Dynamite (film)
Encyclopedia
Dynamite is a drama film
produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille
. It stars Conrad Nagel
, Kay Johnson
, Charles Bickford
and Julia Faye
. Bickford plays a convicted murderer, scheduled to be executed, whom a socialite marries simply to satisfy a condition of her grandfather's will.
Mitchell Leisen
was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction
.
Frivolous socialite Cynthia Crothers (Kay Johnson) has her own troubles. By the terms of her grandfather's will, if she is not married by her twenty-third birthday (only a month away), she will not inherit his millions and will be left penniless. She is "engaged" to Roger Towne (Conrad Nagel), but he is married to Marcia (Julia Faye). Marcia has her own lover, Marco (Joel McCrea
), and is willing to grant Roger a divorce ... for the right price. The two women haggle behind Roger's back and settle on $100,000.
Hagon, desperate to provide for Katie, offers his body for $10,000 in a newspaper ad. Cynthia sees it and goes to see him. She offers him the money in exchange for him marrying her. He accepts.
Just minutes before Hagon's execution though, the real killer is goaded into attacking a man with a gun and is fatally shot. He confesses before dying
, and Hagon is released.
Hagon goes to see his stunned wife. When her friends show up to party the night away, he eavesdrops on a private conversation and learns of the bargain between Cynthia and Marcia. He shows Roger the $25,000 check in Marcia's possession: the down payment. Roger tears up the check and tells Cynthia they are through if she pays for him. Hagon leaves in disgust after flinging his $10,000 at her.
When Cynthia is informed that she must actually be living with her husband on her birthday, she drives to his mining town. He refuses to go back to her palatial apartment, so she persuades him to let her stay with him. He agrees on condition that she cook and clean, just like a real wife, and locks up her fancy car in his tool shed. Her first attempt at preparing a meal is a dismal failure. Katie kindly helps out and keeps it a secret from Hagon, but Cynthia confesses on her own. Hagon tells her it is the first honest thing he has seen her do.
The next day, while shopping at the local store, Cynthia buys a gift for a young boy. His mother objects, but the child runs away with his present and is hurt in a traffic accident. The doctor says that only a brain specialist in the city can save him, but the boy only has hours to live. Cynthia breaks into the tool shed, speeds away in her car and returns with the specialist. The child is saved.
Hagon returns from work to find the door of his tool shed demolished and learns that Cynthia withdrew $2000 from the bank (to pay the specialist). He assumes that she got tired of his way of life and went to see Roger. When Hagon demands an explanation, Cynthia is too disheartened to reply. She telephones Roger to come for her. However, the child's mother tells Hagon what Cynthia has done.
When Roger shows up, he insists on seeing Hagon before leaving. They go down into the bowels of the mine to find him. A cave-in
traps the trio with only a few minutes worth of air. Hagon finally confesses he loves Cynthia. Then he realizes there is a way out. He quickly packs a stick of dynamite into a wall; there is another chamber on the other side with enough air to sustain them until they can be rescued. However, without a fuse, someone will have to strike the dynamite with a sledgehammer to set it off. After arguing, the two men toss a coin for the privilege. Roger "wins", but Hagon wrestles the sledgehammer away from him. After Cynthia whispers something to Roger, he tells Hagon that Cynthia has something to say to him. When Hagon goes to Cynthia, she confesses she loves him. With the two safely out of the way, Roger sets off the dynamite and is blown to pieces.
, which had featured hastily-added sound footage (now currently unavailable for viewing) and which had been a box office disappointment. Numerous actors were screen-tested by assistant Mitchell Leisen
by December 18, 1928, and apart from Ricardo Cortez
and Monte Blue
, most of them were B-movie actors; those tested but passed over included Buck Jones
, Bob Custer
, Jason Robards, Sr.
, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
, Dean Jagger
and Randolph Scott
; Carmelita Geraghty
, Katherine Crawford, Ann Cornwall, Merna Kennedy
, Leila Hyams
, Dorothy Burgess
and Sally Blane
. His final selections, Charles Bickford and Kay Johnson, were primarily known for their stage work. Leisen tried to interest DeMille in up-and-coming Carole Lombard
for Johnson's role; allegedly, she can be glimpsed in the surviving versions of the film.
Filming of Dynamite began on January 29, 1929, and lasted until April 30. Scenes for the silent version were shot beginning on May 28 and ending on June 5. Charles Bickford would later describe the script as "'a mess of corn' with terrible dialogue."
Dorothy Parker
, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, was commandeered to pen the lyrics for an original song for Dynamite. Her third try, titled "How Am I To Know" and set to music by Jack King, was accepted and featured in the film's prison sequence.
reviewer Mordaunt Hall
had mixed feelings about DeMille's first talkie, calling it "an astonishing mixture, with artificiality vying with realism and comedy hanging on the heels of grim melodrama." "Even in the work of the performers, there are moments when they are human beings and then, at times, they become nothing more than Mr. De Mille's puppets", "behaving strangely and conversing in movie epigrams". Nonetheless, Hall approved of the efforts of Johnson ("an accomplished actress") and Bickford ("a splendid performance"), though he could not say the same of Nagel ("does not act up to his usual standard").
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
. It stars Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
, Kay Johnson
Kay Johnson
Kay Johnson was an American actress who performed on the stage and in Hollywood films.-Family:Catherine Townsend Johnson was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1904. Her father was architect Thomas R. Johnson who designed several noteworthy buildings in the New York City...
, Charles Bickford
Charles Bickford
Charles Bickford was an American actor best known for his supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for The Song of Bernadette , The Farmer's Daughter , and Johnny Belinda...
and Julia Faye
Julia Faye
Julia Faye was a motion picture actress from Richmond, Virginia.-Career overview:Faye had resided in St. Louis, Missouri prior to coming to Hollywood in 1916, to visit friends. She visited one of the film studios and was introduced to Christy Cabanne. The two reminisced about St...
. Bickford plays a convicted murderer, scheduled to be executed, whom a socialite marries simply to satisfy a condition of her grandfather's will.
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
.
Plot
Coal miner Hagon Derk (Charles Bickford) is sentenced to hang for murder. His only concern is for his young sister Katie (Muriel McCormac), who will be left all alone.Frivolous socialite Cynthia Crothers (Kay Johnson) has her own troubles. By the terms of her grandfather's will, if she is not married by her twenty-third birthday (only a month away), she will not inherit his millions and will be left penniless. She is "engaged" to Roger Towne (Conrad Nagel), but he is married to Marcia (Julia Faye). Marcia has her own lover, Marco (Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
), and is willing to grant Roger a divorce ... for the right price. The two women haggle behind Roger's back and settle on $100,000.
Hagon, desperate to provide for Katie, offers his body for $10,000 in a newspaper ad. Cynthia sees it and goes to see him. She offers him the money in exchange for him marrying her. He accepts.
Just minutes before Hagon's execution though, the real killer is goaded into attacking a man with a gun and is fatally shot. He confesses before dying
Deathbed confession
A deathbed confession is a confession of some sort when someone is assumed to be close to death. Sometimes, it takes place on their "deathbed," the bed in which a person dies or lies in during the last few hours before death, hence the phrase.-Judaism:...
, and Hagon is released.
Hagon goes to see his stunned wife. When her friends show up to party the night away, he eavesdrops on a private conversation and learns of the bargain between Cynthia and Marcia. He shows Roger the $25,000 check in Marcia's possession: the down payment. Roger tears up the check and tells Cynthia they are through if she pays for him. Hagon leaves in disgust after flinging his $10,000 at her.
When Cynthia is informed that she must actually be living with her husband on her birthday, she drives to his mining town. He refuses to go back to her palatial apartment, so she persuades him to let her stay with him. He agrees on condition that she cook and clean, just like a real wife, and locks up her fancy car in his tool shed. Her first attempt at preparing a meal is a dismal failure. Katie kindly helps out and keeps it a secret from Hagon, but Cynthia confesses on her own. Hagon tells her it is the first honest thing he has seen her do.
The next day, while shopping at the local store, Cynthia buys a gift for a young boy. His mother objects, but the child runs away with his present and is hurt in a traffic accident. The doctor says that only a brain specialist in the city can save him, but the boy only has hours to live. Cynthia breaks into the tool shed, speeds away in her car and returns with the specialist. The child is saved.
Hagon returns from work to find the door of his tool shed demolished and learns that Cynthia withdrew $2000 from the bank (to pay the specialist). He assumes that she got tired of his way of life and went to see Roger. When Hagon demands an explanation, Cynthia is too disheartened to reply. She telephones Roger to come for her. However, the child's mother tells Hagon what Cynthia has done.
When Roger shows up, he insists on seeing Hagon before leaving. They go down into the bowels of the mine to find him. A cave-in
Cave-in
A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which typically occurs during mining or tunneling. Geologic structures prone to cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other limestone formations, but can also include lava tubes and a variety of other subsurface rock formations.In...
traps the trio with only a few minutes worth of air. Hagon finally confesses he loves Cynthia. Then he realizes there is a way out. He quickly packs a stick of dynamite into a wall; there is another chamber on the other side with enough air to sustain them until they can be rescued. However, without a fuse, someone will have to strike the dynamite with a sledgehammer to set it off. After arguing, the two men toss a coin for the privilege. Roger "wins", but Hagon wrestles the sledgehammer away from him. After Cynthia whispers something to Roger, he tells Hagon that Cynthia has something to say to him. When Hagon goes to Cynthia, she confesses she loves him. With the two safely out of the way, Roger sets off the dynamite and is blown to pieces.
Cast
- Conrad NagelConrad NagelConrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
as Roger Towne - Kay JohnsonKay JohnsonKay Johnson was an American actress who performed on the stage and in Hollywood films.-Family:Catherine Townsend Johnson was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1904. Her father was architect Thomas R. Johnson who designed several noteworthy buildings in the New York City...
as Cynthia Crothers - Charles BickfordCharles BickfordCharles Bickford was an American actor best known for his supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for The Song of Bernadette , The Farmer's Daughter , and Johnny Belinda...
as Hagon Derk - Julia FayeJulia FayeJulia Faye was a motion picture actress from Richmond, Virginia.-Career overview:Faye had resided in St. Louis, Missouri prior to coming to Hollywood in 1916, to visit friends. She visited one of the film studios and was introduced to Christy Cabanne. The two reminisced about St...
as Marcia Towne - Joel McCreaJoel McCreaJoel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
as Marco - Muriel McCormac as Katie Derk
Production
Dynamite was DeMille's first full-length sound film (a silent version was also released simultaneously), and casting the right actors (with adequate voices) proved a difficult process. Development began on the heels of the release of his previous film, The Godless GirlThe Godless Girl
The Godless Girl is a drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, shown for years as his last completely silent film.-Production background:...
, which had featured hastily-added sound footage (now currently unavailable for viewing) and which had been a box office disappointment. Numerous actors were screen-tested by assistant Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
by December 18, 1928, and apart from Ricardo Cortez
Ricardo Cortez
Jacob Krantz , known by his stage name Ricardo Cortez, was an American film actor who began his career during the silent era.-Life and career:...
and Monte Blue
Monte Blue
Monte Blue was a movie actor who began his career as a romantic leading man in the silent film era, and later progressed to character roles....
, most of them were B-movie actors; those tested but passed over included Buck Jones
Buck Jones
Buck Jones was an American motion picture star of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, best known for his work starring in many popular western movies...
, Bob Custer
Bob Custer
Bob Custer was an American film actor who appeared in over 50 films, mostly Westerns, between 1924 and 1937, including The Fighting Hombre, Arizona Days, The Last Roundup, The Oklahoma Kid, Law of the Rio Grande, The Law of the Wild and Ambush Valley...
, Jason Robards, Sr.
Jason Robards, Sr.
Jason Nelson Robards, Sr. was an American stage and screen actor, and the father of Oscar-winning actor Jason Robards, Jr...
, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
Guinn Williams (actor)
Guinn "Big Boy" Williams was an American actor who appeared in memorable westerns such as Dodge City , Santa Fe Trail , and The Comancheros...
, Dean Jagger
Dean Jagger
Dean Jagger was an Academy Award winning American film actor.-Career:Born Ira Dean Jagger in Columbus Grove, Ohio, Jagger made his film debut in The Woman from Hell with Mary Astor...
and Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
; Carmelita Geraghty
Carmelita Geraghty
Carmelita Geraghty was an American silent-film actress.-Early life:Her father was screenwriter Tom Geraghty. She was the sister of writers Maurice Geraghty and Gerard Geraghty....
, Katherine Crawford, Ann Cornwall, Merna Kennedy
Merna Kennedy
Merna Kennedy was an American actress of the late silent era.-Short career:Kennedy was best-known during her brief career for her role opposite Charlie Chaplin in the silent film The Circus .Kennedy was brought to the attention of Chaplin by her friend Lita Grey, who became Chaplin's second wife...
, Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams was an American film actress. Her relatively short film career began in silent films, and ended in the mid 1930s.-Early life:...
, Dorothy Burgess
Dorothy Burgess
Dorothy Burgess was a stage and motion picture actress from Los Angeles, California.-Family, education:She was a niece of Fay Bainter. On her father's side she was related to George Montgomery of Montgomery and Stone. Her grandfather was Henry A. Burgess, Sr. He came to Los Angeles in 1893,...
and Sally Blane
Sally Blane
Sally Blane was an American actress. Blane was the sister of actresses Polly Ann and Loretta Young, and half-sister to actress Georgiana Young, the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban...
. His final selections, Charles Bickford and Kay Johnson, were primarily known for their stage work. Leisen tried to interest DeMille in up-and-coming Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
for Johnson's role; allegedly, she can be glimpsed in the surviving versions of the film.
Filming of Dynamite began on January 29, 1929, and lasted until April 30. Scenes for the silent version were shot beginning on May 28 and ending on June 5. Charles Bickford would later describe the script as "'a mess of corn' with terrible dialogue."
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th century urban foibles....
, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, was commandeered to pen the lyrics for an original song for Dynamite. Her third try, titled "How Am I To Know" and set to music by Jack King, was accepted and featured in the film's prison sequence.
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reviewer Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for The New York Times, from October 1924 to September 1934....
had mixed feelings about DeMille's first talkie, calling it "an astonishing mixture, with artificiality vying with realism and comedy hanging on the heels of grim melodrama." "Even in the work of the performers, there are moments when they are human beings and then, at times, they become nothing more than Mr. De Mille's puppets", "behaving strangely and conversing in movie epigrams". Nonetheless, Hall approved of the efforts of Johnson ("an accomplished actress") and Bickford ("a splendid performance"), though he could not say the same of Nagel ("does not act up to his usual standard").