Valet d'argent

The plot here, while basic in it's elements is generally weak. It mulls over important details, most characters are little more than furniture, and by all rights, it should be a lousy B move.

But Edward G. Robinson and his near unmatched talent as an actor, and his relentless effort to turn in amazing performances no matter the movie, holds this film together, making it watchable, and acceptable.

Edward G. Robinson truly holds the ability to turn Chicken Crap into Silver and Gold

Based on the life of 19th century politician Horace Tabor. Here named Yates Martin (Edward G. Robinson), he's a gold prospector who travels to the Colorado frontier with wife Aline MacMahon. He eventually becomes a rich merchant and a prime beneficiary of the Colorado silver boom, which makes him even wealthier. He uses his money to enter politics, growing ever more ambitious. However, his decision to divorce his wife for entertainer Bebe Daniels marks the beginning of his downfall.

Robinson made a number of films with this basic plot: a man starting out with nothing achieves great success through force of will, only to have his love of the wrong woman lead to his undoing. His nouveau riche tastes are also frequently a source of amusement, as they are here with his desire to build a high-class opera house, but insisting on all of the inscriptions being in "American". Robinson is good, as is MacMahon (although she's not given much to do here), but the whole thing is just a bit too routine. This does feature one of the few cinematic depictions of President Chester Arthur, though, so there's that.

Smooth,quite engrossing biopic of Horace Tabor, an important figure in the early economic and polirical development of Colorado. EGR plays the kind of character he does so very, very well -- an ambitious go-getter bursting with self-confidence. Sort of like a legal Little Caesar. He makes the film very watchable.

A great, lively American story that happens to be true. The same source material was used, with somewhat more accuracy, in the 1950s American opera "The Ballad of Baby Doe." (The Baby Doe of the title was still alive when the movie was made, hence the need to change all the names and fictionalize some of the details.) Robinson is excellent as a likeable, but foolish and blustering, millionaire miner with political ambitions; MacMahon is flawless as his stern but understanding wife. Their story, of how he made and lost a name and a fortune for himself, is the stuff of fine melodrama. What happens to them says much about the vagaries of capitalism, the arbitrariness of the metals standard, and the pettiness of American moral attitudes, but most of all it's good entertainment. Alfred E. Green's direction is nothing fancy, just capable and fast. And the size of the production is just right. Historical note: The real Baby Doe (Lily in the movie) stuck by her man and held onto the Matchless Mine, as per his instructions. She became a legendary eccentric in Leadville, walking the streets and telling her story to anyone who would listen, before freezing to death in her cabin in 1935.

Rousing story of rags to riches based on fact. Robinson pulls out all the stops as a lowly Colorado merchant who maneuvers his way into fame and fortune. He may not be physically big, but there's enough personality there to light up a stadium. Between ace production values, rapid-fire pacing, and Robinson pizazz, it's like being carried along by a roaring steam engine. It's entertaining to accompany Yates (Robinson) on his rise to wealth and national prominence, especially since he never loses his down-home ways. Interestingly, the movie's based on real life story of silver king HAW Tabor, who remains a Colorado legend to this day (I'm from there). Oddly, there're no scenes of mountains or Colorado, but credit the production for more than compensating.

Good to see Aline MacMahon get a sympathetic role as Yates' first wife and helpmate. Usually consigned to spinsterish or sinister roles, she's young here and almost pretty. Bebe Daniels, however, gets the glamor part as Yates' mistress then second wife. The movie amounts to something of a morality tale. Of course, the higher Yates climbs on the economic-social ladder the farther he has to fall. Trouble is he thinks millions from silver mining will overcome any obstacle. In short, money takes care of everything. But then, he's forgotten about the vagaries of the market, which can be an undoing. My one complaint is a rather spotty screenplay. Beneath the rapid pacing, important transitions are generally skipped over (e.g. the divorce), while there's little tracking of characters aside of Yates. Nonetheless, the results are generally impressive and definitely deserve a look-see, especially for Robinson's bravura performance.