The Mad Miss Manton

"Out of the social register and into the police blotter!"

1938 1h 20m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 45

ComedyCrimeMysteryRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When the murdered body discovered by beautiful, vivacious socialite Melsa Manton disappears, police and press label her a prankster until she and her group of friends prove them wrong.

“Out of the social register and into the police blotter!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Barbara Stanwyck
Melsa Manton
Henry Fonda
Peter Ames
Sam Levene
Lieutenant Brent
Frances Mercer
Helen Frayne
Stanley Ridges
Edward Norris
Whitney Bourne
Pat James
Vickie Lester
Kit Beverly
Ann Evers
Lee Wilson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leigh Jason
Writers: Wilson Collison, Philip G. Epstein
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

88 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leigh Jason, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor George Hively shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda and Sam Levene carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Out of the social register and into the police blotter!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0030396 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leigh Jason directs. Nicholas Musuraca behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. George Hively cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
288 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Leigh Jason, shot by Nicholas Musuraca. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor George Hively shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda and Sam Levene carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Out of the social register and into the police blotter!".
8IMDB entry: tt0030396 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 45 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "gangster", "madcap comedy", "screwball comedy", "socialite".