Great God Gold

Sidney Blackmer is a stock speculator who has been having a run. The head of the brokerage mentions this to columnist Regis Toomey, who interviews him and writes the interview as he goes along. He gives Blackmer an antique Roman coin and leaves, Blackmer sells his positions and the next day the collapse the 'interview' predicts begins. Edward Maxwell (with an Italian accent) and John T.Murray, two shady lawyers, approach Blackmer with the idea of fronting a receivership ring. They'll provide the political connections, Blackmer will collect the fees and they will split the profits. Blackmer says no, but on a whim, flips the coin and following its dictates, accepts. He collects the fees, the graft and Maria Alba, the wife of Maxwell's nephew, Ralf Harolde.

All is not well; when his hotel is taken into receivership, Geoge Irving, Martha Sleeper's father, commits suicide. Miss Sleeper begins to look for answers.

Director Arthur Lubin gives this movie a fatalistic handling. Alas, Blackmer's descent into Faustian damnation is more twee than tragic when contrasted with the workaday attitudes of the other characters, Blackmer gives the performance a good try, and there is a lot of self-awareness self-loathing in his performance. However given the contrast between his words and actions, it goes well beyond pathos into bathos.