American Madness (1932)

I have wanted to see this movie sense I first heard about it roughly a decade ago, but it was only on Monday that I came across my first copy of the film. This is Capra pre- It Happened One Night (1934) , but in its social consciousness it has perhaps more in common with the directors work from his Mr. Deeds (1936) to State of the Union (1948) period. The Film stars Walter Huston as an idealistic bank president, a character inspired by Bank of America founder Amadeo Giannini. Huston’s Thomas Dickson prides himself on running a peoples bank, where folks who can’t get a loan else where can come to get money, his only requirement being if this sterling judge of character feels he can trust them. Unfounded rumors of the banks insolvency, spurred by an inside job robbery, cause a run on the bank. Dickson’s efforts to save the institution he labored 25 years to build almost come to not, as he is left deviated by evidence his wife may have cheated on him (she did not). His top employee Matt Brown (a young Pat O’Brian) and his fiancée (Constance Cummings) call on some of Dicksons old loan recipients, who come pouring in to put their money in the bank, inspiring the board of directors to do the same and save the institution. Fine populist film making explores the directors love of individuals, but fear of ‘people’. Three out of Five.