Diamond Jim is a 1935 biographical film based on the published biography Diamond Jim Brady by Parker Morell. It follows the life of legendary entrepreneur James Buchanan Brady, including his romance with entertainer Lillian Russell, and stars Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur, Cesar Romero and Binnie Barnes.
The screenplay by Preston Sturges never lets the lurid facts of Brady's life get in the way of the story. Edward Arnold went on to play Diamond Jim Brady again five years later, opposite Alice Faye in Lillian Russell.
Plot
Diamond Jim Brady (Edward Arnold) is born to an Irish saloonkeeper and his wife in 1856, but is soon orphaned. At the age of thirty, working as baggage master at the Spuyten Duyvil train station, he rents a suit and a diamond from a pawn shop, and gets a job as a salesman; soon, he is the top salesman on the staff.
While on a cross-continental sales trip, Brady rescues Mr. Fox (Eric Blore) from a crooked salesman, but in the process they are forced to jump from the train. Brady soon discovers that Mr. Fox is trying to sell something called an "undertruck" to be used at railroad stations, so he takes on the product himself. With success, Brady wants to marry his sweetheart, Emma Perry (Jean Arthur), but finds out that she is engaged. Heartbroken, he devotes all of his energy to the Brady-Fox Company.
A grand success, Brady has ostentatious diamond jewelry designed for him, leading to his nickname, "Diamond Jim Brady". Brady spares no expense to indulge his every whim, lavishing money on wine, women, song and especially food. Brady sees singer Lillian Russell (Binnie Barnes) perform, introduces himself, and soon he is promoting her career and flirting with her. Russell, however, is in love with businessman Jerry Richardson (Cesar Romero). Brady soon meets Jane Matthews (Jean Arthur again), a lookalike for Emma, and is instantly smitten with her. They become engaged, but on the eve of their wedding, Brady gets drunk because of his suspicions about Jane's relationship with a banker named "Briggs" who is supposedly her "uncle", and the wedding is called off. Jane remains his friend, but refuses to give in to his occasional proposals – for one thing, she has fallen in love with Jerry, but neither want to tell Brady for fear of hurting his feelings.
When the stock market crashes, Brady loses his fortune, and starts again from scratch, promoting a steel railroad car for its supposed safety. He is injured during a public demonstration of the car, and spends a year recovering in the hospital, while at the same time rebuilding his fortune. When he gets out, he plans a trip to Europe for himself, Jane, Lillian and Jerry, during which he believes he will finally get Jane to marry him. Instead, Jane and Jerry confess their love, the news of which shatters Jim. On the rebound, he proposes to Lillian, but she rejects him as well. Despondent, he returns home and prepares to eat himself to death, but not before burning up all the I.O.U.'s in his possession.
Cast
Edward Arnold as Diamond Jim Brady
Jean Arthur as Jane Matthews / Emma
Binnie Barnes as Lillian Russell
Cesar Romero as Jerry Richardson
Eric Blore as Sampson Fox
Hugh O'Connell as Charles B. Horsley
George Sidney as Pawnbroker
Robert McWade as A.E. Moore
Charles Sellon as Touchey
Henry Kolker as Bank President
William Demarest as Harry Hill
Albert Conti as Jeweler
Armand Kaliz as Jewelry Salesman
Tully Marshall as Minister
Purnell Pratt as Physician
Helen Brown as Brady's Mother
Mabel Colcord as Brady's Aunt
Jack Mower as Man (uncredited)
Cast notes: This was the first film written by Preston Sturges in which William Demarest appeared, but it was not to be the last. Demarest would go on show up in nine other Sturges films: Easy Living (1937), The Great McGinty (1940), Christmas in July (1940), Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Lady Eve (1941), The Palm Beach Story (1942), The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) and The Great Moment (1944).
Symphonic composer Ferde Grofe wrote a large amount of the score, yet remained uncredited on the movie.
Production
Diamond Jim, which had a working title of Diamond Jim Brady, was based on the 1933 biography of Brady by Parker Morrell, to which Universal purchased the rights. However, prior to that, Paramount Pictures had bought the rights to a short story by Mike Simmons based on Brady's life, and had registered the title with the Hays Office. Paramount subsequently protested Universal's production, but how the matter was resolved is not known.