Whom the Gods Destroy (1934)

A famous theatrical impresario acts heroically when the ship he is traveling on sinks. He saves many lives, but at the last minute saves his own by an act of cowardice. When he returns at ... See full summary »

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Albert Payson Terhune (story), Sidney Buchman (screenplay),

Stars:

Walter Connolly, Robert Young, Doris Kenyon

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Walter Connolly	...	John Forrester aka Eric Jann aka Peter Korotoff
Robert Young	...	Jack Forrester
Doris Kenyon	...	Margaret Forrester
Macon Jones	...	Jack Forrester - Age 14
Scotty Beckett	...	Jack Forrester, Age 4 (as Scott Beckett)
Rollo Lloyd	...	Henry Braverman
Maidel Turner	...	Henrietta Crosland
Henry Kolker	...	Carlo - the Puppeteer
George Humbert	...	Niccoli
Hugh Huntley	...	Jamison - Ship's Officer
Hobart Bosworth	...	Alec Klein
Gilbert Emery	...	Professor Weaver
Akim Tamiroff	...	Peter Korotoff
Yale Puppeteers	...	Puppeteers (as The Yale Puppeteers)

Storyline

A famous theatrical impresario acts heroically when the ship he is traveling on sinks. He saves many lives, but at the last minute saves his own by an act of cowardice. When he returns at last to his home, he learns that he is believed to be heroically dead, and that revealing his return will also reveal his cowardice.

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Plot Keywords:

derelict | cowardice | failure | theatrical impresario | mentor | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

De, guderne vil ødelægge

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min 68 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Sea of Lost Ships (1953)

User Reviews

Super-Lavish Columbia "A"-Feature

One of the gaps in my movie viewing has always been Columbia films of the 1930s. Fortunately, some of these titles are now starting to appear on DVD, and none was more welcome than Walter Lang's "Whom the Gods Destroy". Superbly edited by longtime Columbia contractee Viola Lawrence in a style obviously influenced by contemporary Russian and avant garde and featuring an astonishing "Titanic" scene in which lavish studio footage is cleverly intercut with stock material from E.A. Dupont's "Atlantik" (1929), "Whom the Gods Destroy" is one of the few films to indelibly brand its hero a coward. The only other one I can call to mind is John Huston's equally powerful "Red Badge of Courage" (1951) (which at present is available on a most disappointing DVD which contains only the familiar 69-minute cutdown and not so much as a single foot of the shelved scenes). In "Whom the Gods Destroy", the hero's cowardice is even more despicable, although three or four minutes have been censored from the shipboard and beach scenes in the 2009 DVD, considerably lessening their impact. Nonetheless, Walter Connolly acquits himself with honor, while young Robert Young is luckily called upon to be inadequate – which he is!