Alias a Gentleman

Doing time for a stick-up, burly Wallace Berry (as James "Jim" Breedin) is the top man on his prison farm. Nabbed during his own robbery, young hotshot Tom Drake (as Johnny Lorgen) arrives and the two become fast friends - after their prerequisite male-bonding fist fight, of course. Fifteen years served, Mr. Beery is released at the same time he receives astonishing news. The convict is given $250,000 for some property in Oklahoma. Nouveau riche, Beery takes a swanky penthouse apartment and practices being a gentleman. French being the language of polite society, Berry drops French words and phrases into conversation - which are amusingly butchered in pronunciation. One thing Berry most wants is find his long-lost daughter...

This lower tier comedy from producer Nat Perrin and MGM holds up very well. It needed a strong lead, which is delivered quite handily by Wallace Beery. The super-star's box-office standing had diminished his later films, but his appeal is still very much on display. Helming his last film, director Harry Beaumont makes it easy for the comic misadventures to play. Pretty Dorothy Patrick (as Elaine Carter) and Mr. Drake are a nice couple. There is recognizably good support from Leon Ames (as Matthew "Matt" Enley) and his cohorts. Without notice, Gladys George pops in as Berry's love interest. Of the supporting roles, pseudo-Scandinavian inmate John Qualen (as "No End") is the only one who can really hold court with Wallace Beery.

****** Alias a Gentleman (2/3/48) Harry Beaumont ~ Wallace Beery, Tom Drake, Dorothy Patrick, John Qualen

Jim Breedin (Wallace Beery) has done almost 15 years in prison and keeps it a secret from his daughter Nora. He is the honor farm's foreman. There are no guards. Johnny Lorgen is the new arrival with a chip on his shoulder. After a rough start, Johnny saves Jim's life. Jim gets a big payday from an oil company for his farm. Nora is long gone from the farm. Former crime partner Matt Enley tries to con Jim with actress Elaine Carter pretending to be Nora.

This is an interesting premise. Wallace Beery is playing a reformed criminal. This mostly works although I would want it to get darker. It can't help itself. It has to have a happy ending. That's the way it is back then.

Harry Beaumont, MGM's ace B director leads Wallace Beery in a broader than usual comedy performance as the ex-con comes into a lot of money legitimately and tries to go straight. The comedy arrives as Beery coyly tries to impress Dorothy Patrick, who is impersonating his lost daughter and she tries to find his source of money for Leon Ames. Lots of good talent is on display, including Tom Drake, Sheldon Leonard, Gladys George and John Qualen This was Beaumont's last feature for MGM and he is good at directing his actors in off-center performances.

I'm not sure why Beaumont gave up directing, but it might have simply been a matter of economy, as movie grosses began their long decline and older, more expensive talents such as Beaumont were replaced under the new influence of Dore Schary. There was no longer any perceived need for talent like Beaumont. How very sad.

The large, loud, bumbling wallace beery had won his oscar back in 1932 for champ. Here, he's breedin, in charge of a halfway house for recently released convicts. New guy john lorgan is full of rebellion and energy, and doesn't like following rules. Right away, he tests breedin. About this same time, breedin gets a huge cash offer for his farm back home. Watch for sheldon leonard, leon ames, and john qualen, who were sidekicks or thugs in so many films. Breedin finds that just because he's out of prison now, it doesn't mean he can't completely avoid trouble. Things aren't as easy as he though it was going to be. Learning lessons the hard way. It's not bad. A story about crooks trying to go straight. Directed by harry beaumont. He had started in the silent films. Beery would die the year after this was released at age 64. His brother noah would also die at 64. Who knew wallace was married to gloria swanson?? Interesting connection. Gladys george would die young at age 54, under suspicious circumstances.

Dorothy Patrick plays a young actress hired by mobsters to play the long lost daughter of parolee Beery to access his fortune. Beery's protege from prison days, Tom Drake, becomes her boyfriend. By the time Patrick spills to Beery that his real daughter is deceased the family bonds have been forged. Clever ending with a nightclub shoot out wraps up this B length feature. The lone flaw is that Gladys George has too small of a role. This is a distant cousin of Vertigo where the actress hired in a criminal deception also gets personally involved. Beaumont's no nonsense direction and MGM quality, vintage 1948, make this entertaining and effortless.