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Cheaters, The
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| Year: |
1945
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Director: |
Joseph Kane
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| Stars: |
Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, Eugene Pallette, Ona Munson, Raymond Walburn, Ann Gillis, Ruth Terry, Robert Livingston, David Holt, Robert Greig
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| Genre: |
Comedy, Drama |
| Rating: |
  5 (from 1 vote) |
| Review: |
Christmas is on the way, but for the Pidgeon family it might not be the happy time of year that it is for a lot of other families as the head of the house, James (Eugene Pallette), is nearly bankrupt and is trying to fend off a process server in his office. His brother-in-law Willie (Raymond Walburn) wants to see him too, not that James is especially fond of him, but when he does barge his way in James has good news for him. Not very good for their uncle who is fading fast, but he will be leaving the family millions of dollars in inheritance, which would solve all their money worries in one fell swoop...
There will be complications naturally, in this, a Christmas film that some have good memories of but to most languishes in obscurity. In truth, it's not really an undiscovered classic, and the main bone of contention is with the Pidgeon family at the heart of the story, who are so self-absorbed that they are far from sympathetic, something which tests the patience when they hog the screen for so much of the running time. They are the "cheaters" of the title, and this is because of a scheme they cook up to wrest all that cash away from the surprise heiress who the uncle unexpectedly gives it to: struggling actress Florie Watson (Ona Munson).
They cannot allow her to walk away with the inheritance as although she made a favourable impression on the old man from her stage performances as a little girl, she won't recall him so the family don't think she deserves to be so richly rewarded. They work out a deal with the lawyer that if she is not found within a week, then the Pidgeons get it all, and to ensure that she is not they track her down with more ease than they were expecting and invite her into their lavish home (which they soon will not be able to afford) to shield her from the private detectives trying to locate her - but then there's the problem of the story being leaked to the media.
There is one more important character in this, and he is the man they initially welcome in to their home, ostensibly as an act of charity but actually as self serving as anything else they do. He is down on his luck actor Mr Marchand (Joseph Schildkraut), and he will make them see the error of their ways, although interestingly considering he is the angel character he has a few flaws himself, a love of the bottle being one of them. But we sense he is pure of heart, and a lot more decent than the Pidgeons who despite being played by a cast who can turn on the charm at will, do begin to grate shortly after we've got to know them.
This resolves itself when they all decamp to the countryside, telling Florie she deserves a treat but actually wanting to hide her away until the Christmas deadline. Ah, but the magic of the season will work its spell over them, and Florie has such a good time and is so nice herself that we cannot really expect her to turn against the people who have taken her in, even though it was an act of subterfuge. The Pidgeons don't have it all their way, though, as Mr Marchand makes them face up to their responsibilities as a telling of the old Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, with special emphasis on Marley, shames each and every one of them. All very well, the power of light chases away the darkness in their souls and all that, but a few wittier lines wouldn't have gone amiss while it's all a little too contrived to make you feel all warm and cosy inside, whether it does or not depends on how much you buy into the plot. Music by Walter Scharf.
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| Reviewer: |
Graeme Clark
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