Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Drama/The Man Who Played God
The Man Who Played God poster
A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 71.5 / 100
1932·Drama / Romance·1h 20m

THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD

“'A Modern Drama From Real Life'”

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".

Above the Line
John G. Adolfi·DirectorGouverneur Morris·StoryJulien Josephson·AdaptationJames Van Trees·Director of PhotographyLeo F. Forbstein·Original Music ComposerWilliam Holmes·Editor
Cast
George Arliss·Montgomery RoyleViolet Heming·Mildred MillerBette Davis·Grace BlairAndré Luguet·The KingLouise Closser Hale·Florence RoyleDonald Cook·Harold Van AdamIvan F. Simpson·BattleOscar Apfel·Appleby - the Lip ReaderCharles E. Evans·The DoctorHedda Hopper·Mrs. Alice Chittendon
Full Crew
(15 credits)
Directing· 1
John G. Adolfi·Director
Writing· 3
Gouverneur Morris·StoryJulien Josephson·AdaptationMaude T. Howell·Adaptation
Camera· 3
James Van Trees·Director of PhotographyHomer Van Pelt·Still PhotographerVernon Larson·Assistant Camera
Editing· 1
William Holmes·Editor
Sound & Music· 2
Leo F. Forbstein·Original Music ComposerC.A. Riggs·Sound
Art & Design· 3
Jack Okey·Art DirectionEarl Luick·Costume DesignPerc Westmore·Makeup Artist
Production· 2
Darryl F. Zanuck·ProducerJack L. Warner·Executive Producer
By the Numbers
71.5
OF 100
Master Score
6.8
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Man Who Played God's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#F0D040
#804020
#E0E0E0
Mood
Gentle, Dramatic
Composition
Layered
Era
1930s
Visual Style
Illustrated

“A vintage movie poster features a light-skinned man with slicked-back blonde hair, wearing a brown suit jacket over a white shirt and a white bow tie, looking d”

drama
Atmosphere
Warm, Golden
Color Mood
Warm
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY JOHN G. ADOLFI

Every catalog entry where John G. Adolfi is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE DRAMA

Top-ranked films inside drama, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1930S

The best films of the 1930s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows