The Courage to Luck (1931)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The courage to be happy |
| Original title | A free soul |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1931 |
| length | 93 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Clarence Brown |
| script |
Becky Gardiner , John Meehan |
| production | Clarence Brown |
| music | William ax |
| camera | William H. Daniels |
| cut | Hugh Wynn |
| occupation | |
| |
The courage to happiness (Original title: A Free Soul ) is an American drama film directed by Clarence Brown . The film, whose script is based on a play by Willard Mack based on a novel by Adela Rogers St. Johns , was shot in 1931. The production premiered on June 2, 1931 in New York. In Germany, the film was first shown in cinemas in 1932.
action
Stephen Ashe is a lawyer who lives in San Francisco. The lawyer, who drinks a lot of alcohol that his assistant Eddie gets for him, hates everyone in his family except his daughter Jan, who worships him. Grandmother Ashe invites Stephen to a family dinner. Jan should be careful that her father doesn't drink alcohol. Of course, Stephen doesn't listen to his daughter's warnings. He shocks the family by bringing the seedy Ace Wilfong, whom he is defending in a murder case, to dinner.
Stephen is upset about his family's lack of hospitality. He and Ace leave dinner, followed by Jan, who is equally shocked by the family's reaction to Ace. Her fiancé Dwight Winthrop stubbornly stays with the family. On the drive home, Jan tells Ace that he was the first really interesting man she had met. The drive is interrupted when the car is attacked by gangster Hardy people trying to kill Ace. You can escape; a romance begins between Jan and Ace, which culminates in Ace asking for Jan's hand. But Stephen refuses to accept, but this does not prevent Jan from continuing to meet with Ace.
When Stephen comes home drunk from a casino one night, father and daughter want to free themselves from all constraints and start over. They take a trip to the mountains, but soon after their return they fall into the old rut. Jan's relationship with Ace worsens when Ace becomes brutal for leaving him alone. Ace tries to get her to marry him by force, but now she refuses and returns to Dwight. Dwight witnesses Ace's brutality against Jan and shoots him. He calls the police himself and, to protect Jan's reputation, testifies that he shot Ace for gambling fault. Dwight's attorney doesn't know what to do next, Stephen takes over the defense. Stephen explains the act as the result of momentary mental disregard. It is not Dwight who must be charged, but himself, because by allowing Ace and Jan to see each other, he first brought about the tragedy.
Stephen calls his daughter to the stand. He is so excited that he has a heart attack and dies in his daughter's arms. The jury found Dwight innocent. He and Jan travel to New York, where they want to start a new life.
background
Willard Mack's play premiered in New York on January 12, 1928 and has been shown 100 times. The novel on which the play is based is based on the life story of the author's father, who was a well-known lawyer.
According to the Guinness Book of Records (2002 edition), the film holds a world record. It has the longest shot ever at 14 minutes. This shot includes a monologue by Lionel Barrymore.
Douglas Shearer worked on the sound and Cedric Gibbons on the equipment for this MGM production . Assistant director was Charles Dorian, who won an Oscar in 1934 in the now defunct category of Best Assistant Director . It was the first leading role for Clark Gable after signing his contract with MGM. 1953 turned Richard Thorpe a remake under the title A spoiled beast (OT: The Girl Who Had Everything ) with Elizabeth Taylor and William Powell in the leading roles.
Reviews
The Classic Film Guide described the film as a “classic” with “great dialogue”. In contrast, Dennis Schwartz from Ozu's World found the film “awkward, dubbed, implausible and embarrassing”.
Awards
In 1931 , Lionel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actor . The film also received two nominations in the categories “ Best Director ” and “ Best Actress” .
Web links
- A Free Soul in the Internet Movie Database (English)