The Baby Cyclone (1928)

The Baby Cyclone was adapted from the George M. Cohan stage play of the same name, which originally starred Grant Mitchell and an up-and-comer named Spencer Tracy. The popular MGM screen team of Lew Cody and Aileen Pringle top the cast in this pleasant domestic comedy, wherein two suburban wives battle over the same pet Pekinese dog. Since F. Hugh Herbert's screenplay totally eliminated the play's third act, the roles played by William Morris and Georgia Hale -- both carryovers from the Broadway original -- were whittled down to nothing. Critics were most impressed by the performance of MGM contractee Gwen Lee, who was developing into a distinctive comedienne. The subtitles for Baby Cyclone were written by Bob Hopkins, the legendary MGM "idea man" whose one-sentence plot synopses provided fodder for Hollywood wits for nearly three decades. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi