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Gentleman's Fate

  • 1931
  • Passed
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
912
YOUR RATING
John Gilbert, Leila Hyams, Anita Page, and Louis Wolheim in Gentleman's Fate (1931)
CrimeDrama

Jack's lavish lifestyle gets disrupted when he finds his presumed-dead father alive. His father wants Jack and his brother Frank to take over his illegal bootlegging business, smuggling alco... Read allJack's lavish lifestyle gets disrupted when he finds his presumed-dead father alive. His father wants Jack and his brother Frank to take over his illegal bootlegging business, smuggling alcohol from Canada, causing a family conflict.Jack's lavish lifestyle gets disrupted when he finds his presumed-dead father alive. His father wants Jack and his brother Frank to take over his illegal bootlegging business, smuggling alcohol from Canada, causing a family conflict.

  • Director
    • Mervyn LeRoy
  • Writers
    • Ursula Parrott
    • Leonard Praskins
  • Stars
    • John Gilbert
    • Louis Wolheim
    • Leila Hyams
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    912
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Writers
      • Ursula Parrott
      • Leonard Praskins
    • Stars
      • John Gilbert
      • Louis Wolheim
      • Leila Hyams
    • 24User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Photos25

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    Top cast18

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    John Gilbert
    John Gilbert
    • Giacomo Tomasulo - aka Jack Thomas
    Louis Wolheim
    Louis Wolheim
    • Frank Tomasulo
    Leila Hyams
    Leila Hyams
    • Marjorie Channing
    Anita Page
    Anita Page
    • Ruth Corrigan
    Marie Prevost
    Marie Prevost
    • Mabel
    John Miljan
    John Miljan
    • Florio
    George Cooper
    George Cooper
    • Mike
    Ferike Boros
    Ferike Boros
    • Angela
    • (as Ferike Beros)
    Ralph Ince
    Ralph Ince
    • Dante
    Frank Reicher
    Frank Reicher
    • Papa Francesco Tomasulo
    Paul Porcasi
    Paul Porcasi
    • Papa Mario Giovanni
    Tenen Holtz
    Tenen Holtz
    • Tony
    Sam Appel
    Sam Appel
    • Waiter at Banquet
    • (uncredited)
    Leila Bennett
    Leila Bennett
    • Lunch Counter Attendant
    • (uncredited)
    Jimmy Dime
    Jimmy Dime
    • Mug at Peace Banquet
    • (uncredited)
    Edward LeSaint
    Edward LeSaint
    • Detective Meyers
    • (uncredited)
    Dick Rush
    • Detective
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Tenbrook
    Harry Tenbrook
    • Lunchroom Customer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Writers
      • Ursula Parrott
      • Leonard Praskins
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews24

    6.4912
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    Featured reviews

    7Ron Oliver

    Another Nail In John Gilbert's Cinematic Coffin

    A dying gangster reveals himself as the true father of a young society man, thus turning that GENTLEMAN'S FATE completely upside down...

    According to cinematic legend, all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert (the highest paid star in Hollywood, with a $1.5 million contract) & studio boss Louis B. Mayer. A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract, and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career - including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was 'high & feminine', culminated in several unwatchable movies.

    Not entirely true. The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck. However, of the 8 MGM talkies in which he appeared as solo star (1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT; 1930 - REDEMPTION; WAY FOR A SAILOR; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE; THE PHANTOM OF Paris; WEST OF Broadway; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS; 1933 - FAST WORKERS) most, including GENTLEMAN'S FATE, were rather ghastly.

    Poor editing, a tawdry story line about unpleasant people, unattractive sets and a depressing climax all work together to sink the film. Poor Gilbert seems deflated, obviously embarrassed by appearing in such a poor film. His rather cold appearance & demeanor make it hard to sympathize with his character. What makes matters worse is that he is continually upstaged by Louis Wolheim, who actually gives a noteworthy performance as Gilbert's older, plug-ugly brother. (That these two could actually be siblings is one of the script's most unbelievable contrivances.)

    Two lovely ladies, Leila Hyams & Anita Page, grace the film with their presence, but they are sadly wasted. Their romantic tribulations are meaningless to the audience because it is so difficult to warm up to Gilbert, the object of their affections. Paul Porcasi, Frank Reicher & John Miljan all strive to make their small roles meaningful, but they are largely defeated by the unforgiving script.

    Marie Prevost has some good moments as a slatternly moll, but it is very sad to see her scenes with Gilbert. One is inevitably reminded that both their lives would be cut short by acute alcoholism, her final circumstances being especially atrocious.

    Finally, about The Voice. There was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice. As a matter of fact, it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined. That was the crux of the problem, of course. While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong, virile silent roles, the reality was very different from what they wanted to hear (imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth.) Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony. He would die in 1936, forgotten by most of his former fans, at the age of only 36.
    6Doylenf

    Watchable film from Mervyn LeRoy gives John Gilbert an unusual role...

    JOHN GILBERT reveals himself to be a credible actor, with a range not demonstrated in some of his other earlier films. He's the son of a dying gangster who ends up getting involved with bootleggers after falling in love with a society girl.

    The plot is all over the place with little twists here and there but it seems more like a jumbled mess than a coherent story. But Gilbert rises above the inadequacies of the plotting and gives a persuasive performance as the unhappy bootlegger.

    Anita Page and Marie Prevost play gangster molls with some silly dialog for comedy relief. Prevost says something like, "What would this world be without bootleggers?" to demonstrate her lack of sophistication.

    It's watchable, mainly to watch John Gilbert with his piercing eyes and handsome demeanor tormented by the fact that his fiancé decides to run off and marry another man. Ironically, in real life, Greta Garbo left him waiting at the altar.
    10davost

    Thoroughly entertaining

    What on earth is everyone's problem with this movie? It has some awkward movement but so did most movies of this era before Hollywood developed its amazing (and often irritating) slickness. The story is kind of a goofy fantasy as are most movies from since they day they were born to the present moment. This is a really fun movie with a great cast. Anita Page and Marie Provost were great bad girls, especially Provost as the gangland superflooze. George Cooper and John Miljan were very entertaining bad boys. But Louis Walheim was the real gem of the piece, sort of a cross between Shrek and Marie Dressler dressed like a guy. As for John Gilbert , I can see how how this may have been a form of career sabotage because he wasn't able to be nearly as gallant as his public wanted to see him. But he demonstrated great range and his chemistry with the whole cast and particularly with Walheim and Page was wonderful. The dialogue was good and the much of the shooting was visually interesting. Of course it doesn't hurt to be a big fan of pre code gangster movies, Hollywood history, and Depression Era cultural history.
    6vestutoinglish

    This Was a Great Teaching on Early "Talkies".

    Earlier this morning I was watching a movie on TCM from 1931 - "Gentleman's Fate". It was the first "talkie" that John Gilbert did after reigning as the matinée idol of the "silents", and the fateful movie that revealed his nasally throated voice, sadly. Yet, it was a great teaching on how movies struggled with sound after being quiet for many years.

    The awkward moves and scene flows of each actor, and no music rising or lowering under scenes, made for an interesting movie.

    In my opinion though, the best part in the whole flick was when a character was coming down the stairs obviously intoxicated.

    The "dame" who sees him is cracking and eating walnuts and asks,

    "Hey. Are you plastered?" In which he replies, "Plastered? Sistah ... I'm Stuccoed!" Another character enters the scene as the drunkard leaves. The "dame" reaches out her hand to offer the cracked walnuts and says, "...nuts?"

    He looks at the drunk struggling to climb back up the stairs, looks back at her and just nods..."...yes".

    Ya just can't get dialog like that anymore! Loved it.
    6marcslope

    John Gilbert struggles valiantly

    This early Mervyn Le Roy work starts out as an intriguing look at class, self-identity, and a mixing of two worlds, but less than halfway through it switches to a standard bootleggers-and- their-molls flick. In both sections, there are some loose ends flapping. We first encounter Gilbert as a well-to-do, polished Manhattanite, unaware that his money comes from the illegal liquor trade, and also unaware that his dad, whom he thought dead, is alive and dying, and he has a brother, Louis Wolheim (Louis Wolheim as John Gilbert's brother? even the script tries to make a joke of it), who runs the dirty business. Where the heck did he think all his money came from, anyway, and how was he catapulted into such high living? The movie doesn't say. Anyway, upon discovering his humble origins, he's at first repelled and then sucked into the family business, resorting to murder and taking up with moll Anita Page (who's rather touching) because he can't get over being dumped by fiancée Leila Hyams. It's run-of-the-mill booze, broads, and guns from there, though the ending's unexpectedly downbeat and depressing (he has sinned, but surely he didn't deserve this). Gilbert is better than his reputation suggests--there was absolutely nothing wrong with his voice, and he emotes persuasively. But it's basically downhill from a good start.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      John Gilbert. did not know how to fight. So director Mervyn LeRoy had to resort to trickery to look like Gilbert was a good fighter, using speeded-up camerawork and close-ups of Gilbert's fist coming directly at the camera.
    • Goofs
      When Jack's butler brings in a tray for him and Marjorie near the beginning of the film, a sandwich quarter drops off the tray unnoticed.
    • Quotes

      Mabel: Hey, Mike, are you plastered?

      Mike: Plastered? Sister, I'm stuccoed!

      Mabel: Well, you'd better go to bed before you explode.

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 7, 1931 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El destino de un caballero
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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