Pour un million

Warner Baxter plays a millionaire who is sad to discover that no one cares about him for anything but his money. This includes his butler (and he thought friend) of many years, as we see in one pathetic scene early on. He's drowning himself in pity on a yacht when he sees hobo Peter Lorre drowning himself in the ocean. So he jumps in and helps out. This leads to some soul-searching on Baxter's part and some wrong assumptions on Lorre's part, which sets up the movie's game of telephone screwball plot where the word gets out that a millionaire is disguising himself as a hobo and will give a million dollars to anyone who is kind to him.

I enjoyed this movie but I admit to being a little let-down it wasn't better than it is. Lorre is not in it much, for one thing. He's great when he's around but ultimately he's a minor character, screen time-wise. It's also not a particularly funny movie. Pleasant is a good word for it. The second half is weaker than the first. I would recommend you see it if you find the plot and cast interesting. After all my 6 might be your 7 or 8.

This film starts out with great promise. Tony (Warner Baxter) is a wealthy man, out on his yacht, who suddenly becomes aware that everybody onboard is just nice to him because of his money. As he stands leaning over the railing of the yacht, pondering this fact, he notices a man yelling for help, apparently drowning in the ocean. His yells of man overboard are not heard, so he jumps in and rescues the man. The yacht is out of range, so he swims to shore with Louis (Peter Lorre) in tow.

They camp on the beach for the night, and Tony tells Louis that if he could find just one person who was nice to him and not expecting a payout that he would give that person one million francs (today one dollar = 5 francs). The next day Louis awakens and finds Tony gone but his clothes and money still there. He goes into town wearing Tony's clothes and spending Tony's money. This gets the attention of the police, where Louis tells the story of the rich man, incognito dressed like a tramp, who will give one million francs to anybody who does a good deed for him with no expectations of reward. Soon everybody is being nice to all of the hobos. Meanwhile, Tony has become friends with a woman in a circus who knows nothing about this . Complications ensue.

Now all of this sounds pretty good, but it just seems to bog down a bit after Tony and Louie separate. A 1930s Fox screwball comedy is a rarity, and there is a reason for that. This would have been even better and probably ringed a bit truer if it had been made over at Warner Brothers, retaining the natural performance of Baxter as the millionaire and Lorre as the impish tramp and maybe using some of Warners' great contract players to fill in the blanks.

Still, it is funny and like "My Man Godfrey" has something to say about how your pocketbook often dictates your treatment by your fellow man towards the end of the Great Depression. A rare message-comedy from Fox.

I'll Give A Million is the proposition that Warner Baxter after being disillusioned that people are only interested in him for his money gives to Peter Lorre after he jumps off his yacht to save him from drowning. While they're asleep Baxter changes clothes with Lorre and also leaves many francs in his coat pocket.

As a tramp he's befriended by Marjorie Weaver and her uncle Jean Hersholt who run a small circus.

In the meantime Lorre attired in Baxter's abandoned evening wear gives the story to the newspaper that somewhere lurking in this French Riviera town is a tramp who's really a millionaire. The forgotten men of France descend on the town like a plague of locusts hoping to be treated well if people think they are incognito millionaires.

I'm guessing Tyrone Power and Don Ameche were otherwise occupied so Warner Baxter got the lead. A bit older than the other two he does nice as the weary cynical millionaire. Lorre is a fine figure as the tramp who can't believe his good fortune which rapidly becomes a curse as the hunt for the incognito millionaire intensifies.

A good screwball comedy from 20th Century Fox in that age of the screwballs, the Thirties.

For some strange Hollywood reason, the lovely, talented, adorable Marjorie Weaver had only about 45 credits -- despite the fact she stole this movie and many if not most of the others she played in.

Watching her here, in "I'll Give a Million," one has to be just grabbed by her gorgeous eyes, first, then by her bubbly personality, and I was really taken by her speech: She is a native of Tennessee, retaining the charm of the Southern belle.

Warner Baxter is the nominal star and here he gives one of his best casual performances. He plays the put-upon millionaire quite believably.

Peter Lorre gives a very different portrayal for him and is charming and likable, proving that he had an extraordinary range as an actor.

Jean Hersholt is mostly hidden by his role, as is John Carradine, as a rather flamboyant tramp.

Several exotic players give performances ranging from understated to over the top, but overall are quite watchable and enjoyable.

"I'll Give a Million" is fun, with settings ranging from a millionaire's yacht to a circus to the police station. I recommend it, and there is a quite good print at YouTube.

This Fox B remake of a a farce starring De Sica is nicely directed by Walter Lang with a sprawling supporting cast that the big studios' B departments could use when given the chance.

The story has millionaire Warner Baxter dive off his yacht to rescue suicidal Peter Lorre, then head off to deal with the real world instead of the parasites on board. Lorre spreads the word that a millionaire is wandering around in tramp clothes, and will give a million francs to anyone who is kind to him without any pecuniary interest. With a cast of dozens of character actors, this is an example of why I consider Fox' B movies in this period the best....and often better than most studios' As.