Success at Any Price (1934)

Joe comes from a rough neighborhood and when his brother Mike is gunned down in 1927, he decides to go into legitimate business. He wants to make a lot of money and fast so he is ambitious ... See full summary »

Director:

J. Walter Ruben

Writers:

John Howard Lawson (play), John Howard Lawson (screenplay),

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Genevieve Tobin, Frank Morgan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Joe Martin
Genevieve Tobin	...	Agnes Carter
Frank Morgan	...	Raymond Merritt
Colleen Moore	...	Sarah Griswold
Edward Everett Horton	...	Harry Fisher
Nydia Westman	...	Dinah McCabe
Henry Kolker	...	Mr. Hatfield
Allen Vincent	...	Geoffrey Halliburton

Storyline

Joe comes from a rough neighborhood and when his brother Mike is gunned down in 1927, he decides to go into legitimate business. He wants to make a lot of money and fast so he is ambitious and rude. He wants what he cannot have and that includes Aggie who is the gal pal of Merritt, his boss. He works his way up the ladder and finds that all the money and all the crooked deals will not buy happiness.

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Plot Keywords:

golf | rivalry | architect | marriage | handkerchief | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le succès à tout prix

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min 74 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play, "Success Story," opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 26 September 1932 and closed in January 1933 after 121 performances. The opening night cast included Stella Adler as Sarah, Franchot Tone as Raymond, Luther Adler and Morris Carnovsky.

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Goofs

Allen Vincent's character name was spelled "Geoffrey" in the credits but was "Jeffrey" on his office door.

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Connections

Referenced in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Little White Lies"
(1930) (uncredited)
Written by Walter Donaldson
Played as background music in a bar

User Reviews

Languishing in Obscurity

Here is a picture that not only deserves recognition for its considerable merits, but is one whose existence remains largely unknown, even to those with more than a casual interest in film. Its characters are sharply and honestly drawn, defined primarily by crackling dialog that is both earthy and literate. These are real people, with no illusions about themselves or the world they move in; they speak from the heart, revealing their needs, longings and frustrations. The performances are rock-solid by all the players (and how refreshing to discover one of Frank Morgan's few roles in which he does not dither and sputter). Fast-paced and seamless, the direction is also deserving of special praise.

Admittedly (or arguably?) the ending is less than totally convincing, what with Joe's change of heart occurring too quickly and without sufficient motivation. Similarly, his determination to succeed (yes, at any price) is presented at the start as a result of his gangster brother's having been murdered. This appears unnecessary, and more than a little contrived. He wants to break out of a poor, aimless existence, and has a loyal, loving girlfriend encouraging him to do so. That's more than enough.

Even with those weaknesses punctuating the first and last five minutes of this picture, it remains a first-rate drama that can easily hold its own with a host of better-known films.