High Finance (film)

High Finance
High Finance
Directed by	George King
Produced by	Irving Asher
Starring	Gibb McLaughlin; Ida Lupino
Cinematography	Basil Emmott
Distributed by	Warner Brothers-First National Productions
Release date	1933;
Running time	67 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

High Finance is a 1933 British drama film directed by George King and starring Gibb McLaughlin and Ida Lupino, which was marketed as "the drama of a man overwhelmed by his own success". It is now classed as a lost film.^[1] It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers and shot at Teddington Studios as a quota quickie.^[2]

Plot

Self-made businessman Sir Grant Rayburn (McLaughlin) is obsessed with making money to the exclusion of all else. He shows little interest in his daughter Jill (Lupino) and is irritated when she falls in love with, and wishes to marry, a young man named Tom (John Batten). Sir Grant does not believe Tom is a suitable match for Jill as he does not come from a moneyed background. He suspects that Tom is a chancer with an eye on access to Jill's money, and as she is still under age he refuses to give her consent to marry and considers the matter closed, with no concern for Jill's feelings.

Sir Grant discovers what he believes to be a quick and easy way to make a financial killing, and goes full steam ahead with the scheme in the face of concern from his advisers that it is risky in the extreme, and potentially illegal. The scheme ends in disaster, with Sir Grant publicly exposed as a law-breaker and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. While behind bars he has time to reflect on his mistakes, and realises that he has allowed greed and selfishness to control his life. He emerges from prison a reformed character, vowing to pay more attention to personal matters and less to business. He apologises to Jill for his neglect and unreasonableness, saying that he has judged Tom unfairly and he is now happy to allow them to marry.

Cast

Gibb McLaughlin as Sir Grant Rayburn
Ida Lupino as Jill Rayburn
John Batten as Tom
Abraham Sofaer as Myers
D. A. Clarke-Smith as Dodman
John H. Roberts as Ladcock

References

^ Missing Believed Lost British Pictures Article Archive.
^ Chibnall p.272

Bibliography

Chibnall, Steve. Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute, 2007.
Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.