I actually can't remember the last movie featuring Edward G Robinson that I watched, which is surprising since he's one of my preferred actors when it comes to 30s and 40s cinema. This movie is unusual for him since for once, he isn't playing a mobster or some other wise guy who sets up arbitrary rules only to break them later on. Chronologically, this might be the earliest movie Robinson has ever been in, due to the setting. It begins in 1876. A farmer from Kansas, Yates Martin (Robinson), takes his wife Sarah (Aline MacMahon) and baby son to Colorado so he can buy a store. Martin's real goal is to acquire gold ore while he's here and get rich. He tries to purchase some unowned land, but some prospectors tell him of a strike in the nearby town of Leadville, so the idea falls apart. In addition to working the store, Martin pays miners in exchange for being prospecting partners with them. This leads to Martin and his wife running out of money and the latter wants to move back to Kansas. However, more prospectors show up and tell Martin they've hit the jackpot and discovered silver. While not as rare as gold, Martin has a third share of the substantial amount of silver ore the men found. Soon, Martin is rich and has more money than he knows what to do with. One new thing he buys is a claim from a miner who appears to be having a difficult time right now, but Sarah suspects a scam. Despite her feelings that this is going to be a bad idea, Martin gives the guy 50 thousand dollars. Soon after, Martin is asked if he wants to be lieutenant governor of colorado, and he says yes. While preparing one of his campaign speeches, Martin's foreman approaches him and says the claim he bought from that guy was worthless and he got ripped off. Martin can't appear nervous or foolish in front of his supporters, so he orders him to keep bringing up silver until the election passes. Martin doesn't expect this to happen, but he actually wins the election and his miners hit a silver vein that yields more money than ever. Using the money, Martin decides to build a lavish opera house for Denver. While it's being built, he visits and is introduced to Lily Owens (Bebe Daniels), a blonde who later becomes his mistress. Martin divorces his wife so he can marry Lily instead, but gives Sarah a quarter of a million bucks. When the opera house opens, one of the guests is famed Civil War general (now president) Ulysses Grant. Martin has enough power, but power leads to the desire for even more. Next, he takes the seat of a US senator and goes to Washington. With a beautiful bride and enough cash to last them both the rest of their lives, it appears Martin has finally made it to his dreamland, but the new president Grover Cleveland adopts the gold standard. In one fell swoop, Martin is ruined and the price of silver plummets. The only thing he has left is his mine, but he's in no mood to continue operating it since it costs more to operate than the silver is worth. He runs into Sarah again, who offers him money, but he declines. Going back to the opera house he helped make, he sits in one of boxes and reminisces on the time he announced his plans as governor to a large crowd. Martin collapses and later dies in his bed with Lily by his side. At his funeral, she and Sarah are both present. This is a decent movie. If you like Robinson's work, you'll be able to get right into it, and the setting is a welcome change of pace from basically all of his other ventures, whether he's being a criminal or not. The only other film I know of that has him in the 1800s is Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet. No matter the time period, he always gave great performances even if many of his Warner Brothers entries are forgotten today, and that's why he'll remain a 30s icon.
Review of Silver Dollar
