A wealthy industrialist tests the loyalty of his spoiled children and selfish wife by pretending to be broke.A wealthy industrialist tests the loyalty of his spoiled children and selfish wife by pretending to be broke.A wealthy industrialist tests the loyalty of his spoiled children and selfish wife by pretending to be broke.
George Arliss
- Henry Wilton
- (as Mr. George Arliss)
Harold Minjir
- Watson - Eddie's Valet
- (as Harold Minjur)
Leon Ames
- Barney Davis - Witon's Junior Associate
- (as Leon Waycoff)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe play by Clare Kummer originally opened on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on 5 February 1917, and ran for 144 performances before closing for the summer (there was no air conditioning in those days). It then reopened on 10 October 1917 at the Plymouth Theatre. The opening night cast included Katharine Alexander, William Gillette, Estelle Winwood and Roland Young.
- GoofsThe polo scenes in the early part of the film include large mountains in the background which is curious since the setting is supposed to be Long Island, NY.
- Quotes
Emmy 'Sweetie' Wilton: Weren't you naughty not to let us know you were coming a day earlier.
Featured review
Heartwarming
Adapted from the stage and expanded beyond a simple set, "A Successful Calamity" is an enjoyable cinematic parable that illustrates---through a simple deception---that money, though it is not the root of all evil, is not the measure of true success.
George Arliss plays financier Henry Wilton who, like Odysseus, returns from his journeys to find his home in shambles---not literally, but figuratively. He devises a risky scheme to help him determine how desperate thing are.
This is a light-hearted film due to its clever script and the masterful performance of Arliss, around whom everything revolves. With nuance of voice and manner, he elevates the comedy and injects tenderness into every scene. It's a heartwarming tale that must have carried added significance during the Great Depression.
George Arliss plays financier Henry Wilton who, like Odysseus, returns from his journeys to find his home in shambles---not literally, but figuratively. He devises a risky scheme to help him determine how desperate thing are.
This is a light-hearted film due to its clever script and the masterful performance of Arliss, around whom everything revolves. With nuance of voice and manner, he elevates the comedy and injects tenderness into every scene. It's a heartwarming tale that must have carried added significance during the Great Depression.
helpful•00
- atlasmb
- Mar 12, 2020
Details
- Runtime1 hour 12 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
![Mary Astor, George Arliss, and Evalyn Knapp in A Successful Calamity (1932)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2M5ZjYxMTItMmVlZi00ZDg0LWJjMjQtZDY3YWQ2MDgzYjk2L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUxODE0MDY@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR3,0,90,133_.jpg)
Top Gap
By what name was A Successful Calamity (1932) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer