That Certain Thing (1928)
Directed by Frank Capra
Genres - Comedy Drama, Romance |
Sub-Genres - Romantic Comedy |
Run Time - 65 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Director Frank Capra's first feature for Columbia Pictures, the silent That Certain Thing stars Viola Dana and Ralph Graves. Dana plays a poor girl who falls in love with wealthy Graves, the son of a millionaire restaurateur. When Graves declares that he has no intention of going into the family business, his father cuts him off without a dime. With nary a dime between them, Graves and Dana hit upon a moneymaking plan: they'll manufacture box lunches in Dana's kitchen, then sell them to construction workers from the back of her Model T. The box-lunch enterprise blossoms into a big business, driving dad's chain of restaurants into bankruptcy. All is forgiven when Father becomes Graves' junior partner. Lensed for less than $20,000 (the "prop" box lunches saved catering costs!), That Certain Thing was a hit, launching a long and rewarding association between Capra and Columbia.
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Keywords
bankruptcy, business, business-rivalry, father, parent/child-relationship, restaurant, son, class-consciousness