Come Fill the Cup *** (1951, James Cagney, Phyllis Thaxter, Gig Young, Raymond Massey, James Gleason) – Classic Movie Review 9319

James Cagney gives a powerful, yet well-controlled performance as a newsman called Lew Marsh fighting alcoholism, in director Gordon Douglas’s involving 1951 study of the evils of drink, Come Fill the Cup, based on a novel by Harlan Ware.

Marsh loses his job but is rehabilitated by his boss Charley Dolan (James Gleason). After six years sober, he gets his job back and devotes himself to other recovering alcoholics. Dolan enlists Marsh’s help to rescue his alcoholic nephew, Boyd Copeland (Gig Young), who has married Marsh’s old sweetheart, Paula (Phyllis Thaxter).

Gig Young was Oscar nominated as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the role of the boozy playboy Boyd Copeland, which has a terrible irony considering his real-life death following alcohol abuse.

Also in the cast are Selena Royle, Larry Keating, Charlita, Sheldon Leonard, Douglas Spencer, John Kellogg, John Alvin, King Donovan, James Flavin, Torbin Meyer and William Bakewell.

Come Fill the Cup is directed by Gordon Douglas, runs 112 minutes, is made and released by Warner Bros, is written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, based on a novel by Harlan Ware, is shot in black and white by Robert Burks, is produced by Henry Blanke and is scored by Ray Heindorf, with Art Direction by Leo K Kuter.

Gig Young was Oscar nominated again for Teacher’s Pet (1958) and finally won for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), where he also played a drinker. Only three weeks after marrying his fifth wife, 31-year-old German actress Kim Schmidt, he shot her dead and committed suicide on 19 October 1978, aged 65. New York City police found his Oscar beside the bodies. He was born Byron Barr but adopted his stage name from his character in The Gay Sisters (1942). 

He starred with Doris Day in four films: Young at Heart (1954), Teacher’s Pet (1958), The Tunnel of Love (1958), and That Touch of Mink (1962).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9319

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