Silver Dollar (1932)

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writers:

David Karsner (novel)
Carl Erickson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 December 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Yates and Sarah Martin are barely getting by in a Colorado boom town grocery store. Sudden wealth leads to greater prosperity and political power...

Plot Keywords:

Colorado | Senator | Opera House | Gold | Wealth

Cast

Edward G. Robinson	...	Yates Martin
Bebe Daniels	...	Lily Owens Martin
Aline MacMahon	...	Sarah Martin
DeWitt Jennings	...	George, the Mine Foreman
Robert Warwick	...	Colonel Stanton
Russell Simpson	...	Hamlin
Harry Holman	...	Adams
Charles Middleton	...	Jenkins
Emmett Corrigan	...	President Chester A. Arthur
Christian Rub	...	Rische
Lee Kohlmar	...	Hook
Wade Boteler	...	Mike, a Miner
William Le Maire	...	Miner with Mike (as William LeMaire)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Man at First Meeting (uncredited)
Leon Ames	...	Yates' Secretary (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Frank, Senate Secretary (uncredited)
Herman Bing	...	Gold Buyer (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Frederick Burton	...	Opera House Architect (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Yates' Butler (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	Maryanne Silver-Dollar Echo Honeymoon Martin, as a Girl (uncredited)
Teresa Conover	...	Mrs. Hamlin (uncredited)
David Durand	...	Mark 'Max' Martin (uncredited)
Virginia Edwards	...	Emma Abbott (uncredited)
Bill Elliott	...	Election Party Guest (uncredited)
Marjorie Gateson	...	Mrs. Adams (uncredited)
Bonita Granville	...	Liddy (uncredited)
Jobyna Howland	...	Poker Annie (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Theater Manager (uncredited)
Walter Long	...	Sick Miner Selling Mine to Yates (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Political Crony (uncredited)
Edward McNamara	...	Pete, Senate Bartender (uncredited)
Sam Rice	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Willard Robertson	...	Al, Yates' Office Manager (uncredited)
Walter Rodgers	...	General Ulysses S. Grant (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Carriage Attendant (uncredited)
Niles Welch	...	Congressman William Jennings Bryan (uncredited)
Alice Wetherfield	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred E. Green

Writing credits
David Karsner		(novel)
Carl Erickson		(screenplay) and
Harvey F. Thew		(screenplay) (as Harvey Thew)

Original Music by
Milan Roder		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
James Van Trees

Film Editing by
George Marks

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra
Cliff Hess	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1933) (France) (theatrical)
• First National Pictures (USA)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (USA)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Cheney Brothers  silks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min | Germany:80 min (TV)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #2701-R, 22 September 1936 for re-release)

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Original cast members Berton Churchill (President Arthur) was replaced by Emmett Corrigan and David Landau (Hook) was replaced by Lee Kohlmar. John Marston (Gelsey) was not seen in the film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wonder Boys (2000)

Soundtrack:

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean

Fine Performances in Need of Better Script

Silver Dollar (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Based on the life of Horace 'Silver King' Tabor with only the names changed. Edward G. Robinson plays Yates Martin, a poor man from Kansas who moves to Colorado with his wife (Aline MacMahon) and soon finds himself a millionaire when silver is found in his mine. He soon enters politics and starts to rake in all sorts of cash and this is when he meets a showgirl (Bebe Daniels) and soon everything changes. I'm guessing Warner didn't want to pay any fees so they decided to change up all the names but no matter what they changed or kept the same, to call this film a disappointment wouldn't be an understatement. The movie starts off pretty good but around the twenty-minute mark you already know where the story is headed and there's really no connection to any of the characters. This almost seems like a greatest hits package instead of one complete story. We see the poor Martin, then the popular Martin, the rich Martin, the powerful Martin, the broke Martin and the pitiful Martin. There's never any real connection that you get because it just seems like he's a one dimensional character without any meat on his bones. Throughout the film I kept waiting to get to know the character and that simply never happens. We never get to know the wife, the mistress, the kid or anyone else and in fact there's a daughter who makes an important part of the film only to disappear without a word after that. The film takes a pretty big story and one that could have turned into an epic and does very little with it. The one saving grace are the performances with Robinson turning in another great job. I'm always surprised to see how terrific an actor Robinson was and it's a shame he's never really gotten the credit he deserves. Daniels is also very seductive in her part and MacMahon nearly steals the film as the caring, first wife. SILVER DOLLAR is worth watching for fans of the cast but there's no denying that a new script was needed.