Rowland V. Lee directed The Toast of New York, the first period film of Cary Grant, co-starring Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer, and Jack Oakie.
Grade: C+ (** out of *****)
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Theatrical release poster
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The script of this fictionalized account of financiers James Fisk and Edward S. Stokes was based on “The Book of Daniel Drew” by Bouck White and the story “Robber Barons” by Matthew Josephson.
In post-Civil War America, unscrupulously ambitious partners Jim Fisk (Arnold) and Nick Boyd (Grant) talk businessman Daniel Drew (Donald Meek) into selling them his shipping company, paying with worthless Confederate bonds.
Later, worried that his longtime rival, Cornelius Vanderbilt (Clarence Kolb), is trying to take control of his railroad, Drew seeks help from Fisk, but the latter turns the situation to his own advantage.
Fisk and Boyd eventually become powerful players on Wall Street. Meanwhile, both men fall in love with entertainer Josie Mansfield (Farmer), who agrees to marry Fisk out of gratitude, but she really loves Boyd.
When the greedy Fisk ignores Boyd’s warnings, Boyd turns against him, worried that his conduct will threatens the country’s financial system. The federal government finally intervenes by releasing its gold reserves, which bankrupts Fisk.
The film was originally announced as The Robber Barons to star Robert Donat who had just made Count of Monte Cristo for producer Edward Small.
The shoot was meant to take 4 weeks but ended up taking 15 with Arnold on $10,000 a week, half of which went to B.P. Schulberg, who owned his contract. Costing Small this much money gave satisfaction to Arnold, who had been rejected by the producer seeking his representation in 1918. This film’s failure led to Edward Small leaving RKO and returning to UA.
Lacking in dramatic force, the film was marked by a narrative that was not engaging (half a dozen writers worked on the script) and hampered by anachronistic dialogue.
The film was a commercial disappointment, losing $530,000, making it RKO’s biggest money loser of the year.
As for Cary Grant, his career did not suffer much, as in the same year he also appeared in The Awful Truth, an Oscar-winning screwball comedy that was both a critical and commercial hit.
Cast
Edward Arnold as Jim Fisk
Cary Grant as Nick Boyd
Frances Farmer as Josie Mansfield
Jack Oakie as Luke
Donald Meek as Daniel Drew
Thelma Leeds as Fleurique
Clarence Kolb as Vanderbilt
Billy Gilbert as Photographer
George Irving as Broker
Russell Hicks as Lawyer
Credits:
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Produced by Edward Small
Screenplay by Dudley Nichols, John Twist, Joel Sayre, based on The Book of Daniel Drew by Bouck White and “Robber Barons” by Matthew Josephson
Music by Nathaniel Shilkret
Cinematography Peverell Marley
Edited by George Hively
Samuel E. Beetley
Distributed by RKO Pictures
Release date: July 22, 1937
Running time: 109 minutes
Budget $1.07 million
Box office $1.05 million
Note:
TCM showed the movie on Sep 14, 2020.
