Great God Gold

1934 film by Arthur Lubin

15 April 1935 (1935-04-15)^[1]

Running time

71 minsCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Great God Gold is a 1935 film. It was Arthur Lubin's second film as director.^[2]^[3]

Plot

In the late 1920s, "Lucky" John Hart has a reputation as a stock market speculator. He does an interview with reported Phil "Stu" Stuart, which predicts the Wall Street Crash. Hart sells his investments just before the Crash.

Later lawyers Simon and Nitto suggest Hart use his reputation to make money in receiverships. Hart agrees in part because he desires Elena, the wife of Nitto's nephew Frank. Elena and Hart begin an affair.

Harper takes over receivership of the Excelsior Hotel whose president George Harper commits suicide. Harper's daughter Marcia seeks revenge. She falls in love with Stu.

Frank discovers his wife's infidelity and shoots Frank.

Cast

Sidney Blackmer as "Lucky" John Hart
Martha Sleeper as Marcia Harper
Regis Toomey as Phil "Stu" Stuart
Edwin Maxwell as Nitto
Ralf Harolde as Frank Nitto
Maria Alba as Elena Nitto
John T. Murray as Simon
Gloria Shea as Gert

Production

Filming began December 1934.

Reception

The New York Times called it "a half hearted attack on the receivership racket... it's feeble as a crusade and sluggish as melodrama."^[4]

Writing for The Spectator, Graham Greene described the film as "an excellent American melodrama", commenting that despite the lack of big-name stars the acting displayed a "delightful vividness" and "even the hats have been carefully chosen: the crookeder the deal, the more flowing the brim".^[5]

References

^ SCREEN NOTES. New York Times 3 May 1935: 23.
^ y, E. S. (1934, Dec 14). Straight from the studios.
^ Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2019). "The Cinema of Arthur Lubin". Diabolique Magazine.
^ At the Criterion. F.S.N. New York Times 6 May 1935: 22.
^ Greene, Graham (23 August 1935). "Where's George?/The Great God Gold/Boys Will Be Boys/The Murder Man". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p. 16. ISBN 0192812866.)