garyjack5 Reviews

I Stand Condemned (1935)

Surprisingly Engrossing

[8/10 · 9 May 2024]

I have the exact opposite opinion to others' comments about poor acting in this film. Each of the top 4 characters performs well and this makes the story captivating.

The story is not complicated but it has enough twists to make everything work. However, the real success is in the deliveries by the cast. Athene Seyler conveys a coy depth of character for one old-lady spy. Harry Bauer is demonstrably gauche, yet somehow as pensive as a poker player at times. Penelope Dudley-Ward has the least difficult acting role, but she puts forth her naivety and mixed emotions effectively. Finally Laurence Olivier is also good as a young man wooing the girl he loves while trying to conceal his inadequate worldly experience.

This film is definitely in the top end of 1930s films.

The Jury's Secret (1938)

Not a bad B Movie

[7/10 · 20 March 2024]

The plot to this B movie has an interesting twist and although it lacks some production values, makes up for it with some nice work by the cast.

Kent Taylor is not well remembered today, but he does some subtle work in his role as the juror. Fay Wray does an exemplary job, especially after she learns to understand the reality behind the story she is covering for her newspaper. Even Halliwell Hobbes is deftly convincing after unwittingly supplying Wray's character with the information she cunningly solicits.

The only downfall to the film is the ending. It is actually rather disappointing and odd, as if they needed to wrap up the film and get on to the next one. However, the rest of the film is really quite well done despite the short length.

Portia on Trial (1937)

This film is a hidden gem!

[8/10 · 1 October 2023]

I was not expecting anything more than a B picture before sitting down to this 52 minute copy. Something has been removed from the original film, as I noted the truncated running time. However, this film and the players, especially Frieda Inescort, punches above its weight class.

Being cut down in length, apparently to fit into TV scheduling, makes the story tight and on point. Inescort carries the film but with good support from actors like Abel, Donnelly, Kolb and Hamilton. Do yourself a favor and don't read the story line, just take the time to watch this short, but very effective 1937 social drama.

If you do, you will likely wonder, as I do now, how Frieda Inescort did not become a bigger film star.

70,000 Witnesses (1932)

Ruth Etting? Yes and no.

[6/10 · 12 September 2023]

I agree with several of the reviewers here that this film was surprisingly well made.....to a point. How Johnny Mack Brown's character was killed on the field appears to be a foregone conclusion, but then things change and the obvious is much less obvious. My foregone conclusion was erased. However, the actual conclusion is just too slap-dash and contrived. We could have had an 8 star rating here with a better finish.

Some discussion about the appearance of Ruth Etting was enlightening to me. At the 22 minute mark, it appears that the real Ruth Etting is singing as the camera pans across the bar room. However, the lady companion of Lew Cody at the 46 minute mark definitely does not look like Ruth Etting. I am very well versed in 30s actresses but can't place that lady.

The Awakening of Jim Burke (1935)

Father and Son at odds

[7/10 · 13 August 2023]

Jim Burke is a man's man. He works hard, plays hard, and is the undisputed leader of the men he lives and works with in the wilds of America(Jack Holt).

Although Jim has a beautiful girlfriend(Kathleen Burke) anxious to get married, he has kept a secret from most of his acquaintances and his girlfriend. He has a 12 year old son(Jimmy Butler) from a previous marriage. His son lives in the big city with his mother and is a successful budding concert violinist.

Jim senior gets a letter from his lawyer stating that as per the divorce agreement, he is the parent who takes custody of his son when the age of 12 is reached.

When Jim junior arrives in the rugged home of his father, the budding violinist just does not fit into the rough and tumble world. Luckily a young woman(Florence Rice) who works in the local store, understands and befriends the younger Jim Burke.

However, there are a lot of difficult situations that father and son must work through as Jim senior tries to mold the young violinist into a rugged image of his father.

The four main actors all carry off their parts well to make this a good watch from 1935.

The Unknown (1927)

Chaney and Crawford are good, but......

[5/10 · 12 August 2023]

This film has some very strong reviews on IMDB. I find that there are some great individual performances but I am afraid the storyline is just way off base with any semblance of reality.

The story starts out nicely setting up within a circus environment. Chaney is an unarmed circus employee who is extremely adept at smoking, eating and even fighting without using arms and hands.

Crawford's character is everyone's dream girl. The men who visit the circus can't keep their hands off of her, constantly pawing and attempting to take her aside. In fact it appears this is why she likes, Chaney so much. Without arms he never paws her.

After this, the story gets very contrived to the point of being ridiculous. You will have to watch it to make your own assessment.

Fashions in Love (1929)

Is this a love quadrangle?

[7/10 · 12 August 2023]

This is an interesting 1929 film about love and fidelity in marriage. Adolph Menjou does his first sound film and manages to throw in a little French as well as singing to show off his chops.

The film was only preserved in 2015 from nitrate prints by the preservation group at UCLA.

Menjou is a performing concert pianist who has tremendous appeal for all of his female fans. They follow him as if he is a modern day rock star. However, he is married to his devoted wife (Fay Compton) who anticipates and serves his every personal need.

One socialite who is extremely interested in the pianist is very persistent in pursuing him, however(Miriam Seegar). Miriam is also already married to a successful scientific researcher (John Miljan).

The four main characters sort out their relationships in a somewhat entertaining way. It is enjoyable to watch but is not a ground-breaker.

Alibi Bye Bye (1935)

Bobby Clark is a gem in this one!

[8/10 · 11 August 2023]

This 20 minute short was my first experience with the Clark and McCullogh comedy team. I had an excellent trip back to 1935 to experience the zany comedy which kept me, and the rest of the patrons at the Capitol cinema, in a state of continuous laughter.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first. Were these guys going to be spouting silly commentary like Wheeler and Woolsey, or physical comedy like Chaplin or the Marx Brothers. In reality it was a bit of both, but the clear central figure was Bobby Clark.

Groucho painted on his mustache but Clark is sillier still, painting on his eyeglasses. That is not the source of the humor though. It is fast moving, silly, and hillarious.....filled with slapstick comedy and verbal plays. Clark is like Harpo and Groucho in one body and the scenes of rotating people in various hotel rooms/hallways/showers is not something you see captured on film anymore.

Don't miss this one if you get a chance.

The Fighting American (1924)

Airplane feat extraordinaire!

[6/10 · 11 August 2023]

The disclaimer at the start of this movie states that it is "guaranteed not to make you think". The makers did not want you to take it seriously but instead to consider it a "masterpiece of nonsense", purely for the entertainment of the viewer.

The story passes through college fracases and progress to China and some battling factions of war. It really is crazy to put the prospective romance of the two key characters in such a variety of muddled circumstances.

By far the most impressive scene comes when two early biplanes undergo an unorthodox dogfight with the China skirmishes. I was awed when one of the plane passengers got on top of his plane's top wing and jumped over to the other plane. This was no staged fake....the stunt man really did it, and it looked incredibly dangerous.

Don't look for much of a plot but there is entertainment here and a budding actress named Mary Astor.

The Beggar Maid (1921)

Early Mary Astor

[5/10 · 11 August 2023]

This short 22 minute escapist romance is a bit slow but features a young 15 year old Mary Astor making her way into film. There is nothing too impressive about the short film as it juxtaposes the characters between present and past.

Mary commented years later to leading man Reginald Denny that he was the first man to have kissed her. She is petite and thin as a very young woman at this early stage in her career. One can see that she has a talent for conveying feelings well through her facial expressions. She is caught between supporting her crippled brother and a desire to connect romantically with a sturdy young man to start a new life.

The restored copy is not great but it is watchable.

Love or Justice (1917)

A Look Back at 1917.

[6/10 · 6 May 2022]

This film may not have the most flowing story line but it is an interesting view of life in the 1917 American city.

We get a view of the criminal underworld, the city legal system struggling to deal with it, and fashions that were beginning to head in the direction of the 1920s flappers.

Criminals do their "slumming" and scheming at the Dolphin night club in a Spartan atmosphere with talented black jazz musicians. Later in the court room scenes, there appears to be more overblown grandstanding, than cogent legal arguments being made. I'm not sure how realistic these two depictions are but at least they are visions from a 1917 film maker's perspective.

The women's fashions were an interesting transition between old lady temperance outfits and oversized flapper dresses (ie. A flapper dress shaped like a tent rather than a pencil). Their hats were puffy or odd-shaped rather than the tighter caps from the 1920s.

The print that I saw was a restoration by the George Eastman Museum. They did an excellent job as it was mostly clear and detailed but there was significant nitrate deterioration in several spots that made for difficult viewing. I recommend visiting the George Eastman Museum if you are ever near Rochester, NY.

The other review here by Bob Lipton does a great job setting up the story and assessing the plot. Be sure to read that review too.

The 9th Guest (1934)

Decent acting but storyline/dialogue lacking

[4/10 · 9 November 2021]

The 1930s had many popular "Who done it?" type of movies that were much better than this one. In this case the mystery is more of a ..."Who is doing this?", as the bodies of party guests continue to pile up.

The plot is just too contrived rather than twisting and turning with realistic believable surprises. I had to laugh out loud near the end when Hardie Albright's character tries to commit suicide by taking poison concealed in his ring. Donald Cook's character realizes what is happening and struggles to prevent him from ingesting the poison. Donald's next words...."That's your last trick Abbott. Now get us out of here or I'll kill you."

Across to Singapore (1928)

Well done silent, but flawed finish.

[7/10 · 18 December 2020]

During the first half of this film, I was very impressed. I thought that I might end up rating it very high. The story in the last half ended up being disappointingly silly though. Too bad.

From the outset, I loved the characters and varied scenes. There was Crawford and Novarro in youthful play, a great reunion of brothers and family, and some fun bar room fighting.

Novarro was almost Buster Keaton-like at times. For instance after the bar room brawl when he drapes a passed-out sailor over his shoulder, then punches him aside to show his 3 brothers how tough he is. They were impressed!

Torrence is great as the oldest brother who still owns his young sibling Novarro enough to put him off to bed after dinner by unceremoniously carrying him upstairs to the bedroom.

Even though it is an early Crawford film, she shows some excellent facial expression to reveal her underlying emotion. This was essential in silents. She could be disarmingly flirty when surprising Novarro with a kiss, but then flip to moderate disdain when approached in a clinch by Torrence. His facial expression is equally appropriate by looking quizzical at Crawford's response to his advance. Just what the heck is she thinking????

I was very impressed with the sea storm scenes onboard the ship Nathan Ross. The danger of a violent storm was impressively displayed and more realistic than many films of that time(or even some later).

Once the ship arrives in Singapore, another well-acted performance hits the screen. In a local bar, Anna May Wong quickly dumps her guy and latches on to oldest brother Torrence. I can't believe she didn't make the screen credits.

After this, the story gets more contrived and silly. Torrence hams up his perpetual drunken stupor over Crawford. Novarro somehow wants to dish off the love of his life in deference to his older brother. After returning home in irons for deserting his brother in a fight he can't convince his father that it is his accuser who has lied. It gets more ridiculous at the very end but the credibility is not there as it is at the beginning of the film.

I won't spoil it. Watch it for yourself.

Overall I still found this film very fun to watch. I loved the acting. I liked all the early scenes. Too bad the last parts didn't carry it at the end.

The Silver Lining (1932)

O'Sullivan and Compson carry the film

[7/10 · 13 December 2020]

O'Sullivan's character evolves from an irresponsible partying heiress to a reformed and socially responsible landlord in this short film. She does this with the help of street smart tenement girl Compson and her social activist guy-friend Warburton.

Some of the plot is developed by the obvious fact that both O'Sullivan and Compson are interested in Warburton for more than his social activism.

We see both ladies survive 30 day sentences, which appear to be the standard court punishments from the stern judge. However, Warburton and Compson don't know that O'Sullivan is really the absent landlord that is neglecting the welfare and safety of the tenants. How will they react when they find out their new friend is actually the cause of all their despair?

O'Sullivan overplays her wild side early on but Compson is masterful at subtle facial expression throughout. Warburton is just......there.

The film has a good depression-era feel. Not a great film, but not that bad either.

The Lost Squadron (1932)

Has Historical Significance but Suspends Belief in Spots

[7/10 · 24 May 2020]

I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised at how the story was progressing after the start. Then the film petered out at the end.

In the beginning I found it unrealistic that the three pilots were ogling their watches with 5 minutes left until the 11am armistice....trying to get as many Germans shot down as they could before the war ends. There's bravado and then there's absurdity.

I liked the character development with the squadron men as they moved from drinking celebrations in Europe to hobos in the US. It's not hard to tell if Armstrong is portraying a drunken stupor or a sober adventure seeker in his dichotomous performance. McCrea is believable as an immodest bragger but even better with his spur of the moment proposal to "Pest". Dorothy Jordan("Pest") appeared to be more interested in Dix until that proposal came out of McCrea's mouth. Dix is good through most of the film but when the guys are confronted by the police inspector he looks totally lost in his motivation as he stares down the inspector not knowing what to say. Towards the end it looks as if this film was being made up as they went along....kind of like we did in grade school.

Von Stroheim also performed like a split personality, maybe split in more than 2 personas. I enjoyed his hammy death scene tho....so over the top it made me chuckle. He must have really loved attention. I'm not sure how realistic his directing role came across either. It appeared that when he started the war action, everything happened at once..planes, bombs, fires, artillery...and the cameramen where all together swiveling and shooting it all in one fell swoop....hardly a picture of well-organized direction.

It is too bad Astor's role did not get more latitude. It might have been more fun playing up her intentions with Dix instead of his attentions to Jordan's "Pest".

The ending? Well you will have to watch it to believe it. But don't expect to understand it. I wonder if it was made up as they went along....probably.

Be Yourself! (1930)

Dated but worth checking out for early film buffs.

[5/10 · 22 April 2011]

Fanny Brice may be an enigma to people in the 21st century, but this film gives us some glimpses of why she was considered so talented.

Be Yourself! has a pretty standard plot and was not in itself an engrossing film. I did find it amusing to find a stirring pre-code line during the first boxing sequence. As Robert Armstrong and his foe are putting practically no spirit into their fight, the crowd starts booing and cat-calling. No punches are landing! After a particularly soft pseudo-clinch, one patron yells "turn out the lights, these boys want to be alone!".

We can see some glimpses of Brice's singing, comedy, and acting talent. However, it does seem her comedic talent would only be favoured by audiences of her day. As for her acting, I did find her playfully coy in how she woos Robert Armstrong in the early scenes. Overall, however, it appears that she would be much more at home on stage or in vaudeville. She is almost 40 and not a beauty in this film, but it would be interesting to see her perform in her prime at the Ziegfeld Follies.

Armstrong does fine carrying his character, the boxing chump. But I was really more surprised at how well the make up people altered his nose. It really did look like he was in need of a nose-job....which he got during the story, to impress his new girlfriend.

This film is really more of a curiosity than anything substantive, but it is a rare opportunity to glimpse into the past and see what the talent of Fanny Brice was like.

Colleen (1936)

Not that bad

[7/10 · 11 July 2004]

Sorry to have to disagree with the "disaster" rating in the previous "user comments". Just for the record, Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler musical comedies aren't supposed to have thick plots.

This film is supposed to be a light hearted musical comedy for the depression-era audience, and that is just what it is. I'll grant you that the musical numbers aren't as memorable as other Powell/Keeler films(by the way, they were never married - Powell married Joan Blondell that year). I'd also say that Paul Draper's tap dancing is a cut below the flowing moves of Fred Astaire.

However, the film has some redeeming comedic value. Hugh Herbert is a gem of a bumbling business executive, and Joan Blondell was in her element as Jack Oakie's conniving sidekick.

Overall, I found this film to be quite acceptable.