Prosperity (film)
Encyclopedia
Prosperity is a 1932 American comedy-drama film starring Marie Dressler
and Polly Moran
. The two leading actresses play longtime matriarchal ladies comically sparring off each other, and trying to control their intertwined lives.
As the story goes on, Lizzie has a panic attack based on rumors about the bank going to belly-up. She hysterically withdraws all her money causing all other customers in the bank to panic and they in return take out their money. The Warren family bank is forced to close. Maggie’s naive son gets swindled out of his mother’s bonds. As farces go, at the end the swindlers are caught and Maggie’s matriarchal resourcefulness with her wised-up son gets the bank solvent again, and the two matriarchal families are bonded with mirthful resolutions.
Marie Dressler
Marie Dressler was a Canadian-American actress and Depression-era film star. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930-31 in Min and Bill.-Early life and stage career:...
and Polly Moran
Polly Moran
Polly Moran was an American actress and comedian.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started out in vaudeville, and widely toured North America, as well as various other locations that included Europe and South Africa...
. The two leading actresses play longtime matriarchal ladies comically sparring off each other, and trying to control their intertwined lives.
Plot
Maggie Warren (Dressler) inherited a family bank during the Depression and Lizzie Praskins (Moran) is one of her biggest depositors. Maggie’s son John is engaged to Lizzies's daughter Helen. All kinds of farces happen when the would be mothers-in-law battle for setting the wedding's protocol including their different preferences of choosing the pastor to perform the ceremony.As the story goes on, Lizzie has a panic attack based on rumors about the bank going to belly-up. She hysterically withdraws all her money causing all other customers in the bank to panic and they in return take out their money. The Warren family bank is forced to close. Maggie’s naive son gets swindled out of his mother’s bonds. As farces go, at the end the swindlers are caught and Maggie’s matriarchal resourcefulness with her wised-up son gets the bank solvent again, and the two matriarchal families are bonded with mirthful resolutions.
Cast
- Marie Dressler as Maggie Warren
- Polly Moran as Lizzie Praskins
- Anita PageAnita PageAnita Evelyn Pomares , better known as Anita Page, was a Salvadoran-American film actress who reached stardom in the last years of the silent film era. She became a highly popular young star, reportedly at one point receiving the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot...
as Helen Praskin - Norman FosterNorman Foster (director)Norman Foster was an American film director and actor.Born John Hoeffer in Richmond, Indiana, Foster originally became a cub reporter on a local newspaper in Indiana before going to New York in the hopes of getting a better newspaper job but there were no vacancies...
as John Warren - Jacquie LynJacquie LynJacquie Lyn was a British-born American child actress, who had a brief yet notable career in motion pictures.-Career:...
as Cissy - Jerry TuckerJerry TuckerJerry Tucker is a former American child actor, most notable for appearing as the "rich kid" in the Our Gang short subjects series semi-regularly from 1931 to 1938....
as Buster - Charles Giblyn as Mayor
- Frank Darien as Ezra Higgins
- Henry Holland as John Roche