High Pressure 1932

Comedy

Romance

Runtime

73 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Mervyn LeRoy

Made by

Warner Bros. Pictures

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High Pressure Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for High Pressure (1932). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Gar Evans [William Powell] agrees to promote Ginsburg’s product, artificial rubber created from sewage, only after his friend Mike Donahey [Frank McHugh] assures him it is not a scam. Gar is superstitious; he believes he will only succeed if his long-suffering girlfriend Francine Dale [Evelyn Brent] joins them on the venture. She, however, has given up on him, especially since he left her five days before to pick up something, and never came back. It is only with great effort that he convinces her to give him another chance.

Gar quickly incorporates the Golden Gate Artificial Rubber Company, rents a floor of a building, installs old crony Clifford Gray [Guy Kibbee] as president, gives Helen Wilson [Evalyn Knapp] a job as a secretary, and hires a swarm of high-pressure salesmen to sell shares. As news spreads, natural rubber company stock prices start to fall, and Mr. Banks [Charles Middleton] offers to buy the company on behalf of the established rubber firms, but the bid is too low for Gar. Banks then threatens to get an injunction preventing sales of Gar’s shares pending an investigation. Gar welcomes it.

However, Ginsburg (promoted to “Colonel” by Gar) has misplaced the inventor of the process, Dr. Rudolph Pfeiffer [Harry Beresford]. When he is finally located and set to work making a sample, Gar invites scientists to inspect the finished product, only to discover that Pfeiffer is a deranged crackpot (his next invention involves hens laying pre-decorated Easter eggs). Francine quits in disgust and prepares to sail to South America and marry Señor Rodriguez. Despite his lawyer’s advice to flee to another state, Gar insists on taking full responsibility.

Just as all seems lost, Banks offers to reimburse all the shareholders and pay Gar enough to make a $100,000 profit just to be rid of the whole mess (and restore natural rubber stock prices). Gar rushes to the dock to retrieve the Golden Gate controlling shares, which he had signed over to Francine. While there, he wins her back by promising to give up promoting, only to have Donahey show up with a scheme for Alaskan gold/marble/spruce wood. Within seconds, Gar is plotting his next campaign.

High Pressure Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of High Pressure (1932) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Gar agrees to promote artificial rubber venture

Gar Evans agrees to promote the artificial rubber product only after his friend Mike Donahey assures him it is not a scam. He reveals his superstition that his success depends on his long-suffering girlfriend Francine joining the venture. The setup establishes the central alliance and the personal stakes driving the scheme.

early in the plan

Francine's conditional involvement

Gar learns Francine won't join unless she is convinced. He convinces her to give him another chance after she has given up on him, having left five days earlier to pick up something and never returning.

five days after he left

Formation of Golden Gate Artificial Rubber Company

Gar quickly forms the Golden Gate Artificial Rubber Company, rents a full floor of a building, and installs Clifford Gray as president. He also hires Helen Wilson as secretary and recruits a large team of high-pressure salesmen to market shares.

shortly after forming the plan Golden Gate offices

Stock market reaction to the venture

As news spreads about the venture, natural rubber stock prices begin to fall. The market reaction signals trouble for established firms and fuels Gar's ambitions to disrupt the status quo.

as the venture launches

Banks’ bid and threat of injunction

Mr. Banks offers to buy the company on behalf of the established rubber firms, but his bid is too low for Gar. He then threatens to obtain an injunction preventing sales pending an investigation, a move Gar ironically welcomes.

after Banks' bid is proposed

Ginsburg promoted; inventor goes missing

Ginsburg is promoted to Colonel by Gar, but the inventor Dr. Rudolph Pfeiffer goes missing. When Pfeiffer is located, he begins making a sample, setting the stage for a deeper showdown over the product.

shortly after the promotion

Pfeiffer’s sample reveals a crackpot inventor

Pfeiffer is located and begins producing a sample, but it quickly becomes clear he is a deranged crackpot whose inventions include hens laying pre-decorated Easter eggs. The dubious nature of the product threatens to derail the venture.

during testing

Francine quits and plans to sail away

Francine quits in disgust and prepares to sail to South America to marry Señor Rodriguez. Gar ignores legal advice to flee and insists on taking full responsibility for the venture.

after the Pfeiffer fiasco

Banks’ rescue offer

Banks offers to reimburse all shareholders and pay Gar enough to make a $100,000 profit just to be rid of the whole mess and restore stock prices. Gar considers the offer as the clock ticks toward resolution.

following the quitting incident

Dock pursuit of the controlling shares

Gar rushes to the dock to retrieve the Golden Gate controlling shares that he had signed over to Francine. The moment becomes a hinge point in the battle over control and the future of the venture.

at the dock the dock

Gar wins Francine back

Gar wins Francine back by promising to give up promoting the venture. The engagement is momentarily secured, but trouble looms as Donahey arrives with a fresh scheme.

at the dock

Donahey’s Alaska scheme arrives

Donahey shows up with a plan for Alaska involving gold, marble, and spruce wood, signaling Gar's imminent pivot to another get-rich-quick campaign. The scheme foreshadows the next phase of his promotional career.

immediately after the reconciliation

Gar plots his next campaign

Within seconds of reuniting with Francine, Gar is already plotting his next promotional campaign. The cycle of ambition resumes as the story tees up new opportunities and schemes.

immediately after

High Pressure Characters

Explore all characters from High Pressure (1932). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Gar Evans (William Powell)

Ambitious promoter who believes success requires risk, yet is superstitious and emotionally driven. He doubles down on the artificial rubber scheme and grapples with responsibility as consequences mount, even as he plots his next venture.

💼 Ambitious 🧠 Calculated 🌀 Impulsive

Francine Dale (Evelyn Brent)

Long-suffering girlfriend who grows wary of Gar's obsession and ultimately steps away, only to be drawn back when he accepts responsibility. She represents pragmatism and a desire for stability in a volatile scheme.

💔 Romantic 🎯 Independent 🫖 Pragmatic

Mike Donahey (Frank McHugh)

Gar's loyal friend who champions the plan and keeps momentum alive with his own schemes. He embodies camaraderie but also the opportunistic streak that fuels the venture's rapid escalation.

🤝 Loyal 🗣️ Charismatic 💡 Opportunistic

Clifford Gray (Guy Kibbee)

Gar's crony installed as president to push the venture forward, a schemer who helps craft the corporate façade and revels in potential payoff, illustrating the cutthroat side of business alliances.

🕴️ Schemer 🏢 Corporate 🎯 Ambitious

Helen Wilson (Evalyn Knapp)

Secretary recruited to the operation, representing how quickly staff are drawn into high-pressure stock promotions. Her role highlights the personal stakes involved in the scheme.

👩‍💼 Office 🗺️ Involvement 🔎 Investigator

Dr. Rudolph Pfeiffer (Harry Beresford)

Inventor of the artificial rubber process who proves to be a deranged crackpot, a turning point that exposes the fragility of grand schemes built on untested science.

🧪 Inventor 🌀 Eccentric 🔬 Science

Mr. Banks (Charles Middleton)

Rival rubber magnate who tries to derail Gar's venture by offering to buy out the shares, embodying the established industry's efforts to curb reckless experimentation.

🏛️ Rival 💼 Authority ⚖️ Caution

High Pressure Settings

Learn where and when High Pressure (1932) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1930s

Set in the early 1930s, the story unfolds during a period of rapid industrial ideas and volatile markets. The era's appetite for bold, speculative ventures frames Gar's risky promotion and the ensuing scramble as stock prices react to the scheme and its rocky science.

Location

San Francisco, California

San Francisco serves as the backdrop for Gar Evans's high-stakes stock promotion, with a dockside setting and a rented office floor signaling the ambitious push into artificial rubber. The city's mix of business energy and waterfront activity mirrors the plot's rapid shifts from boardroom hustle to market upheaval.

🏙️ City 🚢 Waterfront 💼 Business district

High Pressure Themes

Discover the main themes in High Pressure (1932). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💰

Greed and Risk

The film centers on a rapid-fire promotion of a dubious invention, showing how the pursuit of profits can cloud judgment and moral responsibility. Gar's optimism collides with real-world consequences as stock prices tumble and legal threats arise.

🧪

Science and Folly

The supposed miracle rubber hinges on an inventor who turns out to be a deranged crackpot, a pivotal twist that exposes the fragility of grand schemes built on shaky science.

🤝

Trust and Rivalry

Friendships, alliances, and rival interests drive the plot, showing how loyalty is tested as investors, colleagues, and competitors maneuver for advantage in a high-stakes venture.

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High Pressure Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of High Pressure (1932). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a bustling 1930s landscape where fortunes rise and fall on the promise of invention, Gar Evans finds his niche by adopting the role of owner of a newly minted enterprise, the Golden Gate Artificial Rubber Company. The venture is a sparkling façade built to draw in eager investors, and Gar’s uncanny blend of swagger and superstition fuels his confidence that success hinges on a lucky charm—his long‑suffering girlfriend, whose support feels as fragile as the product they claim to produce. The city’s financial pulse quickens with each whispered rumor of a synthetic rubber that could upend the market, giving Gar a stage for his audacious charade.

Surrounding him is a colorful cadre of characters who both buttress and complicate his scheme. Mike Donahey, a loyal friend convinced the undertaking isn’t a scam, stands by Gar’s side, while a chorus of high‑pressure salesmen spreads the company’s name like wildfire. The office buzzes with the likes of Clifford Gray, a seasoned crony placed in the president’s chair, and Helen Wilson, a diligent secretary who keeps the paperwork humming. Meanwhile, the romance between Gar and Francine Dale flickers with tension, each interaction a delicate dance between personal longing and professional deception. The tone remains brisk and witty, a comedy of errors that thrives on rapid dialogue and the absurdity of a fake invention catching the public’s imagination.

Just as investor interest swells, the gilded illusion faces a pivotal test: prospective backers demand a meeting with the alleged inventor of the miracle rubber. This request threatens to pull Gar out of the comfortable shadows of his manufactured success and thrust him into a precarious performance where improvisation becomes survival. The stakes tighten, the humor sharpens, and the audience is left wondering whether Gar’s charm and quick thinking can sustain the illusion—or whether the pressure of the charade will finally burst.

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