Businessman J. L. Higgins, president of the Higgins National Bank in Higginsville, announces a board of directors' dinner meeting for his four daughters and three sons-in-law, each of whom presides over one of Higgins' subsidiaries. All are reached quickly except for Dan Brooks, who is attending to his thoroughbred, "Broadway Bill," with the help of Alice, J. L.'s unwed daughter. Dan hates running his father-in-law's paper box factory, and is urged by Alice and stablehand Whitey to devote himself to racing Bill. While preparing for dinner that night, Dan's wife Margaret refuses to sympathize with Dan's misery over his job or share his excitement for his first love, horseracing. She informs him that he could someday own the vast Higgins financial empire, and they then attend the dinner, during which J. L. informs his family of his acquisition that morning of the Acme Lumber Co. He says that its presidency will be left vacant until Alice's future husband takes the post, but free-willed Alice insists she would never marry a man who would walk into such a job. Following dinner, J. L. reports that sales are dangerously off in Dan's paper box division due to his inattention to work. When J. L. orders Dan to sell Broadway Bill and return full time to the office, Dan quits instead and leaves Higginsville without Margaret, who refuses to go with him. Alice cries in happiness for Dan's "escape," while also hiding her attraction to him. At the Imperial Race Track, Dan rejoins his friends as he enters Broadway Bill in the $25,000 Imperial Derby, which is to be held in two weeks. Dan scrapes together the entry fee, then sets about finding the five hundred dollar nominating fee. He convinces Pop Jones to give him feed and shelter on credit, but is unable to get money from his old friend Colonel Pettigrew, who is also penniless. At a preliminary race the next day, Bill is disqualified when he bolts the starting gate. Dan writes to Margaret, asking her to send Bill's friend "Skeeter," a pet rooster, but it is Alice who delivers Skeeter. Alice stays to help, despite the protests of Dan, who is unaware of her feelings for him, and also that Margaret expects him to return home to apologize. Alice's presence proves fortunate when Bill gets a serious cold from being soaked by rain pouring through the leaky barn. She nurses Bill back to health, then pawns her fur coat and jewelry to raise money when Whitey is discovered to be using loaded dice while shooting craps to raise the nominating fee. On the eve of the derby, Pop Jones, angry that he has not been paid, has Bill seized and Dan thrown in jail. When a two-dollar bet placed on Bill by J. P. Chase, a bored, bedridden millionaire, is misinterpreted as a $200,000 bet, bookmaker Eddie Morgan, who is backing "Sun Up," is pleased because the odds on his horse go up as Bill's decline. To prevent Bill from being scratched, Eddie bails Dan out and pays his bills. Meanwhile, Eddie has bribed Ted Williams, Bill's jockey, and the jockey riding favorite "Gallant Lady," to throw the race. Eddie's plan is partially crippled, however, when Gallant Lady's jockey is suspended. On the day of the race, Williams reigns Bill in, but Bill ignores his instructions and sprints to victory, only to collapse and die of a burst heart. The following day, Bill is buried at the track, after which J. L. takes Alice home, and Dan leaves with Whitey. Two years pass and J. L. calls another dinner meeting. He announces that since Dan and Margaret's divorce, he has sold his subsidiaries, and that the bank will be next. He hopes his remaining sons-in-law will become independent men, not spineless parasites. Just then, a honking car horn and a shattered window announce Dan's demand that J. L. "release the Princess (Alice) from the dark tower." She runs to join Dan, Whitey and their two new horses, "Broadway Bill II" and "Princess." J. L. then leaves behind his shocked family and escapes with Alice.

Director:
Frank Capra	Director
Ray Davidson	2nd Unit Director
C. C. Coleman	Assistant Director
Cast:
Warner Baxter	as Dan Brooks
Myrna Loy	as The Princess [Alice Higgins]
Walter Connolly	as J. L. Higgins
Helen Vinson	as Margaret [Brooks]
Douglas Dumbrille	as Eddie Morgan
Raymond Walburn	as Colonel Pettigrew
Lynne Overman	as [Oscar] Happy McGuire
Clarence Muse	as Whitey
Margaret Hamilton	as Edna
Frankie Darro	as Ted Williams
George Cooper	as Joe
George Meeker	as Henry Early
Edward Tucker	as Jimmy Baker
Edmund Breese	as Presiding judge
Broadway Bill	as Dan's horse
Helen Flint	as Mrs. Early
Helene Millard	as Mrs. Winslow
Harry Holman	as Rube
Charles Levinson	as Morgan's henchman
Ward Bond	as Morgan's henchman
Harry Todd	as Pop Jones
Charles C. Wilson	as Collins
Paul Harvey	as James Whitehall
Claude Gillingwater Sr.	as J. P. Chase
Inez Courtney	as Mae
Lucille Ball	as Switchboard operator
Clara Blandick	as Mrs. Peterson, secretary
Alan Hale	as Orchestra leader
Bob Tansill	as Whitehall's jockey
Robert Allen	as Reporter
Dick Sumner	as Reporter
Frank O'Connor	as Reporter
James Blakely	as Interne
Forrester Harvey	as Horse trainer
Charles B. Middleton	as Veterinarian
Herman Bing	as Waiter
Eddie Kane	as Assistant judge
Irving Bacon	as Hot dog stand owner
Edward Keane	as Head waiter
Tom Ricketts	as Johnson
Harrison Greene	as Auctioneer
A. R. Haysel	as Mike
Sam Flint	as Race track judge
Pat Moriarity	as Policeman
Joan Standing	as Secretary
Frank Yaconelli	as Spaniard
Ky Robinson	as Deputy sheriff
Frank Holliday	as Deputy sheriff
Christian Frank	as Sheriff
William H. Strauss	as Pawnbroker
Spec O'Donnell	as Office boy
Fred Walton	as Butler
Sidney Bracy	as Second butler
Alfred James	as Mel
Gladys Gale	as Head nurse
Ara Haswell	as Nurse
Betty May	as Nurse
Helene Caverly	as Nurse
Rita Ross	as Nurse
Irene Coleman	as Nurse
Ila Lee	as Nurse
P. H. Levy	as Bearded man
Stanley Blystone	as Jailer
Kit Guard	as Cab driver
John Ince	as Mayor
Henry Barrows	as Governor
Otto Fries	as Waiter
Bess Flowers	as Secretary
Ernie Adams	as Patient
Bruce Galbraith	as Jockey
Kernan Cripps	as Policeman
Stanley Mack	as Tout
Charles Brinley	as Horseman
Cinematography:
Joseph Walker	Photography
Vic Scheurich	Camera Operator
George Kelly	Camera Operator
James Goss	Cam crew
Jack Andersen	Cam crew
Walter Lackey	Cam crew
Marty Crail	Lab tech
Writer:
Robert Riskin	Screenwriter
Mark Hellinger	Story
Sidney Buchman	Contr to scr const
Producer:
Samuel J. Briskin	Associate Producer
Editing:
Gene Havlick	Film Editor
Sound:
Edward Bernds	Sound Engineer
Production Companies:
Harry Cohn	Company
Frank Capra	Company
Film Production - Main:
Irving Lippman	Still photog
Misc. Crew:
Frank McGrath	Stand-in for Warner Baxter
Melrose Hooper	Stand-in for Myrna Loy
Joe Lynch	Stand-in for Walter Connolly

According to the Screen Achievements Bulletin, Mark Hellinger's story was entitled "On the Nose." A Hollywood Reporter news item, however, gives the name of the story as "Strictly Confidential." No publication information for Hellinger's story has been found. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, Louis Calhern was briefly assigned to the part played by Douglas Dumbrille, Sidney Skolsky was set to play a jockey, and Frank Capra sought to borrow Lewis Stone from M-G-M for an unspecified role. Contemporary sources also state that Osgood Perkins, Sterling Holloway, Samuel S. Hinds, Barbara Read and Mary McGrath were included in the cast, but their participation in the final film has not been verified. Location shooting was done at Tanforan Racetrack, which was located in San Mateo County, the Warner Ranch in Calabasas, CA and Pacific Coast Steel Mills. According to contemporary sources, the film was 125 minutes long when it was previewed on October 24, 1934. Film Daily states that another preview was held on November 21, 1934. In his autobiography, photographer Joseph Walker states that Capra originally tried to get Clark Gable for the part of Dan Brooks, but he was not available. On April 24, 1939, Robert Taylor performed in a radio verson of Broadway Bill for Lux Radio Theater.
       Modern sources list the following additional crew members: Microphone operator Irving Libbott; Electrial Bob Charlesworth; Props George Rhein; Gaffer George Hager; Best Boy Al Later; and Head grip Jimmy Lloyd. Modern sources also include Harry Semels (Conductor) in the cast, and complete the character identifications for Harry C. Bradley (Bookkeeper) and Eddy Chandler (Onlooker). This film is not a remake of a 1918 Yorke film, also entitled Broadway Bill. Broadway Bill was remade by Capra as Riding High, a 1950 release starring Bing Crosby and Colleen Grey. Capra states in his autobiography that he traded the script for A Woman of Distinction for the rights to Broadway Bill and its negative. He made the film for Paramount, and in order to save money, cut in approximately twenty minutes of racing and dialogue footage from the original film. Among the actors reprising their original roles were Clarence Muse, Douglas Dumbrille, Margaret Hamilton, Frankie Darro, Ward Bond, Raymond Walburn, and Irving Bacon.

Released in United States December 1934

Released in United States on Video September 21, 1994

Released in United States September 21, 1994

Re-released in United States June 4, 1992

Re-released in United States May 1, 1992

Shown at Cannes International Film Festival (Retrospective) May 9-20, 2001.

Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (50 Hour Sports Movie Marathon) July 5¿20, 1984.

Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (Treasures from AFI) April 2-23, 1981.

b&w

rtg MPAA G

reels 11

Re-released in United States May 1, 1992 (New York City)

Re-released in United States June 4, 1992 (Los Angeles)

Released in United States on Video September 21, 1994

Released in United States September 21, 1994

Released in United States December 1934