Broken Dreams (1933)

Broken Dreams (1933)

Plot Summary

 Medical intern Robert Morley (Randolph Scott) is distraught after his wife dies in childbirth. He's resentful of his new son Billy (Buster Phelps) and wants nothing to do with him. He leaves the child with his aunt (Beryl Mercer) and uncle (Joseph Cawthorn) and heads off to Europe to pursue his medical studies. Morley returns to his hometown six years later, now a successful doctor and engaged to be married to a beautiful socialite. (Martha Sleeper) He also feels differently about the boy and attempts to gain custody from his aunt and uncle.

Trust me folks, this is the last movie from 1933 for a while!

So Randy Scott was really hustling in these days as he goes and does a flick for poverty row studio Monogram Pictures. One thing I liked about the Poverty Row studios is that while they didn't have a budget that didn't always mean they offered crap. In fact, while many of their films were flawed to one degree or another there's a charm and enough entertainment value to keep you invested. This movie is no different.

This is a straight up melodrama for the most part and the actors do a pretty good job with the material. Randolph Scott isn't the most sympathetic character in the world in this movie as he disowns his son after his wife dies in childbirth which is understandable but when he goes off to Vienna to continue his medical career he never even writes his uncle and aunt to see how the boy is doing. The only reason he got in contact with the boy was when the aunt sees that he's back in town and set to marry socialite Martha Sleeper. (what a name eh?)  Scott immediately becomes enthralled by the boy and wants to be a part of his life.

Martha wants nothing to do with children but she sees how much Scott has taken to his son that she suggests children. Now normally, she'd be fine doing that but as is the way with the haughty rich set she doesn't want to actually bear a child and suggests taking Billy in as their son. This ambivalent behavior would continue throughout most of the movie as she never really relates to the boy and leaves him to her butler and governess.

Before taking him away though Scott goes to his relatives and asks to have his son back whereupon the uncle blows his top. He does this a couple times in the movie and it's a hoot to see. In fact, the older couple are fantastic in this movie. Beryl Mercer wrings so much emotion just by her facial expressions alone. I've seen her in bit parts in other films but she really shines in this one as you really see her grief. The scene in the judge's chamber where the boy is rewarded against his will to Scott is heart wrenching to no end. This is where the lack of a music score really amps up the tension and emotion as the actors really sell the scene.

Anyways, Billy doesn't take to well to living under Sleeper and Scott's roof but Scott obviously loves the boy and does whatever he can to make things easy on him even telling his wife that he's just a kid and that she's being too hard on him. This drives a wedge between the couple and she outright says to Scott that he loves the boy more than he loves her! She has very little leg to stand on as at one point Scott takes the boy to the zoo and offers to take his wife along but she brushes him off rudely. Thus, when she confronts him later on he rightly says that she's not even giving the kid a chance.

The climax of the film centers around an event that will change everything which I won't ruin for you but you know, these movies have a happy ending most times so it doesn't take much to figure it out.

I also want to mention Sidney Bracey who played the butler. He was great in his limited screen time and had a good rapport with Billy. There's a great scene where he tells Billy that there's going to be a dog coming for him and when the governess brings this little tiny dog Billy calls it a rat and leaves whereupon Bracey says "That's not a dog for a boy!" in his upper class accent. It's great stuff.

As for Buster Phelps playing Billy.....Well he had some charm but most of the movie saw him being petulant and upset at his situation. There wasn't really much chance at being cute and mugging for the camera but there are a couple times you get some of that. He had a roughness to him that doesn't really translate to being a child star and indeed his career was nothing compared to Shirley Temple who in a few short months would have her breakthrough film.

All in all I give this movie ** stars.