Man of the World (1931 film)
| Man of the World | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Richard Wallace |
| Written by | Herman J. Mankiewicz |
| Starring |
William Powell Carole Lombard Wynne Gibson |
| Cinematography | Victor Milner |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Man of the World is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama, starring William Powell, Carole Lombard, and Wynne Gibson.
The story is about a young American girl who visits Paris accompanied by her fiancé and her wealthy uncle. There she meets and is romanced by a worldly novelist; what she does not know is that he is a blackmailer who is using her to get to her uncle.
In 1930's Paris, American Michael Trevor (William Powell) poses as a novelist but is actually a former newspaper man who took the fall for some scam in the States and had to flee the country. Embittered, he now prints a weekly scandal sheet and blackmails expats to keep their names out of his rag.
While extorting two-thousand dollars from the wealthy Harry Taylor (Guy Kibbee) (a scam done so smoothly that Harry thinks Michael a great friend who has done him a big favor), Michael meets Harry's niece, Mary Kendall (Carole Lombard), and the two have an instant attraction. Mary has a boyfriend, Frank Reynolds (Lawrence Gray), but she's not passionate about him.
Michael's partners in crime are Irene Hoffa (Wynne Gibson) and Fred (George Chandler). Irene's a former flame who's still not over Michael. She needs money to keep her brother out of prison and proposes that they extort more money from Harry by embroiling Mary in a scandal. Michael resists - he has a rule never to target women - but then reluctantly agrees.
While Frank is away on business, Michael spends time with Mary and they fall in love. She tries to write a breakup letter to Frank but is unable to finish it.
Worried that Mary won't love him if she knew who he really is, Michael tells her his whole life story. Mary says that's all in the past; they love each other and nothing else matters.
Michael tells Irene that he and Mary are going to be married and that he's done with his life of crime. Irene says that, even if he's honest for the rest of his life, someday his past will come out and Mary will then be the wife of a criminal. These words weigh on Michael and he realizes that, for her own sake, he cannot marry Mary.
Michael tells Harry that he was behind the earlier scam for two-thousand dollars and demands a further ten-thousand dollars or he will print a piece about his planned wedding to Mary. Harry is angry and Mary is hurt and confused, but Michael is determined to go ahead with his scheme. Harry pays him off with a check and Mary collapses in tears.
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