History Film / TheStrawberryBlonde

* MoralEventHorizon: Weaselly Hugo crosses it when his shoddy construction materials cause a building to collapse, killing Biff's father. Then it turns out that Hugo only hired Biff to set him up as the fall guy if anything went wrong. Biff goes to prison.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGayNineties, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, Biff is enchanted with the lovely socialite Virginia Brush (Hayworth), the strawberry blonde of the title. One day Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson), an ambitious and unethical man from the neighborhood who'd once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy Lind (de Havilland). After promising that Biff can have Virginia, Hugo goes off with her himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff unsurprisingly isn't any too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sb7.jpg]]

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGayNineties, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth), the strawberry blonde of the title. One day Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson), an ambitious and unethical man from the neighborhood who'd once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy Lind (de Havilland). After promising that Biff can have Virginia, Hugo goes off with her himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff unsurprisingly isn't any too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

''The Strawberry Blonde'' is a romantic comedy from 1941, directed by Creator/RaoulWalsh, starring Creator/JamesCagney, Creator/OliviaDeHavilland, and Creator/RitaHayworth.

Notable as the only film that Cagney and de Havilland starred in together--despite both being Warner Bros. contract players for nearly a decade--''The Strawberry Blonde'' provided a huge career break for Hayworth, who was on loan from Columbia and soon afterward became a big star. It was the second [[TheFilmOfThePlay screen adaptation]] of James Hagan's play ''One Sunday Afternoon'', previously filmed under that title in 1933 with Creator/GaryCooper as Biff and Creator/FayWray as Virginia. It would be remade once more in 1948, this time as a {{musical}} film (again titled ''One Sunday Afternoon'') starring Dennis Morgan and Janis Paige.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGayNineties, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson), an ambitious and unethical man from the neighborhood who'd once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

Hugo, who's always taking advantage of Biff in ways large and small, eventually marries Virginia, gets rich, and lords his success over working-class Biff. Meanwhile, Biff winds up marrying Amy, and they are happy--until Hugo reinserts himself into Biff's life and takes advantage of Biff in a much more terrible way.

''The Strawberry Blonde'' was the only film de Havilland and Cagney starred in together despite both being Warner Brothers contract players for nearly a decade. It proved a huge career break for Hayworth, who soon became a big star. It was TheRemake of a 1933 film called ''One Sunday Afternoon'' starring Creator/GaryCooper, and would be remade again in 1948 as ''One Sunday Afternoon''.

* YouWontFeelAThing: After Biff realizes how miserably unhappy Hugo's life has turned out, he can't bring himself to kill Hugo with the nitrous oxide that Hugo asked for--but he does take the opportunity to surprise Hugo and yank the tooth without anesthetic.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGayNineties, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson), an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

Hugo, who is always taking advantage of Biff in ways large and small, eventually marries Virginia, gets rich, and lords his success over working-class Biff. Biff winds up marrying Amy, and they are happy--until Hugo reinserts himself in Biff's life and takes advantage of Biff in a much more terrible way.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGayNineties, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead, an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

'''Biff''': You mean - -?\\

-->'''Biff'' ''(to Nick)'': You remember what they said in Sunday School? "Vengeance is mine, thus sayeth the Lord"? I guess He had better plans than I could have ever thought up.

-->'''Biff (to Nick)''': You remember what they said in Sunday School? "Vengeance is mine, thus sayeth the Lord"? I guess He had better plans than I could have ever thought up.

--> "She's got belfries in the bats."

'''Amy''': Exactly. ''[she winks]''

** Biff's best friend Nick, a Greek immigrant with a heavy accent, hears some Germans talking and says "Boy how these foreigners murder the English language."

* IHaveToWashMyHair: Virginia says "A cousin of mine arrived unexpectedly from Scranton" after Biff tries to get her to agree to another date. Finally she agrees to meet him "three weeks from Tuesday", only for Biff to find out that day that she married Hugo Barnstead.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGay'90s, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead, an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the TheGay90s, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead, an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the early years of the 20th century, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead, an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her surprisingly liberated opinions.

* HelloNurse: Gorgeous, gorgeous Virginia, which is only logical as she's played by Rita Hayworth. When someone spots Virginia walking down the street, all the men lounging in Nick's barbershop rush outside to get a look at her.

'''Biff''' Grimes: So you don't believe in the institution of marriage!\\

'''Biff''' Grimes: Wouldn't you like to have a home and kids?\\

'''Biff''' Grimes: You mean - -?\\

Biff Grimes (Cagney) is a young man in the early years of the 20th century, son of an Irish immigrant, who likes to get in fights, and aspires to be a dentist. Like everyone else in their New York neighborhood, he is enchanted with the lovely, lovely Virginia Brush (Hayworth). One day Hugo Barnstead, an ambitious, unethical neighborhood man who once enlisted Biff in a scheme to oversell tickets to a cruise, talks Biff into going out on a double date with Virginia and her friend Amy (De Havilland). Hugo promises Biff that Biff can have Virginia, but lies, and goes off with Virginia himself, leaving Biff in the company of Amy. Biff isn't too happy about this, and is even less happy when Amy startles him with her suprisingly liberated opinions.

''The Strawberry Blonde'' was the only film de Havilland and Cagney starred in together despite both being Warner Brothers contract players for over a decade. It proved a huge career break for Hayworth, who soon became a big star. It was TheRemake of a 1933 film called ''One Sunday Afternoon'' starring Creator/GaryCooper, and would be remade again in 1948 as ''One Sunday Afternoon''.

* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: As part of her faux-sophisticated act, Virginia asks Biff for a cigarette. Later she admits that she only put one in her mouth once and didn't like it. At the end, Virginia asks Biff for a cigarette and smokes it, showing how coarse and hardened she's become.

* IHaveToGoWashMyHair: Virginia says "A cousin of mine arrived unexpectedly from Scranton" after Biff tries to get her to agree to another date. Finally she agrees to meet him "three weeks from Tuesday", only for Biff to find out that day that she married Hugo Barnstead.