Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937)
Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937), directed by Wilhelm Thiele, starring Frank Morgan and Florence Rice.
score
A Laugh-A-Minute romance!
Synopsis
We find con-man Ingraham Steward living by his wits by steering wealthy Paris visitors to sellers of fake paintings and other assorted dodges. He and his wife, Agatha, have been separated for 15 years, but he promises to give their daughter, Joyce, a lavish wedding at his "château" in France. The fact that he doesn't have a château in France is just a minor trifle. He induces the caretaker, Bill Cherau, of a large country estate to allow it to be used for the wedding. The wedding party arrives and Bill falls madly in love with Joyce and she with him, but a gal has gotta do what a gal has gotta do, and her intended marriage to stuffed-shirt Horace Miller stays on the books. But Steward has a change of heart and he tells one and all that he and his friends, Von Gersdorff, Lefevre, Iznamof, Clifton Summitt and Sasch, are all frauds and crooks. Horace and his family stalk out, which is just fine with Joyce as her true love, the caretaker, is waiting on the grounds.
- William H. DanielsCinematography
- Wilhelm ThieleDirector
- Conrad A. NervigEditing
- Frederick StephaniProducer
About the film
Beg, Borrow or Steal is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rhodes. The film was released on December 3, 1937, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Read the full article (1k characters)
Beg, Borrow or Steal is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rhodes. The film was released on December 3, 1937, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot
Con-man Ingraham Steward promises his daughter a luxurious wedding at his château in the French Riviera, although he doesn't really own the château. He induces the caretaker, Bill Cherau, to go along with his pretense.
On the day of the wedding, Bill falls in love with Ingraham's daughter and she feels the same, but still plans to have her intended wedding. Later, Ingraham has a change of heart and confesses that the château is not his. His daughter forgives him and goes to her true love Bill, who is not actually a caretaker.
Cast
Frank Morgan as Ingraham Steward
Florence Rice as Joyce Steward
John Beal as Count Bill Cherau
Janet Beecher as Mrs. Agatha Steward
Herman Bing as Von Giersdorff
Erik Rhodes as Lefevre
George Givot as Izmanov
E. E. Clive as Lord Nigel Braemer
Tom Rutherford as Horace Miller
Cora Witherspoon as Mrs. Elizabeth Miller
Reginald Denny as Clifton Summitt
Vladimir Sokoloff as Sascha
Harlan Briggs as Mr. Virgil Miller
References
External links
Beg, Borrow or Steal at IMDb
Beg, Borrow or Steal at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
Beg, Borrow or Steal at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Text from Beg, Borrow or Steal on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beg,_Borrow_or_Steal
Trivia
- It premiered on December 3, 1937, a Friday.
- It runs 1h12 — short for a feature film.
- This film's quiz has 13 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesEnglish
- StatusReleased
Cast
-
Frank Morgan
Ingraham Steward -
Florence Rice
Joyce Steward -
John Beal
Count Bill Cherau -
Janet Beecher
Mrs. Agatha Steward -
Herman Bing
Von Giersdorff, aka Count Herman -
Erik Rhodes
Lefevre -
George Givot
Izmanov -
E. E. Clive
Lord Nigel Braemer -
Tom Rutherford
Horace Miller -
Cora Witherspoon
Mrs. Elizabeth Miller -
Reginald Denny
Clifton Summitt -
Vladimir Sokoloff
Sascha -
Harlan Briggs
Mr. Virgil Miller - Lowden Adams Braemer's Servant (uncredited)
-
Egon Brecher
Antique Shop Proprietor (uncredited) -
Leonard Carey
James, Lord Braemer's Butler (uncredited) -
Joseph Crehan
Mr. Parsons, Murillo Customer (uncredited) - Robert Du Couedic French Detective (uncredited)
-
Fred Malatesta
Majordomo (uncredited) -
Alphonse Martell
French Policeman (uncredited)
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
Play nowIf you liked this one
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Amor, Casamentos e Outros Desastres
6.0
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Minha Família Quer que Eu Case
6.1
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Os Safados
7.1
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Fugindo do Amor
7.1
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Adorável Pecadora
6.4
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Bons Costumes
6.5
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Tratamento de Realeza
6.7
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Borbulhas de Amor
6.1
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Case Comigo
6.6
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Um Príncipe em Minha Vida 4 - A Aventura do Elefante
6.1
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Alta Sociedade
6.8
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Encontro Marcado
7.1
Tags
Crew
- William H. Daniels Cinematography
- Wilhelm Thiele Director
- Conrad A. Nervig Editing
- Frederick Stephani Producer
- William Axt Original music
- Harry Ruskin Screenplay
- Leonard Lee Screenplay
- Marion Parsonnet Screenplay
Questions about this film
What is Beg, Borrow or Steal about?
Beg, Borrow or Steal: We find con-man Ingraham Steward living by his wits by steering wealthy Paris visitors to sellers of fake paintings and other assorted dodges. He and his wife, Agatha, have been separated for 15 years, but he promises to give their daughter, Joyce, a lavish wedding at his "château" in France. The fact that he doesn't …
Who directed Beg, Borrow or Steal?
Beg, Borrow or Steal was directed by Wilhelm Thiele in 1937.
Who stars in Beg, Borrow or Steal?
The cast of Beg, Borrow or Steal includes Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher and Herman Bing.
How long is Beg, Borrow or Steal?
Beg, Borrow or Steal runs for 72 minutes, or 1h12.
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Page updated on 09/15/2026.
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