Edward Arnold plays Jim Fisk, one of the leaders of the "Erie Gang" who made the Gilded Age such an entertaining era for anyone who didn't have to live in it. Along with his loyal aides, played by Cary Grant and Jack Oakie, and the woman he loved, played by Frances Farmer, they cut a swath in New York financial affairs, co-opting Donald Meek's "Daniel Drew" and suckering Clarence Kolb's "Cornelius Vanderbilt" out of five million dollars. But could he corner gold and bankrupt the rest of Wall Street?
There are a number of historical oddities in this version of history. One is the absence of Jay Gould, ultimately the most successful of the Erie Gang, and who turned out to know how to run the Union Pacific Railroad when he got his hands on it. That's easily explained. Several of Gould's sons and daughters were still alive, still enormously wealthy, and thus legal barriers to mentioning them without permission. The other is Fisk's death: here it's at the hands of a mob. In reality, he was shot by the Cary Grant character, who was also a lover of the Frances Farmer character. At one point during the tangled affairs, Grant's character suggested that Miss Farmer's character decide; she thought they could all be good friends, and Fisk replied "You can't run two engines on one track in contrary directions at the same time."
A good thing for a railroad man to say. This movie is pretty entertaining. It's always good to see Arnold in a leading role, and he spends a lot of time chuckling and outwitting everyone. Even so, the best parts are played by Meek and Kolb. Miss Farmer, alas, is rather wan.
There are a number of historical oddities in this version of history. One is the absence of Jay Gould, ultimately the most successful of the Erie Gang, and who turned out to know how to run the Union Pacific Railroad when he got his hands on it. That's easily explained. Several of Gould's sons and daughters were still alive, still enormously wealthy, and thus legal barriers to mentioning them without permission. The other is Fisk's death: here it's at the hands of a mob. In reality, he was shot by the Cary Grant character, who was also a lover of the Frances Farmer character. At one point during the tangled affairs, Grant's character suggested that Miss Farmer's character decide; she thought they could all be good friends, and Fisk replied "You can't run two engines on one track in contrary directions at the same time."
A good thing for a railroad man to say. This movie is pretty entertaining. It's always good to see Arnold in a leading role, and he spends a lot of time chuckling and outwitting everyone. Even so, the best parts are played by Meek and Kolb. Miss Farmer, alas, is rather wan.