My Daughter Joy

My Daughter Joy is a 1950 British drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Edward G. Robinson, Peggy Cummins and Richard Greene.^[2][3] It was written by Robert Thoeren and Wiliam Rose. The screenplay concerns a millionaire who spoils his only daughter, but has a strained relationship with his wife.

My Daughter Joy
Directed by	Gregory Ratoff
Written by	Robert Thoeren William Rose
Based on	David Golder by Irène Némirovsky
Produced by	Gregory Ratoff
Starring	Edward G. Robinson Peggy Cummins Richard Greene
Cinematography	Georges Périnal
Edited by	Raymond Poulton
Music by	Raymond Gallois-Montbrun
Production company	London Films
Distributed by	British Lion Films
Release date	21 August 1950 (1950-08-21)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	£106,399 (UK)[1]

The film is a loose adaptation of the 1929 novel David Golder by Irène Némirovsky, which had previously been made into in the 1931 French film of the same title. It was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures.

Plot

George Constantin is a financier, a self-made man who started as a shoeshine boy and is now a financial genius. He dotes on his only daughter Georgette, known as Joy. She falls for a young American reporter who writes an exposé of her father's business affairs. Constantin subsequently discovers that Joy is not really his daughter, and he becomes insane.

Cast

• Edward G. Robinson as George Constantin
• Peggy Cummins as Georgette Constantin
• Richard Greene as Larry
• Nora Swinburne as Ava Constantin
• Walter Rilla as Andreas
• Finlay Currie as Sir Thomas McTavish
• James Robertson Justice as Professor Keval
• Ronald Adam as Colonel Fogarty
• David Hutcheson as Annix
• Gregory Ratoff as Marcos
• Peter Illing as Sultan
• Harry Lane as Barboza
• Don Nehan as Polato
• Roberto Villa as Prince Alzar
• Ronald Ward as Doctor Schindler

Production

It was shot at Shepperton Studios and on location in Italy. The film's sets were designed by the art director Andrej Andrejew.

Reception

Kine Weekly wrote: "Platinum finished, plush upholstered melodrama. ... The picture is somewhat larger and a trifle more vivid than life, but its exaggerations, based on a firm foundation, are shrewd and, together with sound acting and skilful direction, contribute to colourful and substantial theatre. Lush staging and photography heighten general effect."^[4]

Picture Show wrote: "It is a little sombre but is lightened by the daughter's romance with a young writer, and by touches of comedy. The film is well set and excellently directed, and Edward G. Robinson as the financier whose ruthless desire for power eventually leads to insanity. Peggy Cummins as his daughter, Nora. Swinburne as his wife, and Richard Greene as the young writer, are all good in their respective roles."^[5]

Variety wrote: "An obscure story about an international financier, My Daughter Joy, despite its powerful cast, is not going to help the cause of British pictures. It's a vague and insincere piece of entertainment which cannot expect more than moderate returns from the home market, and barely merits a place on the American screens. At no time does the plot seriously attempt to achieve coherency or credulity. Principal characters are etched indefinitely and the underlying theme is never made clear. ... Robinson is virtually wasted. This fine actor tries hard fo bring some semblance of conviction to this unconvincing plot but it's an uphill fight.  ...The production is obviously an expensive one with high grade settings and foreign locations. Gregory Ratoff's direction has failed fo make something out of an obviously inadequate script."^[6]