What a relief it was to see this film. I'd watched a series of duds from 1931 and I was getting discouraged. I didn't expect much from this movie, yet I got a quality flick.
Brock Trumbull V (George Bancroft) was a bullheaded owner of a shipbuilding company. He only wanted two things in life: money and a son to carry on his business, Trumbull & Son.
Brock's daughter, Anne (Frances Dee), wanted nothing more than her father's love, but she would never get it so long as she was a girl.
Brock got the son he so desperately desired at the cost of his wife's life. She died after childbirth and died rather bitterly--throwing it in Brock's face that at least he got the son he wanted.
Years passed and things were better than great for Brock since he had his son, but they turned for the worse when his son, Brock Trumbull VI (David Durand), died at only eight-years-old. All that remained in Brock Senior's life was his daughter and his company and it was clear which one he preferred. Right after his son's soul left his body he yelled, "Almighty God, if you had to take one, why him?" And Brock was too ignorant and self-absorbed to know or care that his daughter heard that bellow of his.
At its core, "Rich Man's Folly" is about preferring money and power over family and other things in life. At the same time there was a parallel theme that I think was equally important--the follies of sexism. He couldn't even see his daughter due to his insane love of his son and his insane desire to have a son. Anne was brilliant and beautiful, and what's more, she loved her father and wanted to join him in the family business, but she may as well had been a bug. It was quite sad.
It was clear that something dramatic or traumatic would have to occur for Brock to realize money wasn't everything and to realize he had a lovely daughter who loved him. Would he wake up to that or would he ever realize it?
Free on Rarefilmm.
Brock Trumbull V (George Bancroft) was a bullheaded owner of a shipbuilding company. He only wanted two things in life: money and a son to carry on his business, Trumbull & Son.
Brock's daughter, Anne (Frances Dee), wanted nothing more than her father's love, but she would never get it so long as she was a girl.
Brock got the son he so desperately desired at the cost of his wife's life. She died after childbirth and died rather bitterly--throwing it in Brock's face that at least he got the son he wanted.
Years passed and things were better than great for Brock since he had his son, but they turned for the worse when his son, Brock Trumbull VI (David Durand), died at only eight-years-old. All that remained in Brock Senior's life was his daughter and his company and it was clear which one he preferred. Right after his son's soul left his body he yelled, "Almighty God, if you had to take one, why him?" And Brock was too ignorant and self-absorbed to know or care that his daughter heard that bellow of his.
At its core, "Rich Man's Folly" is about preferring money and power over family and other things in life. At the same time there was a parallel theme that I think was equally important--the follies of sexism. He couldn't even see his daughter due to his insane love of his son and his insane desire to have a son. Anne was brilliant and beautiful, and what's more, she loved her father and wanted to join him in the family business, but she may as well had been a bug. It was quite sad.
It was clear that something dramatic or traumatic would have to occur for Brock to realize money wasn't everything and to realize he had a lovely daughter who loved him. Would he wake up to that or would he ever realize it?
Free on Rarefilmm.