New Adventures of Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1931)

In 1931 William Haines was still a top 5 box office star and it's easy to see why with this fast and funny talkie version of GET RICH QUICK WALLINGFORD, which was filmed in 1921 with Sam Hardy.

Haines is perfectly cast as the fast-talking conman who meets his match in Leila Hyams. It's love at first sight for Haines as he and his team (Jimmy Durante and Ernest Torrence) descend on a small town so he can pursue Hyams and swindle the local banker, who is trying to swindle Hyams' father.

The entire cast is quite good in this early talkie and Haines is very handsome and funny as he maneuvers his swindle and closes in on Hyams. Durante is funny is a very early film role. Torrence, a big star character actor in silent films (DESERT NIGHTS) is also excellent here. Hyams is beautiful.

Co-stars include Guy Kibbee as the cop, Clara Blandick and Walter Walker as the parents, Hale Hamilton as the banker, Rober McWade as Tuttle, Henry Armetta as the barber, Lucy Beaumont as the cleaning lady, Charles Moore as the shoeshine boy, and Edwin Maxwell as the telegram boss.

This is a rare film but worth looking for to see the great William Haines in his prime.