The Mad Genius

The Mad Genius
Directed byMichael Curtiz
Written byHarvey Thew
J. Grubb Alexander
Based onThe Idol
1929 play
by Martin Brown
StarringJohn Barrymore
Marian Marsh
Donald Cook
Charles Butterworth
CinematographyBarney McGill
Edited byRalph Dawson
Music byDavid Mendoza conducting the Vitaphone Orchestra
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Release date
  • November 7, 1931 (1931-11-07)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$441,000
Box office$400,000

The Mad Genius (1931) is an American pre-Code drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and directed by Michael Curtiz. The film stars John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Donald Cook, Charles Butterworth, and in small roles, Boris Karloff and Frankie Darro. The film is based on the play The Idol (1929) by Martin Brown, which opened in Great Neck, Long Island but never opened on Broadway.