By Glenn Erickson
The Wild Man of Borneo
Brief Synopsis
A braggart masquerades as a primitive throwback.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Robert B. Sinclair
Director
Frank Morgan
J. Daniel Thompson
Mary Howard
Mary Thompson
Billie Burke
Bernice Marshall
Donald Meek
Professor [Charles] Birdo
Marjorie Main
Irma
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Adaptation
Release Date
Jan
24,
1941
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play The Wild Man of Borneo by Marc Connelly and Herman J. Mankiewicz (New York, 13 Sep 1927).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,050ft
(8 reels)
Synopsis
At the turn of the century, J. Daniel Thompson, a gifted conman who has been with a traveling medicine show for many years, decides to retire from grifting and return to his eighteen-year-old daughter Mary when Mary's aunt dies. Because Daniel had never gotten along with his sister-in-law after his wife's death, he has not seen Mary for many years and assumes that her aunt has left her a wealthy woman. Reuniting with Mary in upstate New York, Daniel soon learns that Mary is penniless, but realizes that he loves her too much to leave her again. Daniel takes Mary with him to New York City, where they move into a boardinghouse owned by Bernice Marshall, a kindly widow who rents rooms to several eccentric vaudevillians. Daniel pretends to be a famous actor who knew her late actor husband and gets their rooms without payment in advance. Hoping to keep Mary's faith in him, as well as impress Bernice, whom he finds charming, Daniel tries to get a job acting, but is unsuccessful. After repeated failures, he resorts to brewing his old snake oil formula, which he turns into soap and peddles on the sidewalk. One day, when snoopy fellow boarders Evelyn Diamond and her daughter Francine see him on the street, Daniel sneaks into a nickelodeon that has a side show run by his old friend "Doc" Skelby. Doc offers Daniel a job playing the "Wild Man of Borneo" in his show, and to explain his nightly absences, Daniel tells people at the boardinghouse that he is replacing famous actor Richard Mansfield in the lead of King Lear . Professor Charles Birdo, another boarder who is smitten with Bernice, is suspicious, as are Evelyn and "Frankie." When they get tickets to King Lear , Daniel pretends that he is too ill to perform that night, raising even more suspicions in everyone but Bernice and Mary. Meanwhile, a detective hired by Evelyn to locate her missing ex-husband, who is behind on his alimony, tells her that he is working at the nickelodeon. They go there and see the Wild Man of Borneo show but do not recognize Daniel, who is wearing a leopard costume and black-face. When Doc appears and turns out to be Evelyn's missing spouse, he begs Daniel to come to his aid, and Daniel is forced to reveal himself. Back at the boardinghouse, an ashamed Daniel faces Bernice, who tells them that she knew the truth all along and would like him to marry her. He gently refuses because he is too much of a gypsy to marry again, but before he leaves, he runs into Mary and Ed LeMotte, the young inventor with whom Mary has fallen in love. Rather than being angry over Daniel's profession, Ed is happy because his own father was a medicine man. They then tell Daniel that Ed's invention, a motion picture camera, has received financial backing and they want Daniel to act in Ed's pictures. Just then Doc arrives and tells Daniel that he has remarried Evelyn to stay out of jail, and because of Daniel's good turn, is giving him half-interest in the nickelodeon, in which he is installing a machine to show Ed's pictures. Daniel agrees with Doc that moving pictures are only a passing fad, but decides to take up the offer and remain at the boardinghouse.
Director
Robert B. Sinclair
Director
Cast
Frank Morgan
J. Daniel Thompson
Mary Howard
Mary Thompson
Billie Burke
Bernice Marshall
Donald Meek
Professor [Charles] Birdo
Marjorie Main
Irma
Connie Gilchrist
Mrs. [Evelyn] Diamond
Bonita Granville
Francine [Frankie] Diamond
Dan Dailey Jr.
Editor LeMotte
Andrew Tombes
"Doc" Dunbar
Walter Catlett
"Doc" Skelby
Joseph J. Greene
Mr. [Robert Emmett] Ferderber
Phil Silvers
Murdock
Joe Yule
Jerry
Irving Bacon
Coachman
James Flavin
Policeman
Henry Roquemore
Sheriff
Paul E. Burns
Black banjo player
Matt Mchugh
Cab driver
Jack Daley
Cab driver
Betty Farrington
Little Lady
George Noisom
Elevator operator
Cyril Ring
Passerby
Mayta Palmera
Little Cairo
George Lehrer
Population Harry
Art Belasco
Bearded lady
Tom Conway
Actor in motion picture scene
William Tannen
Actor in motion picture scene
Karen Verne
Actress in motion picture scene
Minerva Urecal
Mother of baby
Sherry Hall
Passerby
Frank Pharr
Man with dolls
Harold Entwistle
Old man
Ralph Mccullough
Photographer
Lillian Nicholson
Gypsy
John Webb Dillon
Man at carnival
Jessie Arnold
Woman at carnival
Polly Bailey
Edward Hearn
Evelyn Selbie
Crew
Hugh Boswell
Assistant Director
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
Eddie Imazu
Associate (Art Direction)
Oliver T. Marsh
Director of Photography
John Mcclain
Screenwriter
Robert Planck
Director of Photographer for retakes
Ruby Ray
Bird whistling double for Donald Meek
Ruby Ray
Instructor for Donald Meek in pursing lips for whistling solo
Waldo Salt
Screenwriter
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
David Snell
Music Score
Gile Steele
Men's Costume
Frank Sullivan
Film Editor
Dolly Tree
Women's Costume
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Film Details
Genre
Comedy
Adaptation
Release Date
Jan
24,
1941
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play The Wild Man of Borneo by Marc Connelly and Herman J. Mankiewicz (New York, 13 Sep 1927).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,050ft
(8 reels)
Articles
The Wild Man of Borneo -
Favorite Frank Morgan receives a starring role as yet another lovable flimflam man in The Wild Man of Borneo (1941). From a 1920s play by Marc Connelly and Herman J. Mankiewicz, Waldo Salt and John McClain's screenplay celebrates a bygone heyday of carnivals and traveling show tricksters. Seeking to retire but dead broke, medicine show veteran Daniel Thompson (Morgan) takes his estranged daughter Mary (Mary Howard) to New York, where he hopes he can scare up a new racket. Conning a room in an actors' boardinghouse from landlady Bernice Marshall (Billie Burke), Daniel is soon claiming that he has acting experience and is playing an important role on the stage. Actually, an old pal (Walter Catlett) offers Daniel a job in his freakish sideshow, playing "The Wild Man of Borneo" in a fur costume and blackface makeup. Meanwhile, Mary falls in love with the handsome Ed (a young Dan Dailey) who has invented his own movie camera. The old sharpie Daniel soon discovers a new calling: movie actor. The colorful cast includes a gallery of distinctive personalities: Donald Meek, Marjorie Main, Bonita Granville and Phil Silvers. Did producer Joseph Mankiewicz intend this odd comedy as an 'origin story' for the motion picture business?
By Glenn Erickson
By Glenn Erickson
The Wild Man of Borneo -
Favorite Frank Morgan receives a starring role as yet another lovable flimflam man in The Wild Man of Borneo (1941). From a 1920s play by Marc Connelly and Herman J. Mankiewicz, Waldo Salt and John McClain's screenplay celebrates a bygone heyday of carnivals and traveling show tricksters. Seeking to retire but dead broke, medicine show veteran Daniel Thompson (Morgan) takes his estranged daughter Mary (Mary Howard) to New York, where he hopes he can scare up a new racket. Conning a room in an actors' boardinghouse from landlady Bernice Marshall (Billie Burke), Daniel is soon claiming that he has acting experience and is playing an important role on the stage. Actually, an old pal (Walter Catlett) offers Daniel a job in his freakish sideshow, playing "The Wild Man of Borneo" in a fur costume and blackface makeup. Meanwhile, Mary falls in love with the handsome Ed (a young Dan Dailey) who has invented his own movie camera. The old sharpie Daniel soon discovers a new calling: movie actor. The colorful cast includes a gallery of distinctive personalities: Donald Meek, Marjorie Main, Bonita Granville and Phil Silvers. Did producer Joseph Mankiewicz intend this odd comedy as an 'origin story' for the motion picture business? By Glenn Erickson
Quotes
There ain't no flies on me!- Francine Diamond
You can't blame the flies, Francine.- J. Daniel Thompson
Trivia
The original play opened in New York on 13 September 1927.
Robert H. Planck was director of photography for the retakes because Oliver T. Marsh was working on another film.
Notes
According to Hollywood Reporter news items, cameraman Robert Planck shot retakes for this film, as principal photographer Oliver T. Marsh was working on another picture.
