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I'm currently going through a recently published bio of an obscure performer. The book doesn't include footnotes and only a two page bibliography and I'm rather suspicious about many of the claims the author is making.

To that end, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the shooting script for "Golddiggers of 1937" survives. The author outlines a rather implausible (for 1937) scene that was apparently shot for the film but cut out before release.

I found the indexes of Warner Brothers materials at USC and dug up the listings of contracts for the film, listing the actors with speaking roles and dancers, but I didn't see if the shooting script is included in their holdings.

The author, by the way, claims that this obscure actor had a speaking role in the film that was cut out. I couldn't find any listing in the USC WB indexes for the performer's contract under his stage name, birth name, or some aliases he used over the years. The actor in question does appear on screen in two brief scenes as a non-speaking extra.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

It can probably be found in the New York State Archives, which have a large collection of screenplays that were registered for censorship purposes. You can request a copy of a specific screenplay if they have it. See http://www.archives.nysed.gov/research/res_topics_film for more information.

Who is the actor / actress in question?

Out of interest I did a search.They have only Gold diggers In Paris.They don't have 1937.

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:Who is the actor / actress in question?

Ray Bourbon, a vaudeville and nightclub performer.

http://www.coolcatdaddy.com/bourbon.html

We've documented Ray working in silent films, usually as an extra. He gets gored by a bull in the opening of Valentino's "Blood and Sand" and dies in Valentino's arms in that film. He sometimes has multiple minor roles, both male and female, in some of DeMille's silents.

He pops up in a couple of scenes in "Golddiggers of 1937", in a scene near the opening of the picture where he's on a train and later in a scene at a pool party where he's dancing with a young lady.

Ray was a gay performer who worked in drag and had a club in LA in the 30s. The author is stating that Ray originally had dialogue with Glenda Farrell in the train scene in "Golddiggers" where she is looking for a potential man to date and doesn't catch on that Ray's character is gay until they exchange some catty dialogue. Later in the scene, the author states that Ray leaves to go to the dinner car arm-in-arm with another man.

I'm doubtful that they'd film a scene with an obvious gay joke in 1936 after the Code kicked in. The way the scene actually plays out in the movie also makes it unlikely, at least to me - in the way it appears in the film, they exchange looks and Ray just doesn't look interested; he later leaves the car, but not with another man.

The only other sound era picture I've found with Ray is an RKO short from the early 30s called "Hip, Zip, Hooray", where he plays a very openly gay designer of women's undergarments. I think he's third billed in that one and has a significant part through most of the film.

I checked the Wisconsin Center for Film and Television Research http://wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu/
since they published a bunch of WB screenplays https://uwpress.wisc.edu/series/warner-bros.html
but only turned up a listing for a pressbook for the '37 GD.

wingate wrote:Out of interest I did a search.They have only Gold diggers In Paris.They don't have 1937.

Yes they do. It's indexed at http://iarchives.nysed.gov/mpd/view?doc ... nd=default. Perhaps you searched for 'Golddiggers' as one word?

Thanks so much - I've mailed their form to obtain a copy.

coolcatdaddy wrote:

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:Who is the actor / actress in question?

Ray Bourbon...

The only other sound era picture I've found with Ray is an RKO short from the early 30s called "Hip, Zip, Hooray", where he plays a very openly gay designer of women's undergarments. I think he's third billed in that one and has a significant part through most of the film.

Have you ever found a copy of this short (in any format)? Or even any evidence that it's not lost? I've been trying to find it for many years, as it features a favorite actress of mine, June Brewster.
And by the way, Ray Bourbon is billed 7th of 9 in the cast list in the credits of the short.

As a sidenote (and I'm sure CoolCatDaddy is already aware of this), but The Comedians author Kliph Nesteroff also has the podcast Classic Showbiz, and he recently devoted an episode to Ray Bourbon.

Not sure if you need to be a subscriber to Howl or Stitcher to hear it, but I'm planning to tune in at some point.

EDIT: Just played the whole darn thing. I'd heard of Bourbon and had come across his records from time to time, but had no idea about the tragic turn his life took in his later years. Fascinating story.

I heard about this podcast, but haven't had a chance to hear it yet - I may have to sign up for a trial subscription to access it.

Yes, Ray's story was very sad, but he was certainly his own worst enemy - a complicated guy with an amazing talent.