Spitfire (1934 film) explained

Spitfire
Director:	John Cromwell
Producer:	Pandro S. Berman
Screenplay:	Lula Vollmer Jane Murfin
Music:	Bernhard Kaun
Cinematography:	Edward Cronjager
Editing:	William Morgan
Runtime:	87 minutes
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Budget:	$223,000^[1]
Gross:	$604,000

Spitfire is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film based on the play Trigger by Lula Vollmer. It was directed by John Cromwell and starred Katharine Hepburn, Robert Young and Ralph Bellamy.^{[2] [3]}

Plot

Two engineers building a dam in the mountains, John Stafford and George Fleetwood, are attracted to local hillbilly "spitfire" Trigger Hicks who is the local faith healer. Things come to a head when the locals think that she is a witch.

Cast

• Katharine Hepburn as Trigger Hicks
• Robert Young as John Stafford
• Ralph Bellamy as George Fleetwood
• Martha Sleeper as Eleanor Stafford
• Louis Mason as Bill Grayson
• Sara Haden (as Sarah Haden) as Etta Dawson
• Virginia Howell as Granny Raines
• Sidney Toler as Jim Sawyer
• Will Geer (as High Ghere) as West Fry
• John Beck as Jake Hawkins
• Therese Wittler as Mrs. Jim Sawyer

Reception

The film was popular and (after cinema circuits deducted their exhibition percentage of box office ticket sales) made a profit of $113,000.^[1]

References

1. Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994, p. 56
2. Variety film review; March 13, 1934, page 16.
3. Harrison's Reports film review; March 10, 1934, page 39.