HATS OFF (1936) Mae Clarke, John Payne & Helen Lynd | Comedy | B&W

Hats Off (1936) is an American film directed by Boris Petroff, and originally released by Grand National Pictures. The film is now in the public domain.

SYNOPSIS
Rival press agents Jimmy Maxwell and Jo Allen have both been assigned to stir up publicity for separate exhibitions at the 1936 Texas Centennial.

A pair of Texas towns are trying to outdo one another in planning a huge fair. While one community has Jimmy Maxwell arranging the entertainment, the other brings in Jo Allen, who uses a ruse to learn about Jimmy's plans, pretending to be a school teacher named Judy while her friend Mr. Churchill passes himself off as "Joe" Allen.

After learning that Jimmy's decided on a prizefight to draw the crowds, Jo counters by contacting a New York City showman, Caesar Rosero, and attempting to coax him into bringing his entire popular troupe to Texas to perform. By the time Jo regrets fooling Jimmy and begins to develop feelings for him, Jimmy angrily takes counter measures of his own, with Rosero getting caught in between.

CAST & CREW
Mae Clarke as Jo Allen
John Payne as Jimmy Maxwell
Helen Lynd as Ginger Connolly
Luis Alberni as Rosero
Richard "Skeets" Gallagher as Buzz Morton
Franklin Pangborn as Churchill
Robert Middlemass as Tex Connelly
George Irving as J.D. Murdock
Clarence Wilson as C.D. Pottingham

Directed by Boris Petroff
Written by Samuel Fuller (screenplay), Samuel Fuller (story), Edmund Joseph (screenplay), Edmund Joseph (story), Thiele Lawrence (additional dialogue)
Produced by Boris Petroff
Cinematography Harry Neumann
Edited by Thomas Neff
Distributed by Grand National Pictures
Release date December 6, 1936
Running time 66 minutes
Country United States
Language English