Director: Bryan Foy
Starring: Helene Costello, Cullen Landis, Mary Carr, Wheeler Oakman, Gladys Brockwell, Robert Elliott, Eugene Pallette
More info: IMDb
Tagline: FIRST 100% ALL TALKING PICTURE!
Plot: A young kid from Upstate New York named Eddie (Landis) is conned into fronting for a speakeasy on Broadway. Throughout the con there is an inevitable chorus-girl with a heart of gold (Costello), a cop-killing gangster boss (Oakman) and his downtrodden ex-girlfriend (Brockwell).
My rating: 6/10
Will I watch it again? Eh, maybe.
Considering its claim to fame is that it's the first talkie from start to finish, it's not bad. There are moments of severe melodrama (which was prevalent back then) and many of the gangsters and thugs came across as bumbling idiots. It must have been tough for the real gangsters to go to the picture show and see their kind made out to be fools.
"Take him...for a riiiide!"The real stunner is that this has never seen a VHS or DVD release! It might not be a great classic but it does hold a significant place in cinema history and it should at least be available. Shame on you, Warner Bros.. I got mine off of TCM many years back.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment