Ambassador Bill (1931)

Director:

Sam Taylor

Writer:

Guy Bolton (story)
(more)

Release Date:

22 November 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An American ambassador arrives in a small country that is being convulsed by political intrigue and civil unrest...

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Resignation | Rescue | Reception | Prime Minister

Cast

Marguerite Churchill	...	Queen Vanya
Greta Nissen	...	Countess Ilka
Tad Alexander	...	King Paul
Ray Milland	...	King Lothar
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Prince de Polikoff (as Gustav Von Seyffertitz)
Arnold Korff	...	The General
Ferdinand Munier	...	Senator Pillsbury
Edwin Maxwell	...	Monte
Will Rogers	...	Bill Harper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Atkinson	...	American Embassy Valet (uncredited)
Herbert Bunston	...	British Ambassador (uncredited)
Georgia Caine	...	Monte's Wife (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Theodore Lodi	...	French Ambassador (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Republican Revolutionary Sniper (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Dignitary at Court (uncredited)
Toshia Mori	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Revolutionary (uncredited)
Lon Poff	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Drunk Republican Revolutionary Celebrant (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Littleton (uncredited)
Ben Turpin	...	The Butcher (uncredited)
Ernest Wood	...	Northfield Slater (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Taylor

Writing credits
Guy Bolton		(story and screenplay)
Vincent Sheean		suggested by story "Ambassador from the United States" (uncredited)

Original Music by
Arthur Kay		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John J. Mescall		(photographed by) (as John Mescall)

Film Editing by
Harold D. Schuster		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Duncan Cramer

Costume Design by
Guy S. Duty		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter Mayo	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Alexander Kahle	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Irving Rosenberg	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Roger Shearman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harkness Smith	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Fox Film Corporation (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1936) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Dollar Bill (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min (copyright length) | 69 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #1884-R, 20 December 1935 for re-release) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Fox Film Corporation

Dust off those cobwebs!

Will Rogers plays the ambassador from the US to the tiny nation of Sylvania. Instead of being another dull bureaucrat, Bill is very down-to-earth and simple--and approaches the young king and his mother like they are just normal folks as well. This quickly wins over the young king, as he's longing to act like other boys his age.

AMBASSADOR BILL is one of the films of the 1930s that probably did quite well at the time but today seems to have aged very poorly. Now I certainly DON'T think that films this old are bad--in fact, I adore Classic Hollywood. However, the folksy style of this film is something that audiences of the day loved but people today will most likely find very hokey. As for me, I was able to stick with the film but my wife loudly complained that the film was "dull and ridiculous" and soon left the room!

While this film is very short on laughs, it is interesting because the effect this film had on future films, such as the Marx Brothers' DUCK SOUP, is immense. DUCK SOUP is sort of like AMBASSADOR BILL on drugs--as well as being very funny. Heck, even the name of the nation of "Sylvania" was used in both films!

Don't give up on Will Rogers films because AMBASSADOR BILL isn't that great. DOCTOR BULL is a wonderful Rogers film. It's not so much a comedy, but it's a heck of a drama. Rogers could definitely act--but obviously some of his films were hits and some were duds. If seen today, AMBASSADOR BILL is a small but watchable dud.