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7.3/10
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The vacationing head of a successful shoe company is placed as his rival's trustee, unbeknownst to them.The vacationing head of a successful shoe company is placed as his rival's trustee, unbeknownst to them.The vacationing head of a successful shoe company is placed as his rival's trustee, unbeknownst to them.
Charles E. Evans
- Mr. Haslitt
- (as Charles Evans)
Harry C. Bradley
- Reeves Company Board Member
- (uncredited)
Don Brodie
- Hartland Company Salesman
- (uncredited)
James Bush
- Tommy's Bridge Opponent
- (uncredited)
Wallis Clark
- Mike - the Auditor
- (uncredited)
Clay Clement
- Atkinson - Hartland Company Salesman
- (uncredited)
Edward Cooper
- Jackson - Hartland's Butler
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaShot in only 18 days.
- GoofsWhen Reeves is going over the books with Jenny and Tommy, a column of figures is shown, depicting the firm's losses, and the total shown is $208,000. The actual sum should be $200,000.
- ConnectionsRemade as Everybody's Old Man (1936)
- SoundtracksYoung and Healthy
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played during the opening credits and at the end
Also played during the Hartland party
Featured review
The Great Manipulator
This was the second of two films that a young Bette Davis made with the great English actor George Arliss. In both films this one and The Man Who Played God, Arliss plays an older man who enjoys manipulating events and people for their own good as he sees it. In fact that other title is rather self explanatory.
The Working Man casts Arliss as a wealthy shoe manufacturer who is taking a long needed vacation and he leaves his nephew Hardie Albright in charge of the company. While on that vacation he meets the children of a recently deceased rival who are nice kids, but are wastrels and spendthrifts without a thought as to how the money they spend is made. In fact dad's company is tobogganing into bankruptcy due to bad management.
Bette Davis and Theodore Newton could have been his kids. The great manipulator gets him appointed the man who administers their trust and installs some discipline in both their lives. The end absolutely rights itself.
Bette Davis was never known for praising her colleagues save for a few. But George Arliss was one of the few who saw some of the talent and the fire in that woman to succeed and said so loudly and publicly to the brothers Warner. She writes in her memoirs how ever grateful she was to him for the rest of her life.
The fire in Davis burns rather brightly here because it contrasts with both Theodore Newton and Hardie Albright, a pair of young actors who give good performances, but really are rather bland next to Davis.
And Arliss is always a delight in comedy or drama. You've got to love that foxy old guy. And love The Working Man as well.
The Working Man casts Arliss as a wealthy shoe manufacturer who is taking a long needed vacation and he leaves his nephew Hardie Albright in charge of the company. While on that vacation he meets the children of a recently deceased rival who are nice kids, but are wastrels and spendthrifts without a thought as to how the money they spend is made. In fact dad's company is tobogganing into bankruptcy due to bad management.
Bette Davis and Theodore Newton could have been his kids. The great manipulator gets him appointed the man who administers their trust and installs some discipline in both their lives. The end absolutely rights itself.
Bette Davis was never known for praising her colleagues save for a few. But George Arliss was one of the few who saw some of the talent and the fire in that woman to succeed and said so loudly and publicly to the brothers Warner. She writes in her memoirs how ever grateful she was to him for the rest of her life.
The fire in Davis burns rather brightly here because it contrasts with both Theodore Newton and Hardie Albright, a pair of young actors who give good performances, but really are rather bland next to Davis.
And Arliss is always a delight in comedy or drama. You've got to love that foxy old guy. And love The Working Man as well.
helpful•50
- bkoganbing
- Mar 25, 2017
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $193,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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