An old man unethically provides an income for his two grandchildren.An old man unethically provides an income for his two grandchildren.An old man unethically provides an income for his two grandchildren.
George Arliss
- Sylvanus Heythorp
- (as Mr. George Arliss)
Ivan F. Simpson
- Joe Pillin
- (as Ivan Simpson)
Henry Morrell
- Meller
- (as Henry Morell)
Erville Alderson
- Shareholder
- (uncredited)
Herbert Bunston
- Mr. Brownbee
- (uncredited)
H. Cooper
- Westgate - a Shareholder
- (uncredited)
Charles E. Evans
- Appleby - a Shareholder
- (uncredited)
Henrietta Goodwin
- Letty - Larne's Maid
- (uncredited)
John Rogers
- Budgeon - a Shareholder
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGeorge Arliss is credited as "Mr. George Arliss" on the title page, but the "Mr." is dropped for the comprehensive cast list.
- ConnectionsReferenced in An Intimate Dinner in Celebration of Warner Bros. Silver Jubilee (1930)
Featured review
Very stagey; Arliss would loosen up in later years.
There are two conflicting themes, or sets of values at work in Arliss' role. On the one hand he's supposed to be an elderly successful businessman (who is unaccountably poor) while also being a lovable scoundrel. On the other, he insists to anyone who'll listen that the most important thing in life - in fact the only point of having money - is being able to maintain one's independence. Yet he quite happily defrauds his shareholders by means of a clandestine deal through which he's able to secure considerable financial advantages for his 'family'. In other words, his vaunted independence is secured by a crime; it's counterfeit independence. Although the act in question takes place at the end of his life you get the impression that it would never have troubled him ethically at any time.
The acting is very stage bound, even Arliss' performance. The repeated emphasis on his advanced age might have gone over well in the theatre with some stage 'business'; on the screen with no variation it's dull. Within a couple of years his film acting would become so much more flexible.
The plot itself is very thin.
helpful•00
- atrickyone
- Jul 27, 2019
Details
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
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