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The Toast of New York

  • 19371937
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Cary Grant, Frances Farmer, Edward Arnold, and Jack Oakie in The Toast of New York (1937)
  • Biography
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Notorious robber baron financier Jim Fisk, who makes and loses fortunes, tries to corner the gold market as well as the heart of a beautiful actress.Notorious robber baron financier Jim Fisk, who makes and loses fortunes, tries to corner the gold market as well as the heart of a beautiful actress.Notorious robber baron financier Jim Fisk, who makes and loses fortunes, tries to corner the gold market as well as the heart of a beautiful actress.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Rowland V. Lee
    • Alexander Hall(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Dudley Nichols(screenplay)
    • John Twist(screenplay)
    • Joel Sayre(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Edward Arnold
    • Cary Grant
    • Frances Farmer
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Rowland V. Lee
    • Alexander Hall(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Dudley Nichols(screenplay)
    • John Twist(screenplay)
    • Joel Sayre(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Edward Arnold
    • Cary Grant
    • Frances Farmer
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos23

    Cary Grant in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Stanley Fields in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant, Edward Arnold, Donald Meek, and Jack Oakie in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant, Frances Farmer, and Edward Arnold in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant and Thelma Leeds in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant, Edward Arnold, Thelma Leeds, and Jack Oakie in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant and Edward Arnold in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant, Edward Arnold, and Jack Oakie in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant and Frances Farmer in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant, Frances Farmer, Edward Arnold, and Jack Oakie in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Cary Grant and Frances Farmer in The Toast of New York (1937)
    Donald Meek in The Toast of New York (1937)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Edward Arnold
    Edward Arnold
    • Jim Fiskas Jim Fisk
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • Nick Boydas Nick Boyd
    Frances Farmer
    Frances Farmer
    • Josie Mansfieldas Josie Mansfield
    Jack Oakie
    Jack Oakie
    • Lukeas Luke
    Donald Meek
    Donald Meek
    • Daniel Drewas Daniel Drew
    Thelma Leeds
    Thelma Leeds
    • Fleuriqueas Fleurique
    Clarence Kolb
    Clarence Kolb
    • Cornelius Vanderbiltas Cornelius Vanderbilt
    Billy Gilbert
    Billy Gilbert
    • Photographeras Photographer
    George Irving
    George Irving
    • Brokeras Broker
    Russell Hicks
    Russell Hicks
    • Lawyeras Lawyer
    Dudley Clements
    • Collinsas Collins
    Lionel Belmore
    Lionel Belmore
    • President of Boardas President of Board
    Robert McClung
    • Bellhopas Bellhop
    Robert Dudley
    Robert Dudley
    • Janitoras Janitor
    Dewey Robinson
    Dewey Robinson
    • Beef Dooleyas Beef Dooley
    Stanley Fields
    Stanley Fields
    • Top Sergeantas Top Sergeant
    Richard Alexander
    Richard Alexander
    • Stabbed Actor in Playas Stabbed Actor in Play
    • (uncredited)
    Oscar Apfel
    Oscar Apfel
    • Wallackas Wallack
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Rowland V. Lee
      • Alexander Hall(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Dudley Nichols(screenplay)
      • John Twist(screenplay)
      • Joel Sayre(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The story starts just before the Civil War, showing Fisk, Boyd, and Luke conning Southern townsfolk into buying bars of soap that, might, have a $10 gold piece inside. Found out, they're chased out of town and escape across the Mason-Dixon Line just as the war starts. Fisk hatches a plan for him and Boyd to return to the South and buy cotton then smuggle it to the North where Luke is to sell it to the Northern textile mills. By the end of the war they have made millions, only to find out that Luke had been re-investing their money into Confederate Bonds. This fact-based movie shows Jim Fisk as one of the greatest con-men and entrepreneurs in history. It concludes with his involvement in "Black Friday", the Financial Panic of 1869, with fellow financier Jay Gould (who's not represented in the movie) and their attempt to corner the U.S. gold market. There's a love triangle between Fisk, Boyd and Mansfield, which is also based on historical accounts. —AzRanger
    • year 1869
    • american civil war
    • black friday
    • james fisk
    • new york gold exchange
    • 67 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The terror of Wall Street was a chump for this girl!
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • History
      • Romance
      • War
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Both Fisk and his partner Ned Stokes (called Nick Boyd in the movie) were married but competed for the affections of showgirl Josie Mansfield. In real life she was a world-wise dark-haired, full-figured woman who bore little resemblance to the innocent, apple-cheeked blonde sincerity of Francis Farmer. Stokes and Mansfield blackmailed Fisk, and Stokes shot Fisk to death in 1872. Although the dying Fisk named Stokes as his murderer, he only served four years of a six year term for manslaughter.
    • Goofs
      After the photographer's first attempt to take the picture is ruined by being over-exposed, he fails to change the plate before taking the second one.
    • Quotes

      Josie Mansfield: [Referring to Mlle. Fleurique's dress] But these are her clothes. It's stealing.

      James 'Jim' Fisk Jr.: Only little people call it stealing. Big people call it borrowing.

    • Connections
      Edited from Dixiana (1930)
    • Soundtracks
      The First Time I Saw You
      (1937)

      Music by Nathaniel Shilkret

      Lyrics by Allie Wrubel

      Played during the opening credits

      Played on a harp and sung by Frances Farmer (uncredited)

      Played often in background as a leitmotif for scenes with Josie and Nick

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Living Large
    If Jim Fisk were alive and operating today, he'd be on television and would run that well known introvert Donald Trump right off the tube with bad ratings. It's how that colorful fellow operated, never did anything in a small way.

    Though the film has taken a great deal of liberty with the facts as has been pointed out by other reviewers, the essence of the man has been quite accurately captured by Edward Arnold. Also the characters of Uncle Dan'l Drew and Cornelius Vanderbilt are finely etched by Donald Meek and Clarence Kolb respectively.

    It's quite true that Fisk got the start of his fortune by running contraband cotton out of the South, taking advantage of the fact that the one crop Confederacy couldn't export its crop because of the Union blockade. I'm sure that things were pretty hairy for Fisk as well as for his fictional partners Cary Grant and Jack Oakie.

    Josie Mansfield as played by Frances Farmer was certainly not the first or last entertainer to take advantage of the attentions of a wealthy man. That was certainly demonstrated more accurately in Love Me or Leave Me by Doris Day as Ruth Etting. She was not as nice as Farmer and the script made her.

    Frances Farmer in her memoirs said that while the film was not the type of material she was looking to do, she did enjoy working with Cary Grant who was to her as he appears on screen.

    Though his efforts to control the gold market got him his most notoriety, they were not responsible for Fisk's demise. In fact the film's most glaring factual error was the omission of Fisk's partner in that enterprise, Jay Gould.

    By the way Gould was in personal habits the exact opposite of Fisk. He was a rather sober, responsible family man who had no real vices of any kind other than greed.

    The second big factual error was in that in the gold cornering scheme Fisk and Gould sought to gain influence in the Grant White House through hooking Ulysses Grant's brother-in-law, Abel R. Corbin in the move. That part did not work.

    Nevertheless Edward Arnold in the title role gives a grand portrayal of a most colorful character from The Gilded Age.
    helpful•15
    2
    • bkoganbing
    • Sep 15, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 30, 1937 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Robber Barons
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,072,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

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