After a thrilling opening, Alan James' movie hunkers down into an "Old Dark House" formula. And, it's an embarrassingly poor version of many earlier trips down the same path. Just last year (1930), filmgoers had "The Bat Whispers" follow "The Bat" and "The Cat Creeps" follow "The Cat and the Canary". These movies must have been very popular at the box office, as they continued to make more
This is a good film to examine for a variety of mostly incongruous acting styles. Allene Ray (as Ruth Hampton) is performing as if she's in a serial (her natural habitat). Tom O'Brien (as Pat Collins) has pure silent film mannerisms (he was one of the John Gilbert's "Big Parade" war buddies). Wilfred Lucas (as John Hampton) looks like an actor waiting for the director (no D.W. Griffith). And, so on
*** The Phantom (11/1/31) Alan James ~ Guinn Williams, Allene Ray, Niles Welch
This is a good film to examine for a variety of mostly incongruous acting styles. Allene Ray (as Ruth Hampton) is performing as if she's in a serial (her natural habitat). Tom O'Brien (as Pat Collins) has pure silent film mannerisms (he was one of the John Gilbert's "Big Parade" war buddies). Wilfred Lucas (as John Hampton) looks like an actor waiting for the director (no D.W. Griffith). And, so on
*** The Phantom (11/1/31) Alan James ~ Guinn Williams, Allene Ray, Niles Welch