The acknowledged king of serial directors, Spencer Gordon Bennet, is obviously limbering up in this action-packed feature staring Buster Crabbe, "courtesy of Paramount Pictures" – one of the very few occasions in which Paramount loaned one of the studio's contract players to Poverty Row. Full of stunts, chases and fist fights, the movie also manages to cram in a bit of romance with the lovely Ruth Hall. In real life, Ruth was married to cameraman, Lee Garmes, from 1933 until his death in 1978. She herself died in 2003, but, although she lived in Glendale, I bet nobody bothered to interview her! Another opportunity lost! Anyway, it was good to see her in this fast-moving, newspaper yarn in which Crabbe plays a rookie reporter opposite publisher Ralph Lewis, villainous John Trent, and society lady, Betty Blythe. That whet your appetite? Yes, Indeed. But it's actually diminutive Ernie Adams who makes the most impression in this film's A-1 support cast! Available on a very good Grapevine DVD coupled with another Bruster Crabbe "B", Jungle Man – also known as Drums of Africa (1941).
3 Reviews
For "Buster" Fans Only
sasheegm-121 December 2004
For this Cheapie from Poverty Row Mayfair Pictures, Buster Crabbe was acquired on Loan-Out from Paramount where he was under contract.............The film itself is a lesson of how 68 minutes can be wasted on a very boring story-line, with some of the worst acting ever seen in a Poverty Row B-Film......The only saving grace of this Turkey was the presence of Crabbe...........Why Paramount did not utilize Crabbe's exceptional enthusiasm, and a fairly good screen appearance is questioned.......Crabbe himself said once in an Interview, that Henry Hathaway and he, did not get along after a confrontation on the set of Hathaway's last Paramount Zane Grey film "To The Last Man"-1933.......Whatever the reason, many of Crabbe's fans, including yours truly, had wished he had made more & better films then this one......Watch it if you must; but only if you are a fan of Buster Crabbe......Sasheegm-1
Slow And Steady Loses The Pace
boblipton9 April 2024
Buster Crabbe has been trying to get a job on Ralph Lewis' newspaper, but managing editor John Trent keeps blocking him. After Crabbe saves Lewis' daughter, Ruth Hall, from a runaway horse, she gets him that job. However, Trent is working with crooked competitor Broderick O'Farrell to bring down Lewis' paper, What no one knows is that Crabbe is a well-connected young man who wants to make it on his own. After he uses his connections to stop some libel suits, win a fist fight against three men, and gain an impossible interview, Trent frames him by giving O'Farrell's paper the impossible interview. Crabbe is promptly fired.
Crabbe is young, sprightly, and turns this into a bit of an action movie. However, the script is nothing to write home about -- for a man who wants to make it on his own, he's quick to call in favors. He's also contending with director Spencer Gordon Bennett and editor Fred Bain, whose idea of pacing is to make 40 minutes of material fill up an hour. Crabbe looks like a promising young actor, but he can't do much with that combination against him.
Crabbe is young, sprightly, and turns this into a bit of an action movie. However, the script is nothing to write home about -- for a man who wants to make it on his own, he's quick to call in favors. He's also contending with director Spencer Gordon Bennett and editor Fred Bain, whose idea of pacing is to make 40 minutes of material fill up an hour. Crabbe looks like a promising young actor, but he can't do much with that combination against him.
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