American Madness

Aug 15, 1932

1h 16m

★ 7.0

The Great American Picture of Today!

Overview

Socially-conscious banker Thomas Dickson faces a crisis when his protégé is wrongly accused of robbing the bank, gossip of the robbery starts a bank run, and evidence suggests Dickson's wife had an affair... all in the same day.

Genres

Drama

Crime

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

American Madness Trailers

Cast

Thomas Dickson

Walter Huston

Matt Brown

Pat O’Brien

Phyllis Dickson

Kay Johnson

Helen

Constance Cummings

Cyril Cluett

Gavin Gordon

Ives

Arthur Hoyt

Police Inspector

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Clark (uncredited)

Edwin Maxwell

Oscar (uncredited)

Sterling Holloway

Dude Finlay (uncredited)

Robert Ellis

Depositor (uncredited)

Tom Dugan

Mr. Jones (uncredited)

Charley Grapewin

Bootlegger/cafe owner, Johnny Franks recruits crude working man Scorpio to join his gang, masterminded by crooked criminal defense lawyer Newton. Scorpio eventually takes over Frank's operation, beats a rival gang, becomes wealthy, and dominates the city for several years until a secret group of six masked businessmen have him prosecuted and sent to the electric chair.

0.0

Hardboiled Rose

Mar 30, 1929

A Southern Belle must work in a gambling house to pay off her father's debts, which drove him to suicide. She then meets a man who sweeps her off her feet and takes her away from it all.

5.3

Framed

Mar 16, 1930

Rose Manning swears revenge for the unjust slaying of her father by Inspector McArthur. Five years later, as a nightclub hostess, she is sought by Chuck Gaines, secretly a bootlegger, but she centers her attentions on young Jimmy Carter, who, she learns, is the son of McArthur.

7.2

Gold Diggers of 1933

May 27, 1933

When all Broadway shows are shut down during the Depression, a trio of desperate showgirls scheme to bilk a repugnant high society man of his money to keep their show going.

6.8

Queen Christina

Dec 26, 1933

Popular monarch Queen Christina of Sweden must choose between love and loyalty to her nation when she unexpectedly falls for a Spanish envoy.

6.9

The Scarlet Empress

May 9, 1934

During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.

6.4

The Steel Trap

Nov 12, 1952

Joseph Cotten plays an assistant bank manager who steals $1,000,000 from the safe late on a Friday and then plans to flee to Brazil over the weekend.

6.7

The Old Dark House

Oct 20, 1932

In a remote region of Wales, five travelers beset by a relentless storm find shelter in an old mansion.

7.0

Manhattan Melodrama

May 4, 1934

The friendship between two orphans endures even though they grow up on opposite sides of the law and fall in love with the same woman.

7.8

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

Nov 9, 1932

A World War I veteran’s dreams of becoming a master architect evaporate in the cold light of economic realities. Things get even worse when he’s falsely convicted of a crime and sent to work on a chain gang.

7.0

Blood Money

Nov 17, 1933

The title refers to the business of affable, ambitious bail bondsman (and politically-connected grifter) Bill Bailey, who, in the course of his work, crosses paths with every kind of offender there is, from first-time defendants to career criminals.

6.2

City Streets

Apr 18, 1931

A mobster's daughter leads her boyfriend from the circus into bootlegging.

5.3

Black Moon

Jun 15, 1934

A woman returning to her island birthplace finds herself drawn to a voodoo cult.

6.1

Morning Glory

Aug 18, 1933

Wildly optimistic chatterbox Eva Lovelace is a would-be actress trying to crash the New York stage. She attracts the interest of a paternal actor, a philandering producer, and an earnest playwright. Is she destined for stardom, or will she fade like a morning glory after its brief blooming?

6.7

Emperor of the North

May 23, 1973

Hobos encounter a sadistic railway conductor that will not let anyone "ride the rails" for free.

6.1

Inspiration

Jan 31, 1931

The film features the leading actress Greta Garbo as Yvonne, an artist's model. Other stars include Robert Montgomery, Lewis Stone, Marjorie Rambeau and Judith Vosselli. It is a romantic melodrama, portraying a Parisian belle with a past returning to haunt her. The film is the only one where Montgomery played opposite Garbo.

7.7

Monsieur Verdoux

Sep 26, 1947

The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine.

5.5

Empire of Silver

Feb 12, 2009

In 1899, Lord Kang must decide which of his three sons will take over his family's Chinese banking empire. When circumstances dictate that he appoint his unreliable youngest son, family bonds are pushed to the limit as father and son clash in a climate of political turmoil. Winner of the Special Jury Award at the 2009 Shanghai International Film Festival.

6.2

Looking Forward

Apr 28, 1933

Depression Era story set in London about a wealthy shop owner who goes bankrupt and is forced to fire his faithful staff.