The Millionaire

The gentle humor of this film is balanced by a certain amount of social conscience, making it even as a dated story something moderately charming. Set in California during the Great Depression, it is pure fantasy of the kind much needed in movie-houses during those dark days. Although it is now rare in our decadent corporate epoch to find a happy and generous -- not to say intelligent -- millionaire free of the desire to line his own pockets at the expense of his employees, the character as played by George Arliss transcends mere capitalism and inspires us to higher purposes.

Cameos by James Cagney and Wallace Beery provide some historical flavor for film buffs, as do some truly grand vintage automobiles going in and out of the service stations central to the story. Though that story remains thin and improbable, it is fast-paced and directed with élan. My own appreciation was enhanced by noting at the outset the name of Booth Tarkington as one of the writers. He was without a doubt one of the finest popular novelists of the early twentieth century, now largely forgotten. The playful tone he employed in the "Penrod" stories is much evident here.

A very fine production for 1931.

Health problems force an elderly auto tycoon into retirement. Refusing to stay idle, he buys half ownership into a service station & gleefully begins to work there, incognito. The old man is now able to help his young partner in matters of business & romance. But what will happen if he's discovered to be, in reality, THE MILLIONAIRE?

George Arliss was a wonderful actor, now sadly neglected. The merest glance, the smallest movement of his hands, the raised eyebrow or vocal inflection, these all spoke volumes. Here, he has a fine outlet for his artistry. The film moves right along, without any dull moments, fueled by the fun of watching Arliss act.

He is given good support by David Manners (a fine leading man of the 1930's) as his partner; Noah Beery as a beefy business rival; and real-life wife Florence Arliss. James Cagney, not quite yet a star, breezes in for a few moments as an insurance agent who gives Arliss some good advice. Effortlessly, he steals the scene from Arliss (the old man seems amused), a very rare event, indeed.

... and it's a shame that he is largely forgotten to film history. He was in Warner Brothers' earliest talking films, and even scored a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Disraeli in 1929. He was later lured to Fox, and I think that was a mistake since his best film work was at Warner Brothers. He was largely known for his stage work.

Here Arliss plays James Alden, owner and founder of an automobile company. When his doctor tells him he must stop work at age 60 and take a prolonged rest or die, at first he wants to ignore the warnings, but then thinks of his wife and daughter (played by Arliss' actual wife and Evalyn Knapp, respectively).

So off the trio goes to California, and the next we see of Alden he is sitting at a table in a garden wrapped in a blanket surrounded by prescription bottles, looking entirely unhappy about his situation. He is visited by an insurance agent, Scofield (James Cagney) who wants no part of selling him life insurance once he finds out Alden is retired, because he says the retired tend to die quickly. Scofield says if he had Alden's money what he would do is find one of the small business opportunities in the newspaper, and take an interest in running some small place so that he has a sense of purpose.

Alden takes Scofield's advice, but in the meantime he must fool his wife and daughter so that they don't worry or put a stop to his plans, and he must also fool his new business partner (David Manners) because he doesn't want him to think/know that they can just go to James Alden for any money they need. He wants to live by his wits, like he did when he started out, because he thinks the challenge might refresh and thus cure him. Things get complex when Manners' character gets interested in Alden's daughter, independent of the business venture. Noah Beery plays the villain here, trying to thwart the plans of Alden and his partner. It is rather refreshing here to see him play a normal kind of villain for a change.

I can't help but believe that Arliss might have been, in real life, the same kind of person he played on the screen - mischievous, impish, energetic, and always trying to help out the younger crowd. He gave Bette Davis her start at Warner Brothers, and I wonder if this cameo role for James Cagney wasn't his doing too.

At any rate, this film is a light hearted delight and I'd recommend it.

Automobile tycoon James Alden (George Arliss) is forced into retirement due to health concerns. He is utterly bored. After talking to insurance salesman Schofield (James Cagney), he answers a newspaper ad to buy half a gas station under the fake name Charles Miller. He and his new partner Bill Merrick have been suckered by Peterson who moved his business next to the new highway. The duo decides to move across the street to compete directly. Meanwhile, Bill falls for Alden's daughter without realizing her father is his partner.

Arliss is great. There are social class differences that are harder to understand. Non-physical comedy is often harder to translate across time. The stakes are pretty low since Alden will always be rich and he will always approve of Bill for his daughter. Early James Cagney has a minor role. It has its fun but it doesn't strike me as hilarious in the modern sense.

George Arliss's name was synonymous with "Great Acting" back in the early talking film era and he more or less lives up to the reputation herein, playing a Henry Ford-style auto magnate in failing health whose doctor insists that he retire and take it easy lest his heart give out. So he reluctantly but obediently moves to sunny California with his wife and daughter where he settles into a life of vice-free boredom. One day a cocky insurance salesman (played by the motor-mouthed James Cagney in an early supporting role) suggests that he would be happier if he bought a small business as a hobby just to keep the old juices flowing. Arliss finds the advice intriguing and responds to a newspaper ad offering half interest in a filling station. Posing as an ordinary investor under an assumed name, he purchases the half interest without hesitation from a suspicious seller (Noah Beery) and discovers his partner is a handsome young would-be architect (David Manners in one of his better efforts) biding his time until he can get his real career off the ground. Soon it becomes clear to both that Beery has swindled them, knowing that a new superhighway nearby would soon open and attract all vehicles away from the spot where their filling station was located. Using the business acumen he has accrued through the years, Arliss hatches a plan to purchase property across the street from the swindler's new filling station and drive him out of business with better service, better advertising and a more attractive establishment. Meanwhile, Arliss's daughter drives in for a fill-up and is recognized by Manners as the attractive girl he met briefly at a college dance a few years earlier. He falls head over heels in love with her and decides to marry her, little knowing she is the daughter of his partner. As this romantic subplot plays out, Arliss's health improves by degrees under the healthy stimulus of running a small business, even as he declines to swallow the medicines prescribed by his doctor. It's fun to watch Arliss play this lovable character who learns how to heal himself. It's a wise film indeed, demonstrating that care of the spirit is just as important as medicinal regimens. The whole thing moves along at a brisk pace. Cagney's brief bit is memorable in a "star is born" manner—the elegant old pro Arliss generously allowing the brash young actor to steal the scene. Arliss did a similar favor for young Bette Davis in THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD a year later.