The Man Who Played God
'A Modern Drama From Real Life'
1932 | 80m | English
Popularity: 0.3 (history)
| Director: | John G. Adolfi |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Gouverneur Morris, Maude T. Howell, Julien Josephson |
| Staring: |
| While giving a private performance for a visiting monarch, concert pianist Montgomery Royle is deafened when a bomb is detonated in an attempt to assassinate the foreign ruler. With his career over as a result of his injury, Royle returns to New York City with his sister Florence, close friend Mildred Miller, and considerably younger fiancée Grace Blair. After abandoning thoughts of suicide, Montgomery discovers he can lip read, and he spends his days observing people in Central Park from his apartment window. As he learns of people's problems, he tries to help them anonymously and becomes absorbed in his game of "playing God". | |
| Release Date: | Feb 09, 1932 |
|---|---|
| Director: | John G. Adolfi |
| Writer: | Gouverneur Morris, Maude T. Howell, Julien Josephson |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | older man younger woman relationship, pre-code, good deed, concert pianist, assassination attempt, vow, lip reading, command performance, helping people, deaf pianist, sudden deafness, central park |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 17, 2026 Entered: Apr 27, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| George Arliss | Montgomery Royle |
| Violet Heming | Mildred Miller |
| Bette Davis | Grace Blair |
| André Luguet | The King |
| Louise Closser Hale | Florence Royle |
| Donald Cook | Harold Van Adam |
| Ivan F. Simpson | Battle |
| Oscar Apfel | Appleby - the Lip Reader |
| Charles E. Evans | The Doctor |
| Hedda Hopper | Mrs. Alice Chittendon |
| Ray Milland | Eddie (uncredited) |
| Dorothy Libaire | Jenny (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Gouverneur Morris | Story |
| William Holmes | Editor |
| Maude T. Howell | Adaptation |
| James Van Trees | Director of Photography |
| Homer Van Pelt | Still Photographer |
| Earl Luick | Costume Design |
| Jack Okey | Art Direction |
| Julien Josephson | Adaptation |
| C.A. Riggs | Sound |
| Perc Westmore | Makeup Artist |
| Vernon Larson | Assistant Camera |
| John G. Adolfi | Director |
| Leo F. Forbstein | Original Music Composer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Darryl F. Zanuck | Producer |
| Jack L. Warner | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
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| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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