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IMDbPro

The Mad Genius

  • 19311931
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
707
YOUR RATING
John Barrymore and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer.
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
17 Photos
DramaHorrorRomance
A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer.A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer.A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
707
YOUR RATING
    • Michael Curtiz
    • Martin Brown(play "The Idol")
    • J. Grubb Alexander(screenplay)
    • Harvey F. Thew(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Barrymore
    • Marian Marsh
    • Charles Butterworth
    • Michael Curtiz
    • Martin Brown(play "The Idol")
    • J. Grubb Alexander(screenplay)
    • Harvey F. Thew(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Barrymore
    • Marian Marsh
    • Charles Butterworth
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 28User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Watch Trailer

    Photos17

    John Barrymore and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    John Barrymore and Luis Alberni in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Luis Alberni in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    John Barrymore and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Donald Cook and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    André Luguet and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
    John Barrymore and Luis Alberni in The Mad Genius (1931)
    The Mad Genius (1931)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Barrymore
    John Barrymore
    • Vladimar Ivan Tsarakov
    Marian Marsh
    Marian Marsh
    • Nana Carlova
    Charles Butterworth
    Charles Butterworth
    • Karimsky
    Donald Cook
    Donald Cook
    • Fedor Ivanoff
    Luis Alberni
    Luis Alberni
    • Sergei Bankieff
    Carmel Myers
    Carmel Myers
    • Sonya Preskoya
    André Luguet
    André Luguet
    • Count Robert Renaud
    • (as Andre Luguet)
    Frankie Darro
    Frankie Darro
    • Fedor as a Boy
    Chester A. Bachman
    Chester A. Bachman
    • Poster Hanger
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Brinley
    Charles Brinley
    • Poster Hanger
    • (uncredited)
    Boris Karloff
    Boris Karloff
    • Fedor's Father
    • (uncredited)
    Mae Madison
    Mae Madison
    • Olga Chekova
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Miller
    Walter Miller
    • Opera Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Lee Moran
    Lee Moran
    • Montmartre Cabaret Director
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Williams
    • Stagehand
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Wilson
    Harry Wilson
    • Curtain Man
    • (uncredited)
      • Michael Curtiz
      • Martin Brown(play "The Idol")
      • J. Grubb Alexander(screenplay)
      • Harvey F. Thew(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Michael Curtiz hired Boris Karloff because he mistakenly thought he was Russian.
    • Goofs
      A title card misspells Montmartre as "Montmarte."
    • Quotes

      Vladimar Ivan Tsarakov: I will create my own being: that boy! That boy will be my counterpart, he shall be what I should have been... I will mold him, I will pour into him my genius, my soul. In him all my dreams, all my ambitions will be fulfilled -- the greatest dancer of all time!

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits are shown over a background of a figure dancing; a reference to the plot which involves a dancer.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Taxi (1931)
    • Soundtracks
      Danse Russe Trépak
      (uncredited)
      from "Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a"
      Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
      Played during the opening puppet sequence

    User reviews28

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Beautifully Directed by Michael Curtiz
    Curtiz is a very underrated director who made many outstanding films for Warners. He was stereotyped as a director who made only one good film -- Casablanca. His direction (and Grot's set design and the costumes) really are the stars here. Barrymore is great; Woods shows why he never really became a star; Marsh is OK. Only drawback: very abrupt, ,kind of out-of-nowhere ending
    helpful•1
    0
    • pgudel
    • May 20, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 7, 1931 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 21 minutes
      • Black and White

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    John Barrymore and Marian Marsh in The Mad Genius (1931)
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