The World Changes

This epic might have been called "How the Midwest Was Won," as it follows four generations of the Nordholm family from about 1850 to 1929. Paul Muni, who never gives a bad performance, is excellent as the central character, the son of Aline MacMahon (who in real life was actually 3 years younger than Muni) and who born just as she settled somewhere in a remote part of the Dakotas. How remote? When Lieut. Col. George Armstrong Custer comes in their house with some of his men and happily announces that the war (between the states) is over, MacMahon replies "What war?" As you might expect, four generations involves a lot of people, so it takes some concentration to sort them out (a cast list may help) but it's worth the effort. I enjoyed seeing a young Mickey Rooney, Jean Muir in her first film (where she plays Muni's original love interest and later her own granddaughter) and the various historical characters that pop up. It's not a great film, but one easily enjoyed.

If you are interested in credits, you may notice that Guy Kibbee is credited as "Claflin" in the opening credits, but his name is consistently spelled "Clafflin" within the film. And Muir was credited as "Selma II," but what that means is never explained.

Mervyn LeRoy was a more than capable director and was responsible for some great films, especially 'Gold Diggers of 1933', 'Random Harvest' (my personal favourite of his) and 'Waterloo Bridge'. Also like 'Little Women' a good deal. Another reason to see 'The World Changes' for me was the cast, Paul Muni and Mary Astor could always be counted on to give very good and more performances. And there has been no bias against melodramas, some great ones out there.

'The World Changes' is not one of the best examples of melodrama and doesn't entirely escape potential traps. It is far from being one of the worst at the same time and is actually a lot more interesting than it sounds. On the whole it was a very well done if quite sprawling film, especially in the production values and the acting, that represents all involved well if not seeing them at their very best. 'The World Changes' is not a perfect film but is deserving of more credit.

Could it have been better? Yes. With many characters and events, 'The World Changes' at times did feel over-stuffed and a bit sprawling. A longer length by about half an hour more would have made this less problematic and would have given more room for more depth.

While most of the dialogue is fine, not always the case with melodrama, there are times where it does get on the overwrought side and where it rambles (Muni's dialogue for instance could have done with a trim).

In no way is this meant to sound that 'The World Changes' is a bad film. There is a huge amount to like about it. It looks great for one thing, with the photography especially being spectacular at its best. LeRoy directs with assurance and things don't plod too much under him. When it's used, the music is sumptuous enough and doesn't come over as too syrupy or melodramatic. The ageing is remarkably convincing, in look and acting.

Although the dialogue is not perfect, much of the script's construction is solid and neatly done without being too much so. The story sprawls about but is mostly quite absorbing and moving, and the characters are far from sketchy, intrigue from the get go and carry the story beautifully. The historical characters fascinate. Not to mention that they are excellently acted, especially from Muni in a complex role that he pulls off with vigorous but never overdone aplomb (especially shining in the character's more troubled side). Though one shouldn't overlook scarily formidable Astor and against type and quite powerful Aline McMahon.

Overall, didn't wow my mind but very interesting and well done. 7/10

The World Changes is a little known film that has an epic Edna Ferber like quality with a Wall Street type message in the end. In that respect its about three generations ahead of its time. I wouldn't be surprised if Oliver Stone saw this film before he did Wall Street.

Paul Muni plays the son of a good Scandinavian farming family who pioneered in the Dakota territory and for who the town of Nordholm, South Dakota is named. But Muni is not content just to be a farmer and settle down and marry Jean Muir, daughter of the second family of the town of Nordholm. He's ambitious and wants to make money, see the world, and accomplish something.

Across the Nordholm saga also come such frontier characters as Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, and General George A. Custer. It was the first that gets him into the cattle business, but its meat packer Guy Kibbee after Muni delivers the big herd from Texas like John Wayne and Monty Clift in Red River and Randolph Scott in The Texans who shows him that the real money is in combining both ends in one business. After that Muni marries Kibbee's daughter Mary Astor and eventually inherits the whole business when Kibbee dies.

Astor's a spoiled product of Eastern finishing schools and she likewise turns their sons into spoiled copies of herself. Muni's corporation eventually as they inevitably do goes public and starts selling shares and he gets out of it all together and just indulges his worthless sons Donald Cook who is a speculator on Wall Street with a brokerage house and Gordon Westcott who is content to be a playboy with a trust fund.

In the end the family Nordholm comes crashing down in all kinds of tragedy and Muni only finding some solace in one grandson William Janney who takes up with the granddaughter of Jean Muir's character also played by Jean Muir.

Real historical events are woven into the Nordholm story in the end the Stock Market Crash. Muni delivers one stinging indictment of his sons and their business very similar to what Martin Sheen told son Charlie Sheen what he thought of his Wall Street mentor Michael Douglas as the infamous Gordon Gekko. In that sense The World Changes is a timeless film which belies its own title. Some things never change.

The World Changes was not that well received and in some cases the film does descend into melodrama. But I think it's a whole lot better than the critics thought back in the day and Muni's indictment about Wall Street paper speculating and gambling versus an ethic of hard work is maybe more valid today than back then. I think professional film critics should give this one a second look.

Mervyn LeRoy was working pretty frantically in 1933, turning out five big features for Warner Brothers, and this social history-drama was as far from its LeRoy predecessor "Gold Diggers of 1933" as you can imagine. It's a rags-to-riches epic of Orin Nordholm (Henry O'Neill) and his wife (the always superb Aline MacMahon), founding a town in Dakota territory in 1856 and watching their namesake son (Paul Muni) become a meat tycoon with Guy Kibbee, marrying Kibbee's difficult and pretentious daughter Mary Astor, and raising a family of ingrates and opportunists. It's lavish, with big montages (the market frenzy is especially well done) and a big Warners cast, and there are some wonderful scenes--loved Custer informing Orinville in 1865 that the war is over, and MacMahon asking, "What war?" But the Muni-Astor love story (he unwisely abandons Jean Muir for her) is unconvincing, with a love-at-first-sight we don't buy (Paul Muni was many things, but sexy was not one of them), and the parade of greedy, unprincipled relatives--Donald Cook, Margaret Lindsay, Alan Mowbray--somewhat monotonous. Muni's fine, with some impressive aging makeup, and Astor, while playing a character we don't quite believe, never gave a bad performance. It's consistently entertaining and sprawling, and I love this 1930s genre of multigenerational American epics, but there are neater entries than this one.

Ladies, go out and rent The World Changes because Paul Muni is gorgeous! If you thought he was handsome as a brunette, just wait until you see him as a blond. Of course, by the end of the film, he's undergone severe age makeup, but feel free to drool your way through the first half of the film.

Paul lives out in the country with his family, but a chance meeting with Buffalo Bill, played by Douglass Dumbrille, inspires him to explore and make his way in the world. He gets a job in a meat-packing factory, and after marrying the boss's daughter, he transforms the industry. In addition to showing one man's struggle in the business world, the movie explores themes of ambition, ingratitude, family quarrels, and marital problems. Parts of the film are very good, but keep in mind that it was made in the early 1930s. It's worth noting that this was the first film Paul Muni made in which his character aged decades, something that would become his signature throughout his career.

Enjoy the eye candy, and the supporting cast, including Mary Astor, Guy Kibbee, Aline MacMahon, Margaret Lindsay, and Donald Cook, but you might want to watch a musical afterwards. The film takes place over several decades, and each time change shows a globe turning. The scene-change music can get stuck in your head quite easily.