Michael D. Roberts as Vern
Ralph Seymour as Lenny
Lucinda Jenney as Iris
Kim Robillard as Small Town Doctor
Barry Levinson (uncredited) as Doctor
Bonnie Hunt as Sally Dibbs

Effect on popular culture

Rain Man‘s portrayal of the main character’s condition has been seen as inaugurating a common and incorrect media stereotype that people on the autism spectrum typically have savant skills, and references to Rain Man, in particular Dustin Hoffman’s performance, have become a popular shorthand for autism and savantism.^[12] However, Rain Man has also been seen as dispelling a number of other misconceptions about autism and improving public awareness of the failure of many agencies to accommodate autistic people and make use of the abilities they do have, regardless of whether they are savant skills.^[13]

References

Links

• Rain Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Rain Man at the TCM Movie Database
• Rain Man at Allmovie
• Rain Man at Box Office Mojo
• Rain Man at Rotten Tomatoes
• Rain Man at Metacritic

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