''The Devil to Pay!'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the 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 censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

romantic drama film directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

and starring Ronald Colman,

Frederick Kerr Frederick Kerr (born Frederick Grinham Keen, 11 October 1858 – 3 May 1933) was an English actor who appeared on stage in both London and New York and in British and American films; he also worked as a major theatrical manager in London. Early ...

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

, and

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

. It was written by

Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), '' The Balkan Princess'' (1910), ''Betty'' ...

and

Benjamin Glazer Benjamin Glazer (May 7, 1887 – March 18, 1956) was a screenwriter, producer, foley artist, and director of American films from the 1920s through the 1950s. He made the first translation of Ferenc Molnár's play ''Liliom'' into English in 1921 ...

Plot

After selling his house and belongings in East Africa, upper-class black sheep Willie Hale (Colman) returns home to England, where he buys a dog with most of his remaining money. Lord Leeland (Kerr), his wealthy father, is furious and insists to Susan and Arthur, his other adult offspring, that he will kick his wayward son out if he dares show his face, seeing as he has given Willie ten starts in life already. However, when Willie does show up, the old man gives him £100 spending money instead. After seeing his old girlfriend, theatre star Mary Crayle (Loy), Willie meets family friend and heiress Dorothy Hope (Young). He takes Dorothy and Susan to the Derby, where he and Dorothy have a wonderful time (and he wins a great deal of money betting on a 50-1 longshot). Dorothy then breaks her engagement to Grand Duke Paul (Cavanagh) because she finds bankrupt Willie far more charming. Willie is reluctant to get involved with her, but when her father insists he will disinherit her if she marries Willie, he promptly proposes to her. She accepts, on condition that he promise to never see Mary ever again. Willie is unable to break the news to Mary by letter or telephone call, so he waits for her outside the theatre. She insists he come home with her, where he is finally able to tell her about his engagement. However, Mr. Hope gets Dorothy to agree to break up with Willie if he breaks his promise. He then hires a detective agency to watch the young man. He has Dorothy call Mary on the telephone. When Willie answers, she is heartbroken. When Willie goes to try to explain himself, Dorothy pays him £5000 for the bitter "experience", assuming that he was merely after her inheritance. She is astonished when he walks off with the check, whistling. Willie has no intention of keeping the money. After he hears that Paul is actually destitute, he sends the full sum to the man under Dorothy's name. Paul gladly accepts it. Paul sends a note to Dorothy thanking her, delighting Dorothy and disillusioning her father. Dorothy and Willie make up before he sets sail for New Zealand to start a sheep farm. Much to Lord Leeland's delight, Dorothy's father offers to buy him a farm in England; if Willie fails this time, Dorothy's father will be footing the bill, not him.

Cast

* Ronald Colman as Willie Hale *

as Lord Leland *

as Dorothy Hope * David Torrence as Mr Hope *Florence Britton as Susan Hale *

as Mary Crayle *

Paul Cavanagh William Grigs Atkinson (8 December 1888 – 15 March 1964), known professionally as Paul Cavanagh, was an English film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1928 and 1959. Life and career Cavanagh was born in Felling, ...

as Grand Duke Paul *

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

as Arthur

Production

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...

recruited the playwright Frederick Lonsdale to write a British-set story after meeting him on a visit to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

for the première of the Colman film ''

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, ...

''. Goldwyn saw it as an ideal vehicle for Colman to follow up his success in the previous film.

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née C ...

was originally cast in the female lead, but was replaced because her American accent was too strong for the British setting. Goldwyn also replaced the original director,

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long ...

, after two weeks because he was unhappy with the standard of production.Berg p.193-194

References

Bibliography

* Berg, A. Scott ''Goldwyn: A Biography''. Pan Books, 1999.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Devil To Pay!, The 1930 films 1930 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice Films set in England Films set in London Samuel Goldwyn Productions films United Artists films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films