The Good Old Soak

The Good Old Soak is a 1937 American drama film starring Wallace Beery and directed by J. Walter Ruben from a screenplay by A. E. Thomas based upon the 1922 stage play of the same name by Don Marquis. The picture's supporting cast features Una Merkel, Eric Linden, Betty Furness, and Ted Healy.

The Good Old Soak
Lobby card with Ted Healy and Wallace Beery
Directed by	J. Walter Ruben
Written by	A.E. Thomas
Based on	the play by Don Marquis
Produced by	Harry Rapf
Starring	Wallace Beery Una Merkel Eric Linden Judith Barrett Betty Furness Ted Healy
Cinematography	Clyde De Vinna
Edited by	Frank Sullivan
Music by	Edward Ward
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	April 23, 1937 (1937-04-23) (Location)
Running time	67 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Screenwriter Thomas was disturbed that MGM changed the title from the original "The Old Soak," to the "Good Old Soak." MGM did that because it felt Wallace Beery's fans considered the word "good" synonymous with Beery. Rollin Kirby, a distinguished political cartoonist on the New York World newspaper, and good friend of Don Marquis, got a laugh from Marquis when he suggested how appropriate it was that a man named Beery would portray the Old Soak himself.^[1]

The story was previously made as a silent film by Universal in 1926 called The Old Soak starring Jean Hersholt.

Plot

Cast

• Wallace Beery as Clem Hawley
• Una Merkel as Nellie
• Eric Linden as Clemmie Hawley
• Judith Barrett as Ina Heath
• Betty Furness as Lucy Hawley
• Ted Healy as Al Simmons
• Janet Beecher as Matilda Hawley
• George Sidney as Kennedy
• Robert McWade as Webster Parsons
• James Bush as Tom Ogden
• Margaret Hamilton as Minnie