Worldly Goods

James Kirkwood plays John Tullock, an industrialist. During the Great War, he manufactured planes for the US Government. They were so bad pilots called them "Tullock's Coffins." Ferdinand Schumann-Heink was one who survived a crash. He was blinded. Returning to the States, he has his friend tell his fiancee, Merna Kennedy, that he died. He gets a job as an airplane mechanic and one day Kirkwood comes by, grouchy that his plane isn't ready to go. Meeting Schumann-Heink, he decides to pay for the surgery that will restore the man's sight, even though he has vowed to murder Kirkwood if he ever gets the chance. Kirkwood also meets Miss Kennedy. He falls in love, persuades her to marry him, and tries to do good with the money he has accumulated.

It's produced by Trem Carr, so you know you're on Poverty Row, even with Phil Rosen succeeding in making the story flow, and having something to say about human fallibility. The line reading, particularly Kirkwood's, are rather poor. Sound supervisor Neil Jack undoubtedly cast a pall over that aspect of the production.

About five months ago a friend purchased prints at an estate sale and this was one of them!! THIS MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS!!!!! A young flier, blinded in the war, has his girlfriend informed of his death, returns home and takes a job at an airfield. Harboring a great hatred for the industrialist who built the plane he crashed in, he often speaks of someday being able to kill him. When a chance meeting with a wealthy man forms a bond which eventually leads to an operation which restores his sight, the boy then learns who his benefactor is--but also finds out that the older man's new wife is the boy's former girlfriend. The acting is a bit static. James Kirkwood, who had a long career in films, plays Tullock the industrialist and gives a decent performance as a man who has everything, but at the same time, nothing. Ferdinand Schumann-Heink plays the blinded boy. Heink had a 20 year career in films, playing a large number of uncredited roles. All in all I'd give this one a 6 out of 10. But anytime you can erase a title from the "lost" list, it's a good thing. Bob Connors (yrkconnors@yahoo.com)