A Successfuw Cawamity

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A Successfuw Cawamity
A Successful Calamity-1932l.jpg
deatricaw rewease poster
Directed byJohn G. Adowfi
Produced byLucien Hubbard
Screenpway by
Based onA Successfuw Cawamity
1917 pway
by Cware Kummer
Music byBernhard Kaun
CinematographyJames Van Trees
Edited byHoward Brederton
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Rewease date
  • September 17, 1932 (1932-09-17) (US)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States

A Successfuw Cawamity is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy fiwm directed by John G. Adowfi and starring George Arwiss and Mary Astor. Based on de 1917 pway A Successfuw Cawamity by Cware Kummer, de fiwm is about an ewderwy miwwionaire who must deaw wif his sewfish young second wife and a pair of spoiwed grown chiwdren, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1]


Henry Wiwton is a successfuw financier who is returning to America after a year away in Europe hewping to arrange war debt repayments. He wooks forward to being reunited wif his famiwy, incwuding his much-younger second wife Emmy, his daughter Peggy and his son Eddie. However, when he arrives in his hometown on de train de onwy one dere to greet him is his butwer, Connors, much to Henry's dismay. The butwer informs him dat he is home a day earwier dan expected, and dat Peggy is an aspiring actress and Eddie is a powo pwayer. They visit Eddie at de powo fiewd, den arrive home, where dey find dat Emmy is having guests over at a music recitaw by composer Pietro Rafaewo. Henry furder finds dat in his absence Emmy has redecorated his bedroom in de Art Nouveau stywe, and removed his comfortabwe chair, which Connors has taken for safekeeping. Whiwe in Connors' room, Henry is visited by George Struders, Peggy's fortune-hunting fiancé who she pwans to marry for his money. Henry tries to buy a stock from Partington, his business rivaw, who refuses to honour an agreement dey had to seww it at a certain price, cwaiming dat de agreement is not in writing.

Meanwhiwe, de Wiwton famiwy are rarewy spending much time togeder, and Henry becomes tired of his famiwy's hectic sociaw scheduwe. When Connors tewws him dat de poor can't go out too often, Henry decides to feign poverty to test his famiwy's mettwe. Accordingwy, Henry tewws his wife and chiwdren dat he is ruined, and dey rawwy to his side. They decide to give up deir pwans and stay home for dinner, weading to a frantic effort by de servants to come up wif food. Furdermore, Emmy regrets her extravagance, Peggy gives up her engagement to George for Larry Rivers, who she is reawwy in wove wif, and Eddie decides to get a job as a piwot, and goes to Partington for a wetter of introduction, uh-hah-hah-hah. Partington is dewighted to hear dat Henry is ruined, and assumes dat de stock he howds wiww wose its vawue and wants to get rid of it as soon as possibwe. Henry den buys Partington's stock by acting drough a dird party, at a price wower dan dat dey had agreed upon, and dat Partington had paid for it in de first pwace. Meanwhiwe, Emmy says she is going out for a wawk, and goes off in a car wif Pietro. Avenged on his rivaw, Henry comes home and tewws his chiwdren dat he is not ruined after aww, but dey teww him dat Emmy has gone out and seems to have deserted him. However, Emmy comes back and tewws dem dat she had gone out to pawn her jewewry in order to hewp him, and dat she was happiest when dey were poor and couwd not go out, and dus abwe to spend time as a famiwy.



Externaw winks[edit]