Le rescapé

The title role of The Go Getter is played by George Brent who after a bit of heroism in losing his leg during a crash of a navy blimp finds himself out of the service. He decides that selling is his forte, but can't get a job.

I'm not quite clear how high pressure selling equates to what Brent was doing in the navy. Still due to a bit of office politics and some help from the boss's daughter Anita Louise, Brent gets a position with Charles Winninger's lumber company.

Winninger is most of the show in The Go Getter. His choleric fits of temper and the almost fiendish delight in the games he plays with his stuffed shirt manager John Eldredge really give The Go Getter the spark it does have. Your sympathies are pulled toward Brent because he's a hero and Eldredge is such a drip.

The Go Getter is a passably amusing comedy. Although you would think people would go out of their way to help someone like Brent, depression of not.

When the film begins, the airship Macon is in flight. Unfortunately, as in real life, the dirigible crashed. One of the crew, Bill (George Brent), loses a leg in the accident and because of this he's honorably discharged from the Navy. Now in the job market once again, he's having a hard time finding work. However, Bill is a real go-getter and when the boss of a corporation turns him down, he tries with several other folks at the same corporation. Finally, he meets with the retired boss, Cappy Ricks* (Charles Winninger), who takes a liking to him and pushes for the new President to give Bill a chance. Well, it turns out that Bill is amazing at his job--yet the President still seems to have it out for Bill. But Cappy sure likes him.

At this point in the film, I was enjoying the movie quite a bit. The plot was a bit like a Horatio Alger tale about hard work, determination and success. However, the plot and the personality of one of the main characters COMPLETELY CHANGED--so much so that it showed very bad writing. And, because I had been enjoying it so much, it really was frustrating to watch.

Although Cappy LOVED Bill through most of the film, suddenly Cappy hates him because Bill has asked Cappy's daughter (Anita Louise) to marry him. Now to make it even more confusing, Cappy had nothing against Bill initially, he just wants his daughter to NEVER marry! What?!?! What parent longs to have their daughter become an old maid?! And, if they do decide to marry, wouldn't you be happy that they are marrying someone you really, really like and respect?! This plot twist is just insane.

From this abrupt change, Cappy doesn't just behave irrationally but this nice old guy (Charles Winninger) becomes cruel and vicious and takes pleasure tormenting Bill. As for Bill, he just puts up with it! Late in the film, after Bill marries, the demands Cappy places on him are just insane...INSANE!! I almost wonder if the original writer died or was abducted by aliens midway through the film. This portion was intelligently written and inspiring. The second half is simply horrible--dumb, unlikable and silly. The other possibility is that the writer suffered a traumatic brain injury! All I know is that the film really, really lost my attention and all my good will when it abruptly changed.

*Cappy Ricks is NOT an original character to this film. There have been at least three other films with this character in it. However, the person playing him was never the same and exactly who Cappy was and his personality was not consistent either.

Bill Austin (George Brent) is a crew member of the US Navy airship Macon. He loses a leg as one of the last man to leave his post after its crash. Next, he gets a job from old school owner Cappy Ricks who is supposedly retired. Cappy is not happy with the new management of Lloyd Skinner. Despite being initially dismissed by Skinner, Bill ends up being their best salesman. Cappy's daughter Margaret takes a liking to the go getter. When Bill asks for Margaret's hand, Cappy disapproves and sets him up with an impossible task.

I don't really understand Cappy's disapproval of the couple's relationship. It would be more likeable for the test to be for Bill to take over the company. That way, Skinner would be working the hardest against him. He could do all kinds of dastardly deeds against him. This needs a bit of recalibration of Cappy.

Sadly, this is the kind of movie that Hollywood has forgotten how to make. It's filled with quirky character bits and plot reversals. Briefly, George Brent plays an earnest and unstoppable salesman working for an incendiary boss, and in love with the boss's daughter. I've worked with salesman like this before. They'll go to insane lengths to get the job done. It was fun to see one portrayed on the screen. This was the kind of movie that Hollywood once made that made the public fall in love them. Regrettably, if you want to see this sort of movie now, don't bother going to the local megaplex. Stay home and check out Turner Classic Movies. I'll take a dozen showings of THE GO-GETTER over a single $100,000,000 effects-jammed swollen monstrosity any day. The only special effects that I really want are great writing and great acting. THE GO-GETTER has both.

Just a heartwarming story that make you smile from beginning to end.