''The World Changes'' is a 1933 American
pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Mervyn LeRoy
Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies.
During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners of ...
and starring
Paul Muni
Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...
as an ambitious farm boy who becomes rich, but does not handle success well.
Aline MacMahon
Aline Laveen MacMahon (May 3, 1899 – October 12, 1991) was an American actress. Her Broadway stage career began under producer Edgar Selwyn in ''The Mirage'' during 1920. She made her screen debut in 1931 and worked extensively in film, thea ...
and
Mary Astor
Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...
play his mother and wife respectively.
Plot summary
On the wagon trail in
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...
1856 (Indian territory)
A pregnant woman exits a wagon and digs her hands into soil. She and her husband decide to stop there to build a settlement cabin for a simple farm life. Orin, the father, plows fields while Anna, the Mother chops wood. Another wagon family is spotted. Orin Jr. is an infant. That family is also moving West (California) to live off land and raise a family in peace. Orin Sr. welcomes them to become neighbors. Anna muses that they will live there forever. Orin Sr speculates they will build a town with hundreds of families moving in. Orinville is established
1867
A Wedding celebration in town of Orinville. Orin Sr. gives a speech and mentions that he hopes that Orin Jr. (now 11 years old) will one day marry his childhood friend, Selma. Colonel Custer (Clay Clement) arrives and announces, "The war is over." With surprise, Orin's mother proclaims, that no one in the town had any idea that the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
had been raging for the past four years.
1877
Orin Jr. (Paul Muni) speaks with a Gambler, implied to be
Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...
(Douglass Dumbrille), about the money to be made driving steer from Texas northward, though Orin Sr. and Anna do not approve. Orin sneaks out of house in middle of the night. Leaving a letter that he is going to drive steer and that Selma will understand. On the cattle drive, he runs into trouble. River, Thunderstorms, and threats from bandits who shoot at and scare his cattle. But, Orin drives them into Omaha where Wild Bill Hickok is the sheriff and a business man, James Clafflin, who turned him down earlier is impressed. James talks Orin into driving the cattle into Chicago. He returns home to tell his parents and Selma. Orin Sr. asks why he can't stay in Orinville, but relents to son's wishes, because he believes that what drove him and Anna out West is the same thing that drives Orin Jr. to Chicago. Anna muses that she wishes it was, but sadly it is not. Orin asks Selma to leave with him, but she turns him down.
In Chicago, James Claffin's daughter Ginny (Mary Astor) is visiting after finishing school back East and meets Orin Jr. They marry in 1879. When her father dies in 1881, Ginny is distraught to see that everyone at the funeral is from the stockyard business, with no other friends or family present. Other Cattle Businessmen are complaining that Orin Nordholm is too ruthless of a businessman as he is always experimenting and making money every way possible. They pressure Orin Jr.'s lender not to renew his note. Orin Jr. tells the bank to invest in the invention rather than renew note. Nordholm Co is working on invention to move frozen beef. Rather than having to always transport live cattle. Orin Jr. spent all his money into trying to make the invention. In a throwaway line, Fred - the secretary says, "If only we could put ice boxes on wheels." Orin later has an epiphany, repeating the phrase "ice boxes on wheels".
1893
Nordhold now lives in a palatial estate with Ginny and their children. At dinner, Orin Jr. is upset that his mother sent a letter that she will not visit. He laments that his mother lives all alone on a farm in South Dakota. Orin and Ginny get into fight. First about his mother, but subsequently make up, only to then get into fight about their children visiting stockyards. Ginny has a breakdown about meat and the stock yards. A distraught Orin chases after Ginny who locks herself in their bedroom, before spotting his sons exchanging money with their butler.
1904
Ginny is excited the Randolph Clintons from New York will be visiting (one of the oldest families from the East). Orin Jr. is ornery that they are trying to take his company away. He also does not want to spend money on a lavish party. Richard and John are now grown, and Ginny wants Richard to marry Jennifer Clinton. John speaks with English accent after attending Oxford and begs everyone for money. Ginny makes huge announcement at party. She claims her husband Orin Nordholm is retiring and establishing an art gallery. Businessmen begin dumping shares in Nordholm and Co. Chicago. An upset Orin Rages against Wall Street and wants the family to stay in Chicago in a speech akin to his mother's. Virginia goes unconscious. Orin is informed that Ginny is in cerebral shock. He does not take news well. He wants to take care of her, but there is a run on Nordholm's company at Chicago Board of trade and Wall Street. Shares are rapidly dropping. $68 -> $28 -> $17. Employees of Nordholm Co come through. They turn in their savings and mortgage their homes to help save company. Orin Jr. screams they will not sell out, and buys 100,000 shares at $100 right before 3:00 PM when exchange closes. When Orin returns home, he attempts to check on and calm Ginny. She has a psychotic break, screaming "Butcher, blood on your clothes", and then collapses. She dies, and Richard and John blame Orin for her death. Orin says he will sell the company.
1920s
An Older Nordholm reads a newspaper in wealthy club that his grand daughter will marry an English Nobleman (Sir Philip Ivor). He is extremely upset as is his Grandson, Orin Nordholm III. Jennifer Clinton says that he is like his grandfather. Richard Nordholm is a banker on Wall st. Banker in New York City. John reveals that Richard's Wall St banker success is all because Orin completely funded it. Sir Philip Ivor visits Orin Jr, only to be thrown out. Orin Jr. tells Richard that he is making a huge mistake letting Natalie marry Philip Ivor. Jennifer Clinton yells at him to get out of Richard's house. Richard does nothing. Orin Jr.'s mother is with a young woman named Selma who could have been his grand daughter. Orin III brings a letter that Orin Jr.'s (Paul Muni) mother is going to visit NYC. She is almost 90. He is very excited because he has never met his great grandmother, but Orin Jr. does not want his mother to know about his family troubles. Orin Jr., Orin III, and Anna have nice taxi ride, but extreme awkwardness and family fighting ensue when Anna finds out that nearly the entire family lives on Orin Jr.'s money.
10/23/1929 - 10/24/1929
Richard and his son Paul Nordholm are having a breakdown as stock market crashes and they are facing prison time. Orin Jr. will not bail them out and rails against bankers once again. He is happy to see Orin III and the young Selma. He bequeaths all his money and assets to his grandson, Orin III, so that he may start a new life in South Dakota with young Selma. His grandson, Paul, leaves a letter that he is running away to avoid prison time. Richard finds out his wife, Jennifer Clinton, has been having an affair for several years with Ogden who stole money. He proceeds to commit suicide in front of her. John gets drunk at wedding, because Richard's trust has gone bankrupt. He tells Sir Philip Ivor
who then stands up Natalie Nordholm at wedding, because her family is no longer wealthy. Orin Jr sees the body of Richard and gets flash backs of Ginny. Dismayed, Orin Jr. collapses down the stairs, presumably from a heart attack brought on by stress, and dies. Orin III and Young Selma return to Orinville with Anna, his Great Grandmother, to start a new life.
Cast
*
Paul Muni
Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...
as Orin Nordholm Jr.
*
Aline MacMahon
Aline Laveen MacMahon (May 3, 1899 – October 12, 1991) was an American actress. Her Broadway stage career began under producer Edgar Selwyn in ''The Mirage'' during 1920. She made her screen debut in 1931 and worked extensively in film, thea ...
as Anna Nordholm
*
Mary Astor
Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...
as Virginia Clafflin Nordholm
*
Donald Cook as Richard Nordholm
*
Jean Muir
Jean Elizabeth Muir ( ; 17 July 1928 – 28 May 1995) was a British fashion designer.
Early life and career
Jean Muir was born in London, the daughter of Cyril Muir, a draper's floor superintendent, and his wife, Phyllis Coy. Her father wa ...
as Selma Peterson II
*
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
as Otto Peterson as a Child
*
Guy Kibbee
Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor.
Early years
Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the '' El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...
as James Clafflin
*
Patricia Ellis
Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; died March 26, 1970) was an American film actress of the 1930s.
Early years
Born in Birmingham, Michigan, most likely in 1915 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration ...
as Natalie Clinton Nordholm
*
Theodore Newton as Paul Nordholm
*
Margaret Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay (born Margaret Kies; September 19, 1910 – May 9, 1981) was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successf ...
as Jennifer Clinton Nordholm
*
Gordon Westcott
Gordon Westcott (born Myrthus Hickman, November 6, 1903 – October 30, 1935) was an American film actor.
Biography
Born in St. George, Utah, in 1903, Westcott studied architecture at the University of Chicago, where he was also lightweight ...
as John Nordholm
*
Alan Dinehart
Mason Alan Dinehart Sr. (born Harold Alan Dinehart; October 3, 1889 – July 18, 1944) was an American actor, director, writer, and stage manager.
Biography
Dinehart initially studied to be a priest, but he turned to the theater instead. ...
as Ogden Jarrett
*
William Janney
William Janney (born Russell Dixon Janney, February 15, 1908 – December 22, 1992) was an American actor who appeared in 39 films between 1929 and 1937.
He was the son of author and theatrical producer Russell Janney,(28 December 1940)William J ...
as Orin Nordholm III
*
Charles Middleton as Wild Bill Hickok
*
George Chandler
George Chandler (June 30, 1898 – June 10, 1985) was an American actor who starred in over 140 feature films, usually in smaller supporting roles, and he is perhaps best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie Martin on the televi ...
as Piano Player
*
Henry O'Neill
Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American film actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early years
He was born in Orange, New Jersey.
Career ...
as Orin Nordholm
Box Office
According to Warner Bros records the film earned $376,000 domestically and $305,000 internationally.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:World Changes, The
1933 films
1933 drama films
Films set in 1856
Films set in 1867
Films set in 1877
Films set in 1879
Films set in 1881
Films set in 1893
Films set in 1904
Films set in 1929
American business films
American drama films
American black-and-white films
1930s English-language films
Films directed by Mervyn LeRoy
First National Pictures films
1930s business films
Films produced by Robert Lord (screenwriter)
Warner Bros. films
1930s American films
Films scored by Bernhard Kaun
Cultural depictions of Buffalo Bill
Films about adultery in the United States