Negócios em Família

This was the second of two films that a young Bette Davis made with the great English actor George Arliss. In both films this one and The Man Who Played God, Arliss plays an older man who enjoys manipulating events and people for their own good as he sees it. In fact that other title is rather self explanatory.

The Working Man casts Arliss as a wealthy shoe manufacturer who is taking a long needed vacation and he leaves his nephew Hardie Albright in charge of the company. While on that vacation he meets the children of a recently deceased rival who are nice kids, but are wastrels and spendthrifts without a thought as to how the money they spend is made. In fact dad's company is tobogganing into bankruptcy due to bad management.

Bette Davis and Theodore Newton could have been his kids. The great manipulator gets him appointed the man who administers their trust and installs some discipline in both their lives. The end absolutely rights itself.

Bette Davis was never known for praising her colleagues save for a few. But George Arliss was one of the few who saw some of the talent and the fire in that woman to succeed and said so loudly and publicly to the brothers Warner. She writes in her memoirs how ever grateful she was to him for the rest of her life.

The fire in Davis burns rather brightly here because it contrasts with both Theodore Newton and Hardie Albright, a pair of young actors who give good performances, but really are rather bland next to Davis.

And Arliss is always a delight in comedy or drama. You've got to love that foxy old guy. And love The Working Man as well.

New York shoe tycoon George Arliss (as John Reeves) clashes with nephew Hardie Albright (as Benjamin Burnett) over managing the family business. To show how the company will do without him, Mr. Arliss goes off on an extended vacation. While fishing, Arliss meets young swimmers Bette Davis and Theodore Newton (as Jenny and Tommy Hartland), inheritors of his deceased rival's shoe company. Arliss is immediately taken with Ms. Davis and Mr. Newton; he once courted their mother, also now deceased...

But the young duo party while manager Gordon Westcott (as Fred Pettison) runs their business into the ground...

Arliss decides to teach all the youngsters a lesson by assuming the identity of "John Walton" and taking over the rival shoe company. With a typically masterful performance, Arliss makes this lightweight story work beautifully. The younger players glow in his presence; this was acknowledged by Davis, who would eventually possess a similar magical screen presence. Arliss and director John G. Adolfi obviously work very well together, and with the cast. An Arliss picture had to be great experience for the actor.

******** The Working Man (4/20/33) John G. Adolfi ~ George Arliss, Bette Davis, Theodore Newton, Hardie Albright

I'd never seen this film before today, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Parenthetically, I never saw either of its predecessors, either, which may be why I was surprised at this delightful film. George Arliss and Bette Davis absolutely charm here. The "farce" approach of this picture adds a tingle of excitement with every near-discovery of the real identities of the characters and their relationships to one another. While many TCM patrons and film enthusiasts will enjoy this for the pleasurable experience that classic films bring, I'd suggest that it be shared with folks who are relatively new to this area as an introduction to how wonderful classic films can be. The only gripe I have w/the construction of the film is the way the ending is so quickly and neatly tied up. There was an abrupt resolution without a gradual denouement to allow the audience to enjoy the conclusion longer. Other than that detail, I enjoyed everything else immensely. I recommend this wholeheartedly to both old viewers and new ones.

THE WORKING MAN appointed to watch over the inheritance of a couple of young wastrels, unbeknownst to them, is actually the old tycoon once in love with their late mother.

This is a very well produced little comedy from Vitaphone/Warner Bros., featuring another splendid performance from the old master of character acting, Mr. George Arliss. This was an actor who could fascinate an audience merely by sitting still, letting his face act for him. Here, playing a great shoe manufacturer, Arliss is tremendous fun, whether haranguing his salesmen, or, switching sides, working for his own biggest competitor with equal gusto. It is doubtful that Arliss ever gave anything less than an entertaining cinematic performance. It is a shame that this wonderful actor is nearly forgotten today.

Arliss is given good support by a trio of young actors: Hardie Albright as his stuffy, conceited nephew - ‘The Young Napoleon of Shoes;' as well as Theodore Newton and a very pert & pretty Bette Davis as the spendthrift offspring of his late rival. Miss Davis always credited Mr. Arliss for giving her an important hands-up at this early stage in her screen career.

J. Farrell MacDonald is very down-to-earth as Arliss' fishing buddy in Maine; Edward Van Sloan appears briefly, but effectively, as Arliss' company auditor.

Interesting story of a sly old fox (George Arliss), owner of the Reeves Shoe Company, who seems like he'd rather be fishing with his pal in Maine than running the business, so heads off for a fishing holiday, leaving his conceited nephew in charge of biz. While out fishing, he accidentally meets up with the son and daughter of Hartland, his recently deceased one-time friend and biggest rival in the shoe business. Giving them a fake name, the two youths have no idea he is rival Reeves, but they are really more interested in contacting bootleggers, throwing drunken parties, and running through their inheritance anyway. After heading back home with these two to get an "inside look" at the workings of their shoe factory and make an offer to buy the company, Reeves sees that the company is being run into the ground and decides he would rather help these Hartlands out instead - see, he was once in love with their mother, not to mention his swollen-headed nephew thinks he's too old to run a business anymore - he'll show the young whippersnapper! So he gets the Hartland's to make him their new trustee/guardian (and they do it 'cause they think he is just a simple "old fisherman" who will give them all the money they want to run wild with), then takes a firm hold of the running of the company and the young Hartlands!

Really good film with excellent script and performances all around. George Arliss is an old charmer, really endearing in this film - he makes you really want to root for him. Bette Davis looks real cute in this, and does a great job, as always, in her part. The story is lots of fun to watch, and left me with a smile at the end - credit for this film really belongs to George Arliss who dominates the film and makes it a good one.