This hilarious old musical melodrama is now available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD. Admittedly, the movie takes its time to really get going. During the first half-hour, I was sorely tempted to turn it off and throw it away, but it's such a good print and Myrna Loy is such a riot in the lead role as Nubi, that I decided to stay with it. Incidentally, what's Loy doing way down the cast list at IMDb? She's billed third on the Warner DVD. Alice Joyce is first, Loretta Young second. Oddly, Zasu Pitts, who has a lead role, is not billed on the disc at all! Zasu is usually funny as hell, but here she's way outclassed by Miss Loy who has a grand time vamping around the set and sending up the really ridiculous dialogue supplied by Bradley King. Admittedly, Loy has some excellent stooges in Richard Tucker (who spent most of his extensive career in hundreds of uncredited bit roles) and Carroll Nye (who was also headed for bit parts). The movie was directed with delightful incompetence by none other than Alexander Korda, who is usually remembered today as a producer, but in point of fact he actually had an even more extensive career as a director. I assume his knowledge of English was not so hot back in 1929 and he was perhaps unaware that most of his players – led by Miss Loy – were sending the ridiculous dialogue up.
Review of The Squall
