''All American Chump'' 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 ...

produced by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, directed by

Edwin L. Marin Edwin L. Marin (February 21, 1899 – May 2, 1951) was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Randolph Scott, Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, E ...

and written by Lawrence Kimble. The film stars

Stuart Erwin Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Early years Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University of ...

, Robert Armstrong,

Betty Furness Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator. Early years Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness ...

Edmund Gwenn Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won th ...

and

Harvey Stephens Harvey Stephens (August 21, 1901 – December 22, 1986) was an American actor, known initially for his performances in Broadway productions, and thereafter for his work in film and on television. He was most active in film beginning in the 193 ...

Plot

When a traveling carnival comes to a small farming town, so many of the locals are cheated that they trash the carnival. Promoter Bill Hogan goes to the local bank to raise money to get out of town before the carnival's bills catch up with it, and sees that instead of an adding machine the bank is using Elmer Lamb, a meek clerk who is a

calculating prodigy Human calculator is a term to describe a person with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation (such as adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing large numbers). The world's best mental calculators are invited every two yea ...

. Hogan hires him as "Chain Lightning" and displays Elmer in competition with an adding machine, but the public is not interested. Then the sheriff arrives and attaches the carnival's assets. To get a fresh start, Bill travels east with his girlfriend Kitty and her father, the carnival's alcoholic owner Jeff Crane. They take Elmer, and although his fondest attachment has been to three dairy cows that he has been allowed to visit, he instantly falls for Kitty. Also on the train is

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

champion J. Montgomery Brantley, who would like a game. Elmer has played some

whist Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play. History Whist is a descendant of the 16th-century game of ''trump'' ...

, but no one will play with him because he always wins. At that he is talked into playing bridge for the first time against Brantley. With 10¢ in his pocket, he accepts the proposed stakes of 10¢, but after winning several times he learns this means 10¢ per point and he has earned a sizable sum. Learning of this, Jeff and Bill now make sure that the newspapers report Brantley's defeat, thus endangering his career as a bridge writer. Eventually a nationally broadcast challenge match is set up: fifty rubbers of bridge over eight days, for a prize of $15,000. Elmer falls behind at first, then takes the lead. But gangsters get involved and offer Elmer money to lose the match. On the final day, they kidnap Elmer to threaten him. He is rescued, but in the confusion, Jeff accidentally knocks him out with a blow to the head, and when Elmer recovers, his calculating powers have vanished. In desperation Jeff arranges to hit him on the head again, but this only makes him worse. Then he suggests Kitty pretend temporarily that she loves Elmer. She reluctantly goes along and that does the trick: Elmer is back in form. After Elmer wins the match, Jeff reveals the deception to him, and he heartbrokenly makes his way back home; but at the same time Kitty is breaking up with Bill. When Elmer gets back to his bank, he finds they have replaced him with an adding machine. He goes to visit the cows; at least they are still there. But so is Kitty. She really does love him, and has used the winnings he left behind to buy him the farm.

Cast

as Elmer Lamb * Robert Armstrong as Bill Hogan *

as Kitty Crane *

as Jeffrey Crane *

as Jim Crawford *

Edward Brophy Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American character actor and comedian, as well as an assistant director and second unit director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently ...

as Pudgy Murphy *

E. E. Clive Edward Erskholme Clive (28 August 1879 – 6 June 1940) was a Welsh stage actor and director who had a prolific acting career in Britain and America. He also played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood movies between 1933 and his death. Biog ...

as J. Montgomery Brantley *

Dewey Robinson Dewey Robinson (August 17, 1898 – December 11, 1950) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 250 films made between 1931 and 1952. Career Dewey Robinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1898, and made his B ...

as Al *Eddie Shubert as Butch *

Spencer Charters Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles. Biography Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until ...

as Abiah Smith *

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 Bank Clerk

References

External links

* {{Edwin L. Marin 1936 films 1930s English-language films American comedy films 1936 comedy films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by Edwin L. Marin American black-and-white films 1930s American films