The Root of All Evil (1947)
1h 50min | Drama, Romance | 1949 (West Germany)
A poor farmer's daughter, tired of her lot in life, marries for money. She then decides to take revenge against her new husband's parents, then determines to let nothing or no one stop her from getting to the top.
Director: Brock Williams
Writers: J.S. Fletcher (novel), Brock Williams
Stars: Phyllis Calvert, Michael Rennie, John McCallum
1h 50min | Drama, Romance | 1949 (West Germany)
A poor farmer's daughter, tired of her lot in life, marries for money. She then decides to take revenge against her new husband's parents, then determines to let nothing or no one stop her from getting to the top.
Director: Brock Williams
Writers: J.S. Fletcher (novel), Brock Williams
Stars: Phyllis Calvert, Michael Rennie, John McCallum
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Will you state your business?
00:03I wouldn't have come to you at all if Albert hadn't gone to Nottingham.
00:06Friend of Albert's?
00:08Well, I've been engaged to him.
00:10Engaged?
00:13I didn't think Albert had any secrets from his father.
00:16Well, perhaps he didn't want to worry you.
00:18How long has this been going on?
00:20I don't know. About a year. Why?
00:22I've got plans for my son. Big plans.
00:25He's going to become my partner. I've got his future all mapped out for his own good.
00:29He's my only child. I've slaved all my life for him and I've built up this business.
00:34He's a cornerstone of my house.
00:36You don't understand. He needs me. I love him.
00:40If you've come here to tell me this, you're wasting my time.
00:42I'll take this matter up with Albert when he gets back.
00:44I've come here to make a proposition.
00:45Money?
00:46Yes.
00:48My office.
00:55Well, what is all this about?
00:58It's my father.
01:00We're about to lose our home.
01:02There's a bailiff there now.
01:04A bailiff, eh?
01:05Yes.
01:08We never thought it would come to this.
01:10Father has always looked after the money, what there was of it.
01:13He's sweet and kind, but he's not very practical.
01:16Not exactly a businessman, is he?
01:18No, he's more the artist or the poet.
01:20He's happiest looking on at life.
01:22And doing nothing?
01:23Well, it's not his fault.
01:25He should never have been a farmer.
01:29Mr. Grice, from now on, I'm going to manage the farm.
01:33With the help of the men in possession?
01:35Oh, I can manage it.
01:37I know where we've gone wrong in the past.
01:39We've tried to farm too much land with too little labor.
01:42Crops have failed for want of attention.
01:44We've had to sell stock on a falling market.
01:46Oh, there are heaps of ways we've lost money.
01:48Well, your father looked on, eh?
01:50That's all over now.
01:52I'd like to borrow a part of the land to pay the interest on the loan.
01:55What loan?
01:57I want to borrow 200 pounds.
01:59Oh, at a reasonable rate of interest.
02:01I'm not asking a favor because you're Albert's father.
02:03This is a matter of business.
02:05I'm not interested.
02:07You don't mean...
02:08I mean I'm not interested. Surely that's plain enough, isn't it?
02:11But I can show you what a good proposition it'd be.
02:13Keeping you and your family out of the workhouse for another few months
02:16isn't my idea of a proposition.
02:18I don't hold with failures.
02:20They're bad luck.
02:21The world's full of them.
02:23They're like weeds. They're better out of the way.
02:25And another thing.
02:27If you can give up any ideas you've got about my son,
02:29that's another proposition that doesn't interest me.
02:31That's one of the things you can't control.
02:33I see about that.
02:35Well, now, young lady, the shop's closed.
02:37It's time I locked up this office. Good night.
02:39I have a feeling you're going to be very sorry about this.