The President Vanishes (film)
Encyclopedia
The President Vanishes, released in the United Kingdom as Strange Conspiracy, is a 1934 American political drama film directed by William A. Wellman
and produced by Walter Wanger
. Starring Edward Arnold
and Arthur Byron, the film is an adaptation of Rex Stout
's political novel of the same name
.
Upon its release, the film was praised for its ensemble cast but author John Douglas Eames, in his 1985 book The Paramount Story, stated that even with "an accomplished cast and an out-of-the-rut story, but The President Vanishes couldn't buck moviegoers' apathy towards political subjects".
— an organization of the United States Catholic Church
— as one of Hollywood's problematic and "immoral" films. The Catholic Church demanded an implementation and enforcement of a set of industry censorship guidelines to control and remove content that the church saw as immoral. Threatened by a large scale boycott of all Hollywood films, Will H. Hays
, then president of Motion Picture Association of America
, came to an agreement with the church that saw the establishment of Production Code Administration
and passage of the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as Hays Code. The Hays Code was in use from 1934 until 1968 when it was abandoned in favor of the MPAA film rating system
.
William A. Wellman
William Augustus Wellman was an American film director. Although Wellman began his film career as an actor, he worked on over 80 films, as director, producer and consultant but most often as a director, notable for his work in crime, adventure and action genre films, often focusing on aviation...
and produced by Walter Wanger
Walter Wanger
Walter Wanger was an American film producer. An intellectual and a socially conscious movie executive who produced provocative message movies and glittering romantic melodramas, Wanger's career began at Paramount Pictures in the 1920s and led him to work at virtually every major studio as either a...
. Starring Edward Arnold
Edward Arnold (actor)
Edward Arnold was an American actor. He was born on the Lower East Side of New York City as Gunther Edward Arnold Schneider, the son of German immigrants Carl Schneider and Elizabeth Ohse.-Acting career:...
and Arthur Byron, the film is an adaptation of Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
's political novel of the same name
The President Vanishes
The President Vanishes is a political novel by Rex Stout that was published in 1934. It was written after, but published before, Fer-de-Lance, the first Nero Wolfe novel....
.
Upon its release, the film was praised for its ensemble cast but author John Douglas Eames, in his 1985 book The Paramount Story, stated that even with "an accomplished cast and an out-of-the-rut story, but The President Vanishes couldn't buck moviegoers' apathy towards political subjects".
Cast
- Edward ArnoldEdward Arnold (actor)Edward Arnold was an American actor. He was born on the Lower East Side of New York City as Gunther Edward Arnold Schneider, the son of German immigrants Carl Schneider and Elizabeth Ohse.-Acting career:...
— Secretary of War Wardell - Arthur Byron — President Stanley Craig
- Paul KellyPaul Kelly (actor)Paul Michael Kelly was an American child actor who later as an adult became a stage, film, and television actor.-Child actor:...
— Chick Moffat - Peggy Conklin — Alma Cronin
- Andy DevineAndy DevineAndrew Vabre "Andy" Devine was an American character actor and comic cowboy sidekick known for his distinctive raspy voice.-Early life:...
— Val Orcott - Janet BeecherJanet BeecherJanet Beecher born Janet Meyersburg was a stage and screen actress. Was a supporting player and lead on the Broadway stage. A near beauty, she later moved into motion pictures in the 1930s as a character actress. Her sister was actress Olive Wyndham. She was married twice first to Harry R....
— Mrs. Craig - Osgood PerkinsOsgood PerkinsOsgood Perkins was an American actor.-Life and career:Perkins was born James Ripley Osgood Perkins in West Newton, Massachusetts, the son of Helen Virginia and Henry Phelps Perkins. He is a descendant of a Mayflower passenger John Howland. Perkins made his Broadway debut in 1924 in the George S...
— Harris Brownell - Sidney BlackmerSidney BlackmerSidney Alderman Blackmer was an American actor.Blackmer was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. He started off in an insurance and financial business but gave up on it. While working as a builder's laborer on a new building, he saw a Pearl White serial being filmed and immediately...
— D.L. Voorman - Edward EllisEdward Ellis (actor)Edward Mayne Ellis was an American film actor. He is best known for playing the title role in The Thin Man, as well as in A Man to Remember.-Early life:...
— Lincoln Lee
Hays Code
Upon its release in 1934, The President Vanishes was named by the National Legion of DecencyNational Legion of Decency
The National Legion of Decency was an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, in motion pictures...
— an organization of the United States Catholic Church
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
— as one of Hollywood's problematic and "immoral" films. The Catholic Church demanded an implementation and enforcement of a set of industry censorship guidelines to control and remove content that the church saw as immoral. Threatened by a large scale boycott of all Hollywood films, Will H. Hays
Will H. Hays
William Harrison Hays, Sr. , was the namesake of the Hays Code for censorship of American films, chairman of the Republican National Committee and U.S. Postmaster General from 1921 to 1922....
, then president of Motion Picture Association of America
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, came to an agreement with the church that saw the establishment of Production Code Administration
Production Code Administration
The Production Code Administration was established by the Motion Picture Association of America in 1934. The PCA required all filmmakers to submit their films for approval before release.-See also:* Pre-Code* Joseph Breen* Will H. Hays...
and passage of the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as Hays Code. The Hays Code was in use from 1934 until 1968 when it was abandoned in favor of the MPAA film rating system
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
.
See also
- 1934 in film1934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
- Cinema of the United StatesCinema of the United StatesThe cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
- List of American films of 1934