A rather odd film to issue from Universal Studios, the 1936 home of Dracula's Daughter, My Man Godfrey, Showboat, Three Smart Girls, Flash Gordon and Next Time We Love, this one was gleefully over-acted by Victor McLagen in the title role. A novelettish story about a tough steel-miller, a small boy, a sympathetic boarding-house keeper and a widow's mite that goes astray, it was strictly interesting only for its interpolated documentary shots of a real steel mill at work, plus a couple of action sequences. Direction (by John G. Blystone) and film editing (Ted J. Kent) were at best routine – and often less than that. In fact, Blystone was totally unable to control McLaglen who took no notice whatever of the director's advice and virtually did just exactly as he liked. However, the art direction (Jack Otterson and Albert D'Agostino) and photography (Merritt Gerstad) were a whole lot better than the production deserved. In fact the art directors were actually nominated for Academy Awards but lost out to Richard Day who won the 1936 Art Director Oscar for Dodsworth.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
