The Toast of New York (1937)

Directed by Rowland V. Lee. Starring Edward Arnold, Cary Grant, Jack Oakie, Frances Farmer, Donald Meek, Clarence Kolb, Thelma Leeds.

A couple of robber barons (Arnold, Grant) take advantage of foolish parties in the aftermath of the Civil War, but cracks form in their partnership when Arnold’s greed becomes overwhelming and they both fall in love with the same woman (Farmer). A trivial trifle, adequate but overlong, and too much of an ordinary production to make the most out of its promising premise. Arnold is in his comfort zone, and carries it off well enough; Grant coasts on his shatterproof charm. Based on Bouck White’s “The Book of Daniel Drew” and Matthew Josephson’s “Robber Barons,” and most of the characters are based on real people, though Grant’s role of Ted Stokes goes by Nick Boyd onscreen; the script dialogue is uncomfortably stilted at times (“What’s happened to you, Jim? You used to be kind and generous…but now you’ve grown selfish and unkind. What’s happened to your heart, Jim?”). A flop when released, leading to producer Edward Small’s exit from RKO.

52/100