''Hot Money'' is a 1936 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by William C. McGann and written by William Jacobs. The film stars Ross Alexander,

Beverly Roberts Beverly Louise Roberts (May 19, 1914 – July 13, 2009) was an American film and stage actress of the 1930s, as well as a singer and painter. She worked as business executive in the entertainment industry through the 1970s. Career Born in Bro ...

Joseph Cawthorn Joseph Bridger Cawthorn (March 29, 1868 – January 21, 1949) was an American stage and film comic actor. Biography Born on March 29, 1868, in New York City to a minstrel-show family, Cawthorn started out in show business as a child, debu ...

Paul Graetz Paul Graetz (8 August 1889 – 16 February 1937) was a German actor and star of the Weimar cabaret. Selected filmography * ''The Peruvian'' (1919) * ''The Princess of the Nile'' (1920) * ''Christian Wahnschaffe'' (1920) * ''Mary Magdalene'' (192 ...

Andrew Tombes Andrew Tombes (29 June 1885 – 17 March 1976) was an American comedian and character actor. Biography The son of a grocer, originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Tombes was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy. Early in his career, he worked as a v ...

and

Cy Kendall Cyrus Willard Kendall (March 10, 1898 – July 22, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1935 and 1950. Kendall's heavy-set, square-jawed appearance and deep voice were perfect for wiseguy roles such ...

. The film was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on July 18, 1936. It was based on the play of the same name by

Aben Kandel Aben Kandel (15 August 1897 – 28 January 1993) was an American screenwriter, novelist, and (earlier in life) boxer. He was screenwriter on such classic B movies as '' I Was A Teenage Werewolf'', Joan Crawford's final movie '' Trog'', and one of ...

who also co-wrote the screenplay. The story was used twice before in films as ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

'' (1932) and a French speaking version in the same year ''Le bluffeur''.

Plot

A possibly crazy scientist has apparently invented a formula that can turn water into gasoline. Despite his reluctance, businessman Dourfuss is convinced by con artist Willie to provide seed money. Willie then recruits his pal, fast-talking sharpie Chick Randall, to seek out investors and help sell the product to the public. Chick hires a bunch of derelicts with names like Vanderbilt and Ford to act as the board of directors, as well as a pretty stenographer, Grace Lane. She initially thinks the whole thing is a scam, but a demonstration convinces her it's on the level; in time, they fall in love. But things take an ugly turn when the initial supply runs out and the scientist has disappeared.

Cast

* Ross Alexander as Chick Randall *

as Grace Lane *

as Max Dourfuss *

as Dr. David *

as Willie * Frank Orth as Hank Ford *

as Joe Morgan *

George Beranger George Beranger (27 March 1893 – 8 March 1973), also known as André Beranger, was an Australian silent film actor and director in Hollywood.Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central ...

as Ed Biddle * Joe Cunningham as Gus Vanderbilt *

Anne Nagel Anne Nagel (born Anna Marie Dolan; September 29, 1915 – July 6, 1966) was an American actress. She played in adventures, mysteries, and comedies for 25 years. She also appeared in television series in the 1950s. One book described her as "one ...

as Ruth McElniney * Eddie Conrad as Antonio Romenetti * Harry Burns as Pasquale Romenetti * Addison Richards as Forbes *

Charley Foy Charley Foy (June 12, 1898 – August 22, 1984) was an American actor of both the vaudeville stage and film. Son of Eddie Foy Sr., he was one of the famous "The Seven Little Foys", the seven children of the senior Foy, who joined him on stage in ...

as Ratto *

Robert Emmett Keane Robert Emmett Keane (March 4, 1883 – July 2, 1981) was an American actor of both the stage and screen. Biography Keane began on stage in the 1910s, his first Broadway appearance being in the production of '' The Passing Show of 1914''. He co ...

as Professor Kimberly * Edwin Stanley as Joe Thomas

Reception

T.M.P. of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' said, "Patterned somewhat along the lines of ''Get Rich Quick Wallingford'', the new film is neither particularly good nor conspicuously poor farce. Thanks to competent editing and direction, it falls quite gracefully into that niche reserved for "amiable entertainments."

References

External links

* * * * 1936 films Warner Bros. films American comedy films 1936 comedy films Films directed by William C. McGann American black-and-white films American films based on plays 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-comedy-film-stub