The Man Who Played God

In 1932 many actors were still rather new to sound pictures and the great majority of them were theatre trained and while some would stay on in Hollywood, many would return to the stage to stay. Bette Davis was a young actress in the midst of making that decision to aty in Hollywood or return to New York and the stage. She had made several low buget pictures, but things just were not clicking for her. The success of this movie and the attention she received convinced her to stay on and make movies and we are all thankful for that. George Arliss was a grand old man of the stage and his artistry is well portrayed here. His makeup is a little heavy, making him look a little like the Phantom of The Opera with lipstick and darkened nostrils, but soon you get beyond that. The acting is almost strictly stage-style here, this MUST have been a play before it was filmed. The blocking and angles of the actors and the way they seem to talk "at" each other rather than to each other shows the stage acting. Great story, nice escapism... who wouldnt like to help others? We can do that through George Arliss in this movie.

First and foremost, "The Man Who Played God" (1932) is not a Bette Davis vehicle. She was still a few years away from receiving top billing and graduating into 'A' pictures. However, the mere fact that she's in this overlooked and forgotten film will only push it into wider circulation and rapidly increase its number of viewers. So much has already been said about her, there's very little one can add to further compliment her. Personally, I think she gave some of her best performances in these early 1930s B programmers for Warner Bros. Sure, the material wasn't nearly as good, which only made her performances stand out all the more. But Bette Davis has little to do with what stands out about this movie.

After losing his hearing, a well-loved and respected piano player (George Arliss) becomes a recluse. He rejects most of his old friends and companions, and is cruel to the few he does see. He learns to read lips, but grows more and more depressed at the same time. And finally when he has hit rock bottom, he finds a purpose in his life,... philanthropy. Putting aside his own problems and selfishness, his salvation comes from helping others. This is a theme that would recur over and over again to varying degrees in the Depression era 30s (especially in Frank Capra's movies).

The other thing of interest here is the act of voyeurism. Through the aid of binoculars, he's able to read lips, and essentially, spy on everyday New Yorker's. One can't help but wonder if this little movie may have had some influence or have been the basis for the idea of Cornell Woolrich's short story "It Had to Be Murder", which would be eventually adapted into Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954).

This movie, is, by no means a masterpiece, but its still an important one. With so many interesting ideas going on here, its well worth the watch.

I get so sick of people claiming that Bette Davis wasn't a beauty. She is so lovely in this 1932 film - those huge, gorgeous blue eyes, radiant smile, cute figure - she looks like a doll.

This is a wonderful melodrama which was re-made with, of all people, Liberace years later as "Sincerely Yours." All I can remember about the Liberace film is that he soft-shoed off the stage at the end, and I have a vague impression of him starting to go deaf while playing the piano.

If you can get past that the embalmed-looking George Arliss is supposed to be only 50 years old in this film (he was 64 and looks 80), it should be clear sailing from then on. Arliss was a marvelous actor, and his strong theatrical training is obvious here, as is Davis', with her clipped voice and large gestures. Film as a medium was still being learned by these actors who came from theater.

Man Who Played God is a truly beautiful story about a world-famous pianist who goes deaf and turns against his music and his religious beliefs, only to discover that every tragedy in life has meaning. 73 years later, it's still a great life lesson.

Look for Ray Milland in an uncredited role.

In "The Man Who Played God" the venerable George Arliss plays a famous and sweet-natured concert pianist who must cope with catastrophic hearing loss. There are two male-female romantic love subplots, but the story is essentially about philosophical and moral issues. The movie is best remembered not for Arliss, who was the main attraction, but for a supporting role beautifully played by the future screen queen Bette Davis, who for the most part is also very well photographed by James Van Trees, enhancing her unique presence. Amusingly, Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times in his review of the film faulted her for speaking "too rapidly for the microphone." But Arliss himself, as an artist suddenly forced to reconstruct his whole approach to life, is sympathetic and compelling despite the lipstick he habitually wore, in the style of many male actors of that time. He is ably supported by a thoroughly winning cast including Violet Heming, Ivan Simpson, Louise Closser Hale in an uncharacteristically non-dour role as the pianist's loving, intelligent and supportive sister, and even a very young Ray Milland as half of a distressed young couple whose desperate utterances are deciphered from afar by Arliss with the aid of binoculars and freshly acquired lip-reading skills. The studio-created ambiance of bustling city streets, whether "Paris" or "New York," is less phony looking than the usual replications thanks to careful lighting and well-planned camera angles.

This story has been made and remade many times. The first was back in the 1910s as "The Silent Voice". Then, a decade later, George Arliss made "The Man Who Played God"...and then again, a decade after this, Arliss made a sound version. But that wasn't all...in the 1950s, Liberace made "Sincerely Yours"...yet another version of this story!

The story is about a world famous concert pianist (Arliss), a man who is beloved and loves life. He also has a significantly younger woman (Bette Davis) who wants to marry him. But in spite of this, his life takes a sour turn when he is deafened...and sour is the word for it! This is because the pianist soon becomes bitter and resentful from his hearing loss and he spends much of his time brooding. So what is his salvation? See the movie.

Arliss, as usual, is very good. And, the story is a wonderful tale about loss and coping with it. My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that the story seems a tad old fashioned. Now this does NOT mean I suggest you see the later Liberace version...it's not particularly good. But the 1932 film is well worth seeing...with a great object lesson for us all.

By the way, late in the film look carefully at the minor character of an embezzler...it's played by the soon to be discovered Ray Milland.