O Futuro é Nosso

Looking Forward (1933)

*** (out of 4)

Extremely well-acted drama from MGM is a rather depressing tale during its first half only to pour too much sugar during the second part. The film takes place during the Depression as Lewis Stone is forced with the fact that his department store is losing too much money and he is forced to lay off several people including one (Lionel Barrymore) who has been with the company for over forty-years. Soon things are getting even worse and Lewis finds himself nearly broke when someone makes an offer for his store. Barrymore gets top-billing and his name over the title but he's got a rather small role and only appears at the start and end of the film. The movie clearly belongs to Stone who turns in a marvelous performance and really makes this film worth seeking. The Depression-era tone of the film certainly fits in well today and one can't help but feel a lot of the messages being said in this movie could be said today. There are some truly depressing moments in this film including the start where Lewis has to lay off Barrymore. The acting these two give during this sequence is certainly spell bounding as they both perfectly nail the situation and really make you feel everything their characters are saying. Barrymore perfectly captures the depression of his character early on and then matches the happiness that would later follow. Colin Clive of FRANKENSTEIN fame has a small role here that doesn't give him too much to do but fans of the horror genre will still enjoy seeing him. The films title was taken from a speech given by F.D.R. and there's no question that the heart was in the right place even though the final third has way too much sugar than what was really needed. Considering a real Depression was going on, it's understandable that the studio wanted to say something with this film so I'm sure it worked better back when it was released. Fans of the two actors will certainly want to check this one out as both men give wonderful performances.

Thoughtful, touching story about a wealthy store owner named Gabriel Service (Lewis Stone) who's going broke during the Great Depression while his spoiled family only seems to care about maintaining their lifestyle. Lionel Barrymore plays a long-time employee of the store who is laid off. The contrast between how the two men and their families deal with these hardships is the heart of the story.

Lewis Stone and Lionel Barrymore are both extraordinary. Benita Hume is quite hissable as Stone's no-good wife. Colin Clive plays the loyal second-in-command to Stone. A very subtle performance from Clive, an actor not known for subtlety. A fine supporting cast includes Halliwell Hobbes, Elizabeth Allan, Billy Bevan, and Phillips Holmes. Excellent production that grants us nice insight into the era. Unlike some other reviewers, I felt the ending was good. I guess some would have preferred Lewis Stone shoot himself or Lionel Barrymore blow up the store or something like that. Any movie where pastries figure into the plot heroically is alright with me.

This is one of the better Depression era films I have seen, as it not only encapsulated what this period was like but had exceptional writing that avoided clichés. And, thanks to exceptional acting, it's well worth seeking out the next time it appears on Turner Classic Movies.

The film is the story of two men who work at the same old family department store--the boss (Lewis Stone) and a lowly career employee (Lionel Barrymore). Both men are in trouble at work. Barrymore is reluctantly let go after 40 years on the job. No matter how sentimental and loyal his boss (Stone) is, the company is in serious trouble and cutbacks must take place. And, when Stone realizes his company is about to go bankrupt, he, too, is seriously affected. However, what really makes the movie exciting is how their families react to the crisis. While it seemed less surprising how Barrymore's family responded, Stone's family was exciting to watch. I could say a lot more--but I just don't want to spoil it for you.

The bottom line is that the movie is exquisitely written and acted. It's also a nice film to offer some hope to Depression-weary audiences--and not in a phoney or formulaic manner. If you enjoy this film, also try "Sweepings--another Barrymore film that is about a company in crisis.

Despite my summary I liked this film quite a bit. The actors were all very good, their character portrayals genuine and believable. Nothing else could be expected of the Americans, Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone, both or whom were first rate thespians. Of the British actors I am familiar with only three, Benita Hume, Phillips Holmes and Colin Clive and they all acquitted themselves well, especially Clive in a role quite unlike his portrayal of Dr. Frankestein. Overall all actors were very good as was the script if somewhat stagy.

My criticism is directed at the outcome, already criticized by others but for the wrong reasons in my opinion. Many felt its optimism misplaced and unrealistic. I for one don't think so. Call me altruistic but I believe the human race as a whole or as individuals really do excel when faced with adversity. We have an innate ability to be creative when we need it the most. Evolution itself proves that, and perhaps that is why we have it in us.

The missed opportunity has to do with the resolution itself. The emphasis was on the individuals and their ability to find solutions and shape the future. This is where the film shows its American roots. We are a nation of individualists, every one of us a king, master of our own domain and ruler of our destiny. And yet throughout the film I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had management gathered the work force and collectively addressed the issues facing the business. Service (the Lewis Stone character) felt paternalistic toward his employees and I guess that is commendable but it would have been so much better if he had treated them as partners rather than children. His employees had an equal stake, perhaps even a bigger one because they didn't have the option of being bought out and living out their lives in comfort.

So this is where "Looking Forward" fails. It starts out as a quasi propaganda film when considering the quotations at the beginning and end and the reference to FDR. I wonder where our country would be today if during the Depression the emphasis had been placed on collective action instead. We might have a better sense of our neighbors' plight and a greater willingness to help them out.

As a lowly accountant in a big London department store, Mr. B. doesn't wheeze, waggle his eyebrows, or overact in any way. He's pleasingly restrained as a small, passive cog in a large machine, and so is Lewis Stone, not resorting to any Judge Hardy tricks as the sympathetic but staunch corporate patriarch who must reluctantly let him go. Adapted from a stage play by C.L. Anthony (a pseudonym for Dodie Smith, who wrote "101 Dalmations"), this Depression family drama does acknowledge the Depression more than most early-1930s studio product, and it provides a nice contrast in how these two gentlemen's families (Stone's with greed and self- centeredness, Barrymore's with sacrifice and resolve) react to adversity. It's not thunderingly dramatic and kind of peters out, but as MGM prestige product of the day, it's less showy and artificial than many of its contemporaries.