True, but still, the man is a historical figure, it'd be good if the actor still somewhat resembles the real man. Of course, modern make up and styling can hugely aid an actor in that regard.
For those who are interested, this is a fascinating read of the crash of 29 with a little more daily color on what was happening leading up to the move and who some of the bigger players were. We only read about Livermore but there were many other interesting characters. Which lends credence to my suggestion that this should play out on a long series on HBO or Showtime. Just in the crash of 29 alone there were characters that deserve their own plot lines. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/transcript/crash-transcript//?flavour=mobile
I think a 2+ hour movie could still offer an interesting look at those events if the scriptwriter is good, but I too would've preferred a tv show.
I don't think so. I think you're being somewhat unfair. Richard Smitten wrote a rather awkward and somewhat "fanboy" biography of Livermore, but he did have the benefit of interviewing Livermore's family and friends. According to Smitten, Livermore reportedly did not think that the new regulatory environment enacted by the SEC and headed by Joseph Kennedy would be be a major imposition on his trading. Whether this account is accurate or not, the point is fairly moot, since the fortune that Livermore made in 1929 had all but disappeared by the time the rules came into effect, as another poster had previously pointed out. You overlook the fact that his personal life was in complete disarray after the 1929 windfall, and that he had reportedly lost his focus and drive as he succumbed to depression. (He had similar bouts of depression decades earlier, where he had lost his confidence in his ability.) And as Tom Rubython wrote in his biography of Livermore, he had stopped following his own rules as he inexplicably failed to exit trades that had gone substantially against him. This was before the SEC came into effect. Also keep in mind that, although Livermore participated in market manipulations from time to time, he did not make all of his money doing so, and certainly not in the earlier post-bucket-shop years. I suppose it did not help that, after divorcing his second wife, whom he loved dearly but on whom he cheated and who became a drunk as a result, he met and married a woman whose four prior husbands had all committed suicide. (Some trends are not your friend.) She reportedly disliked Livermore's sons because she was jealous of whatever time that he made for them, and the feeling was mutual, because they regarded her as a dark and depressing presence. This according to Smitten. So, against this background of personal turmoil, poor trading resulting at least in part from of a loss of keen interest and focus, and a lifelong battle with depression, I think we can reasonably conclude that the new regs were not the principal thing that led him to suicide. They may have played some part in the overall scheme of things, but I would not have emphasized it quite as much as you did. As for the self-proclaimed failure, I'm sure that his blinding depression, exacerbated by the culmination of all these factors, had a hand in that conclusion. Livermore was both brilliant and flawed. We can criticize him, but let's also give the man credit where it is due.
Clap Clap Clap Bravo Clap Clap Clap Yes,give the man credit where it is due. People who only see the negative traits in our fellow human beings are envious ,bitter, miserable and sour people . I've learned to distance myself from these negative types in my life. NO ONE IS PERFECT !
True, real life people aren't like comic book characters - they are complicated, often irrational beings - it's what makes them so interesting to learn about. Livermore was certainly no exception.