The Iron Master

"The Iron Master" has an excellent story idea. But, like many B-movies, it's artlessly made--with poor direction and obvious plot elements. A bit of subtlety would have really helped this one!

J. Farrell MacDonald plays an industrialist with one big problem....his spoiled family. But he's a wimp and has trouble ever telling them no....and as a result they are the most worthless and annoying folks I can recall seeing in a movie! To try to correct this, he appoints his foreman (Reginald Denny) to control not only the foundary but the family as well. If they want to spend money, they must come to him and show maturity...or they'll just have to learn what it's like to be poor. So, the family schemes to fool him into giving in...and in the process nearly destroy the company and their fortune.

This is a decent story. But making the family THAT hateful and worthless was a bad idea, as it was handled ham-fistedly and really should have been slower and more subtle in presenting them. In addition, the foreman falls in love with the daughter...and you wonder why! After all, she's a nasty spoiled brat....and a man that would want her ought to have his head examined! And finally, the car chase sequence was really badly done...with obvious rear projection that was poor even for 1933.

So am I saying I hated the film? Not exactly. It's still watchable and entertaining...but with just a little bit of subtety and it could have been a great B-movie...not a run of the mill 'quicky'.