Beggars in Ermine (1934)

John Dawson loses control of his factory when he is crippled in an accident caused by a rival. Destitute, he travels the country organizing the homeless to help him regain control of his ... See full summary »

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writers:

Esther Lynd Day (novel), Tristram Tupper (screenplay)

Stars:

Lionel Atwill, Betty Furness, Henry B. Walthall

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lionel Atwill	...	John 'Flint' Dawson aka John Daniels
Betty Furness	...	Joyce Dawson
Henry B. Walthall	...	Marchant the Blind Man (as Henry B. Walthal)
Jameson Thomas	...	James 'Jim' Marley (as Jamieson Thomas)
James Bush	...	Lee Marley, Jim's Son
Astrid Allwyn	...	Mrs. Vivian Dawson (as Astrid Allyn)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Joe Wilson (as George Hayes)
Stephen Gross	...	Scott Taggart, Joyce's Lawyer
Sam Godfrey	...	Enright, Marley's Lawyer
Myrtle Stedman	...	Nurse

Storyline

John Dawson loses control of his factory when he is crippled in an accident caused by a rival. Destitute, he travels the country organizing the homeless to help him regain control of his steel mill.

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Plot Keywords:

peddler | steel mill | meeting | beggar | mute | 

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Taglines:

The sensation-seething story of a man who conquered fate! (original poster)

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Rei dos Mendigos

Company Credits

Production Co:

W.T. Lackey Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Depression parable of impossible justice for the crippled

the reviews of this film unfairly marginalize it for lack of realism. Did they scoff at, say, "Fight Club" for such reasons? It's far more unique and interesting for its cache of Depression-era lore and its assumptions about the dispossessed. Highly recommended for its bizarre mix of creepiness and homiletic. Obviously allegorical, it nevertheless fails -i think somehow deliberately - in being uplifting and points instead to something sinister in the crippled, maimed and poverty-stricken denizens of the city. The blind accordionist who attaches himself to Atwill wears glasses which are half black, half clear. His speeches are absurdly virtuous cliché, which belie his mendacious appearance in a very unconvincing way. I also noticed the back of the envelope calculations Atwill makes when pitching his stock market club for beggars only involved impossible amounts: millions in months. A lot of ticker tape shenanigans go on in the second half of the film, all of which are so exaggerated, I ended up thinking public anxiety about the market was also being channeled here quite volubly, along with fear of the disabled and wretched poor. In a word, peculiar.