TCM is running Mr. A’s great stage hit OLD ENGLISH, written by John Galsworthy, this Thursday, December 15, 2016, at 6:30 PM EST. Admittedly an odd story, Mr. A is memorable as Old Heythorp, an octogenerian who plans his own special exit from this world, outsmarting his adversaries in the process.
This film was almost not made because Galsworthy refused to sell the film rights to his plays and novels. But Warner Bros. was persistent and Galsworthy finally agreed but with one important stipulation: George Arliss must have total control of the production. Any changes, additions or deletions to the script had to be personally approved by Mr. A. This condition was fine with Warners since Mr. A already had two successful talkies to his credit with DISRAELI and THE GREEN GODDESS.
Arliss “regulars” in the cast included Doris Lloyd…
…and of course Ivan Simpson:
A page from the souvenir program:
More pages:
This is a rare showing so don’t miss it!
ARLISS ARCHIVES 
Entered it into our DVR on Dec. 15. Thank you!
Thanks again
Paul Elvig
425-361-5332
315 138th PL SE
Everett, WA 98208
Possibly Mr A’s worst film?
Stagey, hammy, paceless and dull. But everyone is allowed a clunker.
Reminds me of the old question, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?” Nobody knows why the play was so popular and theater critics on both sides of the Atlantic agreed that OLD ENGLISH was one of the weakest things that Galsworthy ever wrote. The movie stats are interesting: the film cost $423,000 to produce and distribute, it grossed $546,000, netting a profit of $123,000, a healthy 29% profit. No wonder Warners promptly signed up Mr. A for another three-film contract.
Tastes certainly change! It is a little dumbfounding – to me at least – why this play was so popular.
Mr A, as we know, wasn’t the only actor to enjoy huge success with it. And it lends itself to a star performer.
Perhaps it was the people who played the lead role – rather than the play itself – that proved the attraction?
You have defined “the star vehicle” and even without researching the point I think it safe to say that Galsworthy wrote OLD ENGLISH with a particular star in mind. We know that Mr. A was not that star but he made the play his own by the sheer force of his personality. Also, it is important to note that when we see such films today – I mean stage plays turned into movies – we usually don’t have the benefit of an audience to share our reactions. I was fortunate to see a few Arliss films in a studio audience. These were DISRAELI, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, and VOLTAIRE. I had seen them earlier on TV by myself but adding an audience transformed each of these films into a real shared group experience. I’d be interested in seeing OLD ENGLISH with a group of at least 50 people just to see the reactions.