Rich Man's Folly (1931)
Direction: John Cromwell
Screenplay: Grover Jones and Edward E. Paramore Jr.; from Charles Dickens' novel Dombey and Son
Cast: George Bancroft, Frances Dee, Robert Ames, David Durand, Juliette Compton, Dorothy Peterson
Directed by the respected John Cromwell and based on Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son, Rich Man's Folly features George Bancroft as a ruthless, egotistical shipping tycoon whose only concern is his work, all the while grooming his young son so he'll one day take over the family business. In the meantime, the rest of family is completely ignored.
That is the kind of role Bancroft did best: Larger-than life, driven, and arrogant men who usually meet a towering, humbling defeat in the final reel. Also in the cast is beautiful Frances Dee, who is heartbreakingly excellent as Bancroft's older daughter, desperate for her father's love and approval.
Reviewed at Cinesation 2009
© James Bazen