User Reviews

Usually 'pre-Code' is itself code for 'saucy', but in the case of Sweepings, it merely describes a very mature, adult story that doesn't avoid some of the less pleasant aspects of human nature. The irascible Lionel Barrymore is predictably excellent as Daniel Pardway, a department store magnate whose life is filled with bitter disappointment thanks to his lazy, ungrateful, or otherwise unbusiness-oriented children. The emotional heart of the story beats within the breast of Pardway's under-appreciated Jewish colleague Abe (Gregory Ratoff), who witnesses his friend's descent into depression and can do nothing to halt it. Lester Cohen's sensitive screenplay belies its age and the film looks magnificent thanks to Edward Cronjager's immaculate and artistically framed cinematography. An extremely worthwhile early talkie that deserves much wider exposure.

Particularly considering it was only 1933, this was a good film, which missed out on being a great film by about 20 minutes. I know that sounds unusual, but the general rule at the time was that films were no longer than 90 minutes...and this one was only 80 minutes. Now, we've all sat through films that were too long and needed to be edited more tightly. But at 1:45-2:00, this could have been a great film.

The story is of a entrepreneurial pioneer (Lionel Barrymore) who opens a simple department store right after the Chicago fire. He grows his store hoping it will someday be his legacy for his 4 children. A Jewish man (Gregory Ratoff, a very prolific actor and director most of us are unfamiliar with) becomes his top assistant, and he loves the store just as much as Barrymore. All is fine in the film through this part of the story.

Now let's skip to the end. As Barrymore is dying, he fully realizes that his 4 children have been a great disappointment, and apparently cannot take over the store upon his death. This section of the film is very dramatic and done exceedingly well. There are some very touching scenes here.

It's the middle of the film that's a problem. In the beginning we learn that he is building a legacy to his children. In the end we see they have let him down. But the way in which the director built the characterizations of the children...well, superficial to say the least. We don't really get to know them at all. And that's where an extra 20-30 minutes of character development would led to us understanding them each a bit more, and ultimately led to a great picture.

Lionel Barrymore is interesting here. He was only 55 years old here, and his severe arthritis was not yet the handicap it would soon become. You almost have to look for it...and then you can see it in his hands. Ironically, in the story he winds up in a wheelchair, where he would be in real life in just a few years. But, in terms of acting, this is a fine performance by Barrymore.

It's not worth spending a lot of time on the actors playing the children, since the director spent so little time developing their characters. But it is interesting to note that the daughter is played by Gloria Stuart, the old lady in "Titanic". And, as an aside, one son was played by William Gargan, who 25 years later would have his larynx removed due to throat cancer, and -- with an artificial voice box -- would be come an anti-smoking crusader with the American Cancer Society.

This film is worth watching, but I think that you will probably agree that it was only a near-great film.

1933-- times are tough, and so is the movie. Catch that cute little number Helen Mack as the beleaguered shop girl Mamie Donohue. We hate it when wastrel Freddie Pardway (Linden) exploits her exhaustion by seducing and abandoning her, just like some n'er-do- well rich man's son. But then, what about that follow-up scene with her and pop Pardway (Barrymore) in his office. It's surprising twists like this that avoid cliché and distinguish the pre-Code era. At the same time, Mack is simply terrific in a brief role and, in my little book, walks off with the movie.

It looks to me like the screenplay is someone's blistering comment on the 1920's, the high-living decade preceding the Depression of the '30's. After all, that's the decade in which the three no-account Pardway offspring mature and cavort, leaving Dad to mind the store and worry about its future. On the other hand, Dad's a part of that heady industrial age between the Civil War and WWI, when the economy took off and fortunes were made. He's a real entrepreneur, with the vision and initiative to start up a booming enterprise from scratch. It's too bad Mom (Ninetta Sunderland in a fine performance) dies too soon to enjoy the success, leaving Dad with four unhelpful heirs to the department store business.

I like planktonrules's (reviewer) observation that son Bert is likely coded in as a gay man. Note that Bert's not only in a traditionally feminine job as a window trimmer, but he's the only one of the four who's private life is left unglimpsed. Apparently, the bold pre-Code era was still in the closet about some things. Also, note the presence of the very Jewish Abe Ullman (Ratoff). He's certainly deserving of some shares in the family business, which caused me to wonder whether Dad's refusal was based on something more than filial devotion. But then, tellingly, Abe does get his revenge.

All in all, this is definitely a movie to catch up with, though some talky scenes expose the stage play origins. Wisely, these are interspersed with clever action montages that summarize time passing and keep events moving. To me, Lionel Barrymore is a matter of taste. Here he's mostly restrained, doing a good job of moving dad Pardway through life's inevitable stages. The ending has the kind of uncertain ambiguity that would disappear from the screen for the next 25 years thanks to the insistently uplifting Production Code. Anyway, if you like this movie, be sure to catch up with another real gem of the same period, the oddly named Employee's Entrance (1933). It's also about a department store tycoon (Warren William), but told in even tougher fashion.

I read somewhere that Gloria Stuart's performance in the excellent "Sweepings" proved she was capable of playing women of depth. I myself can't see that - she was extremely beautiful but unless her part wound up on the cutting room floor, she wasn't called on to show much characterization. In her very few scenes she did cry prettily and was able to show some emotion but the girl you will remember is Helen Mack as Mamie, the tough shop girl who meets young Freddie and ultimately comes off second best!! With names like Lionel Barrymore, Eric Linden and Helen Mack you just know you are going to get a very meaty drama packed with emotion and you'd be right.

Barrymore plays hard headed businessman Daniel Pardway who, along with his tart tongued wife, Abby, comes to Chicago after the great fire with visions to build a great bazaar. His brother Thane (Alan Dinehart) thinks they are cheapening themselves, that they should have gone more upmarket but time tells that Daniel knows exactly what he is doing!! When Abby dies in childbirth, in addition to expanding his store, he also tries to become everything to his growing children and when Thane utters those immortal words "the way you're taking care of those kids, they'll never be able to take care of themselves" - you just know that Daniel is in for 80 minutes of heartache.

Gene and Phoebe (William Gargan and Gloria Stuart) are the jet setters, gay, insouciant, feeling life is there to be lived - in other words shiftless!!! Studious Bert (George Meeker) is in college and Freddie (Linden) is at military school. When long time friend Abe(Gregory Ratoff) one day asks Daniel if he can have a share in the store in return for his years of service, Daniel turns him down flat, stating that everything will be left to his children. Apart from Mamie, Abe is definitely the most sympathetic person in the whole film - a man who has been with Daniel from the start, even utilizing some bright ideas of his own but who will never have job security because of Daniel's iron willed view that family come first. It all leads to a chilling scene where Daniel "jokes" with Abe that when his children take over his future will not be so secure - fortunately Abe is able to have the last laugh!!!

First to fail is Gene - not only does he not want to come into the firm but he is involved in a shooting scandal when his mistress (Esther Muir) accidentally shoots his best friend (Chick Chandler). Daniel then pins his hopes on Bert who is keen if not dynamic. There is much sniggering and raised eyebrows when Bert turns down a big overseas appointment to continue work as a window dresser!!! Gloria Stuart doesn't even have a scene to show Phoebe's fall from grace - it is all done by newspaper headlines. Freddie turns out to be a rotter but as played by Eric Linden, one who hits some hard times as he does some soul searching. By the end of the movie he is the only one determined to make good for the honour of the family.

This sort of family patriarch role was bread and butter to Lionel Barrymore, he could play them in his sleep. Eric Linden was also at the height of his popularity and Freddie was right up his alley.

Typical for an early RKO production, the screenplay and direction could've been tighter, but I found this to be a very entertaining film.

There's more than a hint of anti-Semitism in that Gregory Ratoff's Abe Ullman character is basically in charge and more than partly responsible for the great success of the store. As Barrymore grows older and his children are less than interested in keeping the business alive, Barrymore is very harsh and unfair to Ullman's expectation that he might be able to receive the partial ownership of the store that his hard work and management has clearly earned. Their showdown scene is touching and very intense.

Sometimes MGM would loan out its more respected character actors to RKO. On occasion, Lewis Stone would appear in a top grade RKO production, and so would Lionel Barrymore. In this instance, Mr. Barrymore has gone to work for David Selznick at the smaller studio for this high-gloss affair.

The title is mentioned a few times in the dialogue and refers to the good scraps of fabric that wind up on the floor of a big city department store. At closing time the employees sweep the floor before their shifts end. Barrymore has build the Bazaar up from nothing, starting it with his now deceased wife (Ninetta Sunderland).

This takes place just after the famous Chicago fire. Barrymore doesn't become a success overnight, and he doesn't scheme or maneuver to ascend the ranks of the upper class. Instead he forges ahead by sheer will, by determination and with help from a shrewd general manager (Gregory Ratoff).

A lot is packed into 80 minutes, so there are several quick montages where the birth of four children is chronicled, as well as their coming of age. Barrymore hopes three of them, the sons, will take an active role in the business. A daughter (Gloria Stuart) is not expected to be anything more than an ornamental wife and mother, and to raise sons of her own.

However, none of Barrymore's sons show any real interest in work...and the one that tries has no aptitude for it. Meanwhile, the daughter has several high profile divorces and is just as much a disappointment.

The subplot involving the manager takes an interesting turn as the story continues. Denied partial ownership by Barrymore, he contrives to buy shares from two of the sons who need money after they're cut off by Barrymore.

What's interesting here is how the sons fail. The oldest son (William Gargan) gets embroiled in a scandal with a prostitute that results in murder. Of course Barrymore arranges for a cover-up, so that the murder looks like a suicide and doesn't tarnish the family name.

The second son (George Meeker) is presented as an idiotic weakling...probably mentally handicapped in some way. And the youngest third son (Eric Linden) is a boozing playboy who takes advantage of a store worker, before he goes missing and lands on skid row. This is the type of epic family drama that could easily have filled up two and a half hours of screen time. It feels like a precursor to Dynasty and Falcon Crest.

Barrymore's wonderful, and though he gets to age through the years...he is at his best in the early scenes when the character's wife is still alive. He has a poignant death scene at the end, challenging his brood to make something of their lives. He still wants the family name to mean something. He doesn't want anything swept under the proverbial rug.