The Millionaire **** (1931, George Arliss, Florence Arliss, Evalyn Knapp, David Manners) – Classic Movie Review 13,901

Warner Bros’1931 classic comedy drama film The Millionaire is based on a story Idle Hands by Earl Derr Biggers, and stars George Arliss, Florence Arliss, Evalyn Knapp, and David Manners.

Director John G Adolfi’s 1931 Warner Bros classic comedy drama film The Millionaire is based on a 1921 Saturday Evening Post short story by Earl Derr Biggers, the creator of Charlie Chan, and stars George Arliss, Florence Arliss, Evalyn Knapp, and David Manners.

This appealing, light comedic tale from the man who wrote Charlie Chan (Earl Derr Biggers) is about a rich man, Jim Alden (George Arliss), who is made to retire but still needs something to do. Without telling his family, he starts up a garage business as proprietor, under a new name, Charlie Miller.

The Millionaire provides a happy, tailor-made role for eager old ham George Arliss, who is great in a memorable tour-de-force. His real-life spouse Florence Arliss entertainingly plays his wife Laura. And there’s young James Cagney with a flashy single scene as a fast-talking insurance salesman, which led William A Wellman to cast him in the star role of Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (1931). True, co-stars Evalyn Knapp (as Babs Alden) and David Manners (as Bill Merrick) are nowhere near as interesting as George Arliss and Florence Arliss, but their roles are far less interesting and well written, and the film isn’t really about them anyway.

It is a remake of the 1922 film The Ruling Passion, also starring George Arliss, and is remade as That Way with Women (1947), with Dane Clark, Martha Vickers, and Sydney Greenstreet.

It was a hit, costing $283,000 and taking $835,000 at the box office.

Runtime: 80 minutes.

Release date: May 1, 1931.

Cast: George Arliss, Florence Arliss, Evalyn Knapp, David Manners, Noah Beery Sr, J Farrell MacDonald, James Cagney, Bramwell Fletcher, Ivan F Simpson, J C Nugent, Sam Hardy, Charles E Evans, Charley Grapewin, Tully Marshall, Ethel Griffies, Ben Hall, Ernest Truex.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,901

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