THE WORLD GONE MAD

US, 1933, 80 minutes, Black-and-white.
Pat O' Brien, Evelyn Brent, Neil Hamilton, Mary Brian, Louis Calhern, J.Carol Naish, Buster Phelps.
Directed by Christy Carbanne.

The World Gone Mad is a star vehicle for Pat O’ Brien, giving the usual rowdy performance (except when, rather frequently, he portrayed a priest). Character actor, Neil Hamilton is in support as a district attorney. Mary Brian is the wife of a murdered attorney and Buster Phelps, child and adolescent actor from 1931 to 1949, plays the son. Interestingly, Louis Calhern and J. Carol Naish play criminals – but in 16 years time were to appear together as, respectively, Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull in Annie Get Your Gun.

The film focuses on topical issues of the period – and any period – corrupt businessmen, falsified accounts, potential exposure, the resorting to violence and murder.

Pat O’ Brien plays one of those typical reporters of the 1930s, in on all the action, charm and bluff, contact with everyone, leading them on for information – and getting it. When a friend, the district attorney, who is about to expose the case is murdered, he links in with all the potential suspects, eventually getting the information.

A businessman contacts Louis Calhern to arrange a contract and there is a sequence where continued contacts are made with the price lessening for each contact for the assassination, each of the people in the link making a profit.

The murdered district attorney was also framed for a scandal and, finally, he is vindicated.

Interesting to see the number of businessmen involved in chicanery and double dealings – with one, at the end, getting something of a conscience because his daughter was about to marry the district attorney whose life had been threatened in a truck accident, taking his partner in a car and putting it in the way of an oncoming train.

Of its time.