La chasse aux millions

Cary Grant had a tough young life in Bristol so maybe some of this films story reminded him. Pity the version I saw was not the full 80 minutes it would have been better to judge rather than this 61 minute version which seems a bit rushed at the end when regrettably Mary Brian forgot her English accent and it became a bit 'stagy' - a pity because the supporting actors did a good job I thought. Cary Grant was capable of good dramatic rolls though rarely got them and in this film he wasn't able to show his ability enough. I'm glad; however this film was made in England rather than America as it did add something to the authenticity of the few exteriors and general atmosphere of the story.

It's no "North by Northwest", that's for sure. However, it's a sweet enough little movie, which plays out just as you expect it to from the very beginning. And it's interesting to watch Grant in a sort of larval state. I read a quote of his that said something to the effect that he eventually became Cary Grant after playing him in the movies, and you can see a little of these later roles in his performance here.

This has a worthwhile story idea, plus Cary Grant in one of his earlier starring roles, and it has some good scenes. There are a number of other, better movies made in the 1930s that were based on similar ideas, but this one is a solid feature. The main thing that keeps it from being better is that the story and script do not always make the best use of their opportunities. As a result, there are some sequences that take up screen time that could have been used for something better, while some potentially fine moments are under-emphasized.

Grant plays a wealthy young man who has become jaded and spoiled by the company of other well-to-do idlers, and who sets out on a challenge to learn how to work for a living. This setup lends itself to a lot of good material, and the best moments are Grant's interactions with other everyday persons who don't know who he is.

Within a very short time after this was filmed, Grant became one of the best actors around at handling this kind of material, and he was then able to make this kind of story work even when it wasn't particularly well-written. Here, there are a number of times when his developing flair shows through, but he wasn't quite experienced enough yet to carry the whole load, so there are some sequences that lack the spark that they needed in order to keep moving. It makes the movie somewhat uneven, still worth seeing if you like the era and genre, but otherwise unremarkable.

This is an obviously low-budget film from Cary Grant. It seems that most of the stars of the 1940s did a few cheap-o independent films during the 1930s (Bogart and Cagney did a few that I recently reviewed). However, what sets this film apart is that despite its poor quality at times, it's a surprisingly watchable. So, if you ignore one or two flat performances by supporting cast members and sets that are not exactly MGM quality, you'll be rewarded with a decent film. Yes, I'll admit that the plot is just a little bit silly, but because of its charm and brisk pace, it satisfies. Cary plays a rich and lazy guy who finds himself bored with life. When he goes to the doctor, the doc tells him to stop sniveling about his life and DO something productive--get a job and stop being a self-indulgent jerk. Cary takes this as a challenge and decides to make himself over--all for the better. About the only strong negative I felt is that the girl that Cary is destined to marry in the film just seems awfully immature and stupid at the end of the film--I wanted him to find someone better!

In '36 the idea of being so wealthy you actually suffered must have seemed truly ludicrious. Many Americans were still struggling post the great market crash so wealth was more like what would fix rather than break one's quality of life. So when the young Earnest Bliss (Grant) finds his health in the doldrums he is challenged by his doctor to quit living like a millionaire as nothing else is wrong with him. Bliss being somewhat insulted decides to take the doctor up on a bet that he can't live like a regular person living paycheck to paycheck. Wanting to prove he can live without almost unlimited income Bliss finds a much different life.

In this movie there's lots of room for comedy as well as social and moral commentaries. One thing early on is that it often takes money to change things, but triffles like this aside Bliss finds meaning in his brushes with poverty. It often makes people too desperate even criminal. There is much that needs balancing with good morals And what can a meaningful life be without love. Love is the way forward and has the power to trump compromised morals. Greed is a multi-faceted downfall of the human condition. It's all here and if not done stupendously it entertains and challenges some thought. A quite modest movie with a larger message? Maybe? Still worth a watch no matter. Early Grant shows promise no doubt.