Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Sabah Hensley This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

utgard14 Nice programmer with a fascinating backstory. Based on a plot idea (really just a theoretical question) from then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It's about a rich man with an unhappy life who, after reading the Roosevelt magazine article that lead to this very film being made (how meta!), decides to liquidize all his assets and skip out on his terrible wife to go become a socialist reformer in a small town. Naturally a pretty young woman is behind this gentleman's sudden ideological transformation. After he sets his plan into motion, something happens that threatens to unravel it all.The Roosevelt connection is interesting, especially if one has read about the President's struggles and personal life around this time. It makes one wonder if anybody in 1936 thought it was strange that a sitting President would be mulling over ideas about middle-aged rich men disappearing and setting up new lives to get away from their problems. Beyond that, I think it's a good B movie with an intriguing premise. The performances are all solid and the direction is creative here and there. It creaks and groans at times, no doubt a mix of its Poverty Row pedigree and the quality of available prints today. It's worth a look but probably more so for the historical elements than because it's particularly entertaining as a mystery film.

kidboots Everybody seemed to have a hand in this story, there was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who suggested it - S.S. Van Dine (Philo Vance's creator), Rupert Hughes, Nathanial West, but the idea wasn't new. In 1933 Paramount's "The Woman Accused" starring Nancy Carroll had much publicity about the collaboration of ten authors (Vicki Baum, Zane Grey, Irvin S. Cobb etc) on the screenplay. With both films it was a case of two many cooks spoil the broth. "The President's Mystery' wasn't bad and it did have a role for the sultry, under-rated Evelyn Brent. She had such a varied career with stardom in America and also in Britain in the 20s. By the early 30s her days of heady stardom were over, although many fans wondered where she was. Actually she was becoming a character actress in independent productions like "The President's Mystery".Jim Blake (Henry Wilcoxon)is disillusioned with life. He is sent to Washington by the firm he founded - he now thinks George (Sidney Blackmer) is running it like a cheap racket. They want him to kill the Senators bill to reconstruct trade. His wife Ilka (sultry Evelyn Brent) is having an affair with George and is quite pleased Jim will be out of town, as George's wife Patty is going to the boat races. Jim comes home to take a well earned fishing vacation.During his trip he sees "ghost towns" - towns shut up through unemployment. One little town has just had it's cannery closed and it's future is grim. Under a new name Jim "Carter" is persuaded by Charlotte Brown (Betty Furness always brought an intelligence to her roles) to come to Springvale an reopen the cannery.He is reading a magazine and happens to read "The President's Mystery" which poses the question - "can a man liquidate his entire fortune and disappear"?? - Jim does that as well as faking his own death!!! Meanwhile his wife has insisted on a rendezvous with a by now disinterested George, who sends a henchman, who in turn roughs her up and accidentally kills her. When Jack's car and "body" are found in the river, people assume he has killed himself and his wife because of bad investments. As Jack "Carter" he is now head of the Springvale Cannery. When George pays a visit to see if he can buy the cannery out, he recognises Jack and brings in the law to have him charged with murder!!! With Blake out of the way George hires some "roughnecks" to stir up trouble. With the help of a friendly sheriff Blake escapes and is able to calm the angry mob.Recommended.

robert-temple-1 This is an interesting C film made on a tiny budget and directed by the run of the mill Phil Rosen, who made 142 films including such things as Charlie Chan and Shadow pictures. The film is a shameless attempt to exploit President Franklin Roosevelt's name at the box office. Roosevelt suggested an idea for a mystery story, six authors then wrote stories on that theme, which were published successfully, and this film takes inspiration from them (presumably without authority or without paying) and opens with a lot of ballyhoo about being 'the President's mystery'. And just in case anybody had any doubts, that is the title of the film too. It's called rubbing it in and also 'going for it'. Maybe they made a few bucks. However, having made all of those cynical observations, I can add that the film (which is not even a mystery story, by the way) has a serious message, which is treated with just enough restraint not to be a fantasy. Henry Wilcoxon plays a high-powered cartel lawyer who leaves his old life behind and sees the light. She takes the form of Betty Furness, who jumps from being 'Miss Brown' to 'darling' in about one second's screen time, so that an entire wooing and romance must have been left on the cutting room floor. But then, they don't really worry about such things in C pictures. On with the action. He decides to fight the cartel. The cartel send their bully boys round to wreck a factory, Wilcoxon is square-jawed and heroic and saves it, despite being in a framed rap for murder, indeed in jail for it, and the little guys struggle against the big guys in a very thirties way. There is lots of workers' action going on, speeches, incitement, dirty tricks, fistfights. The whole Great Depression looms large, Roosevelt is the hero, and the grit is gritty. It may be low-budget, it may be corny, but it is thoughtful, and avoids being propaganda, believe it or not. In the thirties, cartels may have been in people's imaginations a lot, but these days cartels are in people's faces, and we know they are no fantasy. Today's rogue traders and scheming moghuls make struggles to close down some canning factories in the interests of a monopoly, as in this film, look tame indeed. Sociologically and economically minded people would find this particular film relevant to their concerns, and it keeps you watching, so you can have some fun while you are worrying about society.

dbborroughs The film begins with a scroll telling us that the President's mystery is the question of whether a man could disappear utterly with five million dollars in his possession and not be found. The idea was come up with by FDR at a luncheon with a magazine publisher, hence the title. A story was written around the idea and published. This film takes the idea and uses it for a springboard for a different story. The story of the film concerns a high profile lawyer who is disillusioned with life, he hates his job and he has nothing in common with his wife. After he is sent to Washington to kill a relief bill in Congress, he goes fishing in the hope of unwinding. There he runs into the effects of the bill he killed. Unhappy with the pain and suffering he caused he decides, after reading the magazine story The President's Mystery, to disappear and then go back and help the town he had harmed.This is a breezy little movie thats a great deal of fun. Its a joy to be completely mislead as to whats going on with a film. Since there "Mystery" is in the title you really do expect there to be some murder or robbery or something, but it never comes. By the time you realize that there is no mystery you're hooked anyway. How will it all come out? You really do want to know. The plotting is closer in many ways to a Film Noir, except that the story isn't at all bleak. It reminded me of Impact with Brian Donlevy for some reason.This is a good little movie to make an effort to find. Certainly its under an hour running time wouldn't make it the only choice for a night at the movies, but as part of a night of moldy oldies this will fit the bill nicely.