I'll Give a Million

I'll Give A Million is the proposition that Warner Baxter after being disillusioned that people are only interested in him for his money gives to Peter Lorre after he jumps off his yacht to save him from drowning. While they're asleep Baxter changes clothes with Lorre and also leaves many francs in his coat pocket.

As a tramp he's befriended by Marjorie Weaver and her uncle Jean Hersholt who run a small circus.

In the meantime Lorre attired in Baxter's abandoned evening wear gives the story to the newspaper that somewhere lurking in this French Riviera town is a tramp who's really a millionaire. The forgotten men of France descend on the town like a plague of locusts hoping to be treated well if people think they are incognito millionaires.

I'm guessing Tyrone Power and Don Ameche were otherwise occupied so Warner Baxter got the lead. A bit older than the other two he does nice as the weary cynical millionaire. Lorre is a fine figure as the tramp who can't believe his good fortune which rapidly becomes a curse as the hunt for the incognito millionaire intensifies.

A good screwball comedy from 20th Century Fox in that age of the screwballs, the Thirties.

"I'll Give a Million" is silly escapist film. It's based on a 1935 Italian film and is, inexplicably, set in France. When the film begins, Tony (Warner Baxter) is aboard his huge yacht. However, despite his wealth, he doesn't particularly love his life...and this is apparent when he jumps overboard to save a drowning hobo, Louis (Peter Lorre). The folks aboard the boat don't realize he's jumped and Tony swims ashore with his new friend. But as I said, he didn't love his life and instead of going to the nearest authorities to tell them who he is, he dons Louis' clothes and decides to be a hobo!

In the meantime, Louis comes into town in a tux and a wad of cash and is a sensation. He informs everyone it's from his millionaire benefactor and the same man had told him he was tired of phonies and would give 1,000,000 francs if someone just did something nice for him without expectation that they'd ever get paid back. After telling the press this story, it makes the newspaper and suddenly everyone in town is being super-nice to all the hobos! In the meantime, Tony has met a lovely woman, Jean (Marjorie Weaver) and she's taken him under her wing at the circus. What's next? See the film.

I sure would love to find a copy of the original Italian film because the American version is very enjoyable and I'd love to see how good the first version is. Regardless, nice acting and a cute story make this one worth your time.

For some strange Hollywood reason, the lovely, talented, adorable Marjorie Weaver had only about 45 credits -- despite the fact she stole this movie and many if not most of the others she played in.

Watching her here, in "I'll Give a Million," one has to be just grabbed by her gorgeous eyes, first, then by her bubbly personality, and I was really taken by her speech: She is a native of Tennessee, retaining the charm of the Southern belle.

Warner Baxter is the nominal star and here he gives one of his best casual performances. He plays the put-upon millionaire quite believably.

Peter Lorre gives a very different portrayal for him and is charming and likable, proving that he had an extraordinary range as an actor.

Jean Hersholt is mostly hidden by his role, as is John Carradine, as a rather flamboyant tramp.

Several exotic players give performances ranging from understated to over the top, but overall are quite watchable and enjoyable.

"I'll Give a Million" is fun, with settings ranging from a millionaire's yacht to a circus to the police station. I recommend it, and there is a quite good print at YouTube.

This film starts out with great promise. Tony (Warner Baxter) is a wealthy man, out on his yacht, who suddenly becomes aware that everybody onboard is just nice to him because of his money. As he stands leaning over the railing of the yacht, pondering this fact, he notices a man yelling for help, apparently drowning in the ocean. His yells of man overboard are not heard, so he jumps in and rescues the man. The yacht is out of range, so he swims to shore with Louis (Peter Lorre) in tow.

They camp on the beach for the night, and Tony tells Louis that if he could find just one person who was nice to him and not expecting a payout that he would give that person one million francs (today one dollar = 5 francs). The next day Louis awakens and finds Tony gone but his clothes and money still there. He goes into town wearing Tony's clothes and spending Tony's money. This gets the attention of the police, where Louis tells the story of the rich man, incognito dressed like a tramp, who will give one million francs to anybody who does a good deed for him with no expectations of reward. Soon everybody is being nice to all of the hobos. Meanwhile, Tony has become friends with a woman in a circus who knows nothing about this . Complications ensue.

Now all of this sounds pretty good, but it just seems to bog down a bit after Tony and Louie separate. A 1930s Fox screwball comedy is a rarity, and there is a reason for that. This would have been even better and probably ringed a bit truer if it had been made over at Warner Brothers, retaining the natural performance of Baxter as the millionaire and Lorre as the impish tramp and maybe using some of Warners' great contract players to fill in the blanks.

Still, it is funny and like "My Man Godfrey" has something to say about how your pocketbook often dictates your treatment by your fellow man towards the end of the Great Depression. A rare message-comedy from Fox.

This is another turn on the 'rich guy goes hobo' routine, but it's grand fun. Millionaire Warner Baxter tires of all the hangers-on; when he saves tramp Peter Lorre from drowning, he switches clothes and tries out life with no dough. But Lorre tells the press that there's a millionaire dressed as a tramp who's going to give someone a million francs just for being nice to him. So the whole French town takes in all the tramps and gives them everything. Meanwhile, Baxter falls in -- and falls in love with -- Marjorie Weaver at the local circus. Lorre gives one of his best performances; and when he teams up with fellow tramp John Carradine towards the end, it's a match made in heaven. I'd watch a whole movie starring those two guys in those two roles! Baxter is just fine -- if a tad long in the tooth -- in the lead. Weaver is a fresh face; and the cast is full of wonderful faces and wonderful actors. Check this rarity out if it comes your way.