GManfred Reviews

Almost Married (1932)

Underrated Suspenser

[17 August 2023]

Diplomat Ralph Bellamy is travelling by train through Russia, when an old friend pops into his compartment. Turns out she is a spy on the lam from Russian authorities. She explains her plight and Bellamy says he will marry her to throw off the Russians.

Turns out she was already married, to a psychopath who is in an asylum. We find he is a brilliant musician who had a breakdown, and while confined he reads about his wife's remarriage. He escapes, makes his way to London to blackmail the couple - and worse.

The picture succeeds due to a bravura performance by Alexander Kirkland as the maniacal fugitive, who owns the film with an over-the-top acting job. He overshadows the star Bellamy who gives one of his patented marshmallowy portrayals as the compromised diplomat.

An excellent story with several white-knuckle scenes, all with Kirkland at the center. Well worth seeing, this film might have done better with a more ominous title as well as foregoing the rewrite to remove some scenes deemed too horrifying for 30's audiences. See it if you can, and disregard the off-putting title.

It was shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/23 on a print from UCLA Film Archive.

******** 8/10 - Website no longer prints my star ratings.

The Golden Bed (1925)

Candy Man

[13 August 2023]

Absorbing morality play from Cecil B. DeMille about a poor boy who becomes a rich boy and his affinity for two upper class sisters. He likes the pretty one and abides the plain one and marries the pretty one when he hits it big with his candy business. But she is a gold digger and a big spender, with predictable results.

He is jailed as an embezzler as she spends his money, while the plain one becomes a true blue employee. Stopping here before I become a 'spoiler' but suffice to say the story is very well done, as expected with CB at the helm. Rod La Rocque is particularly good as the candy tycoon and Lillian Rich is lovely as his unprincipled wife.

Don't normally care for this type of movie but I was pleasantly surprised. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/23.

******* 7/10 - Website no longer prints my star ratings.

Jennie Gerhardt (1933)

Sylvia Soaper

[13 August 2023]

It seems Sylvia Sidney made a living in the 30's in weepy soap operas, playing (take your pick) fallen women, jaded women, compromised women, jilted women - usually as victim of a smooth talker. She excelled in these roles and she does not disappoint as Jennie Gerhardt. Of course, she is from the 'wrong side of the tracks' but her lover(s) have nobler intentions this time. First is a U. S. Senator (Edward Arnold) who dies in a train crash on his way back to marry her, leaving her preggers.

Next is Donald Cook, her rich employer who genuinely loves her and does not know about her child. They run away together, leaving her child with her cousin, and they traipse around Europe until he meets and old flame, the recently widowed Mary Astor. He decides he loves the widow and marries her. Sylvia now becomes the 'forgotten' woman.

But throughout their lives they did not forget one another, and on his death bed sends for her. They confess their love for one another before the final fadeout.

I have omitted some details, but you get the picture. In fact, see the picture if you can. It is worth your while and well done, a cut above such soaps, and the cast makes it so as well as production values. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/23.

******* 7/10. Website no longer prints my star ratings.

Alibi Bye Bye (1935)

Superb Comedy

[13 August 2023]

I remember Bobby Clark from TV in the 50's, maybe the Ed Sullivan Show, and I thought he was amusing. Never saw one of his shorts until now, and he was really funny, a cross between Harpo and Jerry Lewis. He has the same manic style of humor complete with a horn under his coat. Had never seen McCullough and he was more of a straight man.

The plot is fittingly outlandish. A man plans a trip to Atlantic City but tells his wife he is going hunting in the woods with a friend. Naturally, his wife gets invited to A. C. by her friend in the same hotel and there is a frantically paced scene of hall doors closing with people switching rooms. It's been done before but here the effect is very fast and funny. Side-splitting would be a good adjective.

See it if you can. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, N. Y. 8/23, Library of Congress print.

******** 8/10. Website no longer prints my star ratings.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Pointless Fable

[2 November 2022]

Nevertheless, "The Banshees of Inisherin" is worth your time as it contains stellar performances by the two principals, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In fact, all actors are on point right down to the smallest bit player. The film comes to life as a result.

The subject matter is quite odd - so odd that the film depends on acting rather than storyline to succeed. Two friends meet and go the local pub each day at 2 pm. One day one of them has had enough of the tedious routine as well as his friend, who he has deemed 'too dull'. They engage in a battle of wits and one-upmanship leading to the climax. By this time the story has lost its humor and charm and becomes a vendetta, thereby negating its main assets.

The Irish countryside is gorgeous and adds immeasurably to the films value, along with the ingrained sense of humor of the townsfolk - unintentionally funny and blunt. Sometimes I think writers don't know how to end their story, and this may be one example.

7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Radio Patrol (1932)

'Dirty Cop'

[29 August 2022]

This was one of Robert Armstrong's better film roles. He is a proud police officer who starts to accept favors and money from "the mob" in return for lignoring some of their illegal activities. The year is 1932 and mob activities are much different from todays, but the MO is basically the same. Here there is a big robbery involved. But Bill (our hero) changes his mind after one of their own is gunned down - one of their own played by Andy Devine in an early role for him.

The back story concerns Russell Hopton, a character actor who is given a chance to sharpen his acting chops as Armstrong's best friend. Armstrong steals Hopton's girl and marries her, but the bond is so strong between the two that Hopton is very supportive of them both. The girlfriend is played by Lila Lee, who is breathtakingly beautiful here. The radios in question are police radios that are one-way, from dispatcher to patrol cars. Two-way radios were still in the furure.

A good picture that is rarely on TV. Shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY 8/22.

*******7/10 - Website no longer shows my star rating.

The Poor Nut (1927)

Unlikely Comedy

[26 August 2022]

Jack Mulhall plays a severely inhibited biologist who has palmed himself off as a superior athlete to win the heart of a fair coed. He gets roped into The Big Event while having no athletic talent, but wants to impress his favorite female, and so he competes.

Is there anything unfunnier than a dull silent comedy? Mulhall, who played with Astaire and Nanette Fabray in "The Band Wagon" (1953), is not up to the part and lacks the required funny bone. The wallflower who adores him is a young Jean Arthur. She is better in her role than is Jane Winton, the featured actress in the film.

I am the first reviewer of "The Poor Nut", and if film fans have any taste for good silent comedy, I should be the last.

**** 4/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/22.

Glamour (1934)

Standard Triangle

[26 August 2022]

No new ground was broken regarding love triangles in "Glamour". Two men love the same woman and one loses, but this one has a pretty decent storyline. Constance Cummings is married to Paul Lukas, the old buck, and along comes Philip Reed, the young buck. Reed and Cummings fall in love and Lukas, the understanding husband who still loves his wife, steps aside.

It is a woman's picture, and directed by William Wyler who puts a professional touch to ordinary material. Lukas is too old for the part but makes it work and Ms. Cummings turns in a good job here. It all works due to some 'Wyler magic'.

******* 7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/22.

Celebrity (1928)

Unfunny Armstrong

[24 August 2022]

Robert Armstrong was the honoree at this film festival which played several of his films. I feel he didn't hit his stride until he played showman Carl Denham in "King Kong". In his silent films he is hammy and overacts and "Celebrity" is a case in point. His attempts at comedy in silents fall flat.

Here he is a boxer who wants to improve his image by writing poetry. Program notes state the film tries to satirize the image of Champ Gene Tunney who was a well-educated boxer. I don't recommend "Celebrity" as I found it dull and lacking the basic elements of parody and especially humor.

**** 4/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/22.

Seed (1931)

Unattractive Drama

[24 August 2022]

Bart Carter loves his wife and five children and it's mutual. An old flame visits him at work and manages to steal him away from his family and marry him, making it what must have been the most mean-spirited film of the 30's, or any other era.

Lois Wilson is excellent as the long-suffering wife and is the recipient of all audience sympathy. John Boles and Genevieve Tobin are the cold-hearted couple in what is a nasty story masquerading as sophisticated adult entertainment. I gave it a rating of 6, meaning see it and make up your own mind. Production values are good as well as the acting, but frankly I was appalled by the dichotomy between the message here and traditional American values.

****** 6/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/22.

Till I Come Back to You (1918)

WWI Dilemma

[24 August 2022]

I disagree with the rating on this picture as I thought it was an interesting and well-conceived story and with a rooting interest for the audience. It is not a typical Hollywood war picture as there are no battle scenes and most scenes are filmed indoors. A synopsis is tough, but I'll try.

In a (large) nutshell; Capt. Strong's mission is to blow up a German ammo dump, but first must get behind enemy lines. He confiscates the ID of a German prisoner, goes to his home and tells his wife her husband has sent him, and do whatever she is told. Soon they realize they hate the Germans (they are in Belgium) and she dislikes her brutish husband. The plan is to tunnel from her home to the ammo dump and blow it up.

Meanwhile, children from a local orphanage escape and take shelter in her home. The plan goes well until her husband escapes and returns home and discovers the deception. His wife has taken the children down to the tunnel to hide them, as the Captain stalls her husband. Husband calls for backup and the Captain calls off the explosion so the children won't die, as they are right under the ammo. Lots of shooting takes place between the Germans and Americans in the tunnel, but the children are saved - but the Captain is now to be court-martialed for aborting the mission.

All ends well. Her husband is killed in the fighting, the Captain is acquitted and they can presumably live happily ever after. Florence Vidor is lovely as the wife and Bryant Washburn is stalwart as the Captain. Well done all around. The picture was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille who infuses it with dollops of romance and suspense to please all audiences.

******* 7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/22.

Nobody's Fool (1936)

EE Horton Vehicle

[17 August 2022]

Always liked Edward Everett Horton's onscreen persona, a bumbling and misunderstood aristocrat. He was amusing as he tried to explain himself and in "Nobody's Fool" we get an entire movie of his 'schtick'. But it becomes tiresome midway through and the plot is muddled, in part due to his habit of taking the wrong meaning from the statements of others.

He is a civic-minded naif who becomes mixed up with real estate con-men, who take him for a master con-man due to the situational dialogue. If you like Glenda Farrell, she is a saving grace here as a wisecracking something-or-other, and she is great.

Pretty good movie for Horton fans, even if his character is ladled on with a trowel.

6/10 ****** - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest Rome , NY 8/22.

The College Coquette (1929)

Antiquated Collegians

[17 August 2022]

Well, look. The picture was made in 1929 and college life depicted here bears no resemblance to the modern reincarnation. It must have been sensational in it's time, but society is more sophisticated now. The goings-on here seem almost innocent in comparison. The on-campus scandals at Dexter College center around drinking, curfew breaking and (smelling salts, please) necking.

The star is Ruth Taylor, who looks terrific, playing a girl who tries to be vampy and wanton. Wouldn't work now, but she must have been hot stuff in the 20's. The story centers about her efforts to seduce (for lack of a better word) the football coach, who falls for her. In the meantime her best friend breaks up with her boyfriend of 0ne (1) day. She is crushed and Taylor feels responsible and then a lot of tedious back-and-forth follows. No nudity, no vulgar talk and no violence throughout.

I found it fascinating to think this movie, a) had some success once, and b) is a historical reflection of college life in a bygone era. Everyone overacts and the screenplay is banal beyond description. With those qualifications in mind, it's an almost enjoyable look at college life long ago.

***** 5/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY 8/22.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Holy Bagel

[10 April 2022]

Don't ask. Go and see it, because you've never seen a movie quite like this one. It is a fantasy/comedy, but at times that is reversed. I will now make an attempt at a review.

The middle-aged owner of a failing Chinese laundry is being audited by the IRS, her lesbian daughter brings her 'friend' home for a visit, her infantile husband is of marginal help and her father is senile. On a visit to the IRS her husband reveals himself as an alien who can show her how marvelous her life would have been in other galaxies, to which he gives her access.

Sound confusing? Just go and see it. It is extremely entertaining, and I'm going to see it again to fill in the considerable number of incoherent spots I still have. Oscar noms for Best Actress (are they still called that?) Michelle Yeoh and for Editing and Special Effects.

P. S. The hole in the bagel represents the way to inner peace. (Don't ask).

7******* Website no longer prints my star rating.

Scream (I) (2022)

Edvard Munch

[14 January 2022]

I never learn. I attend a teen slasher movie and expect grown-up entertainment. Instead, I get an implausible plot, inane dialogue, lots of non sequiturs and, save for the adults in the cast, laughable acting.

Why do I do this? I thought this one might be a cut above the norm. Speaking of cuts, the picture is awash in blood and cutlery which may satisfy some percentage of the audience. At one point, one actor says to another, you shouldn't be here. The other answers, you shouldn't, either. Make that three of us.

**** 4 stars - website no longer prints my star rating.

Love Letters of a Star (1936)

No Fair

[27 August 2021]

Well-done B picture with a 'B' cast who are all very competent and put this very mysterious mystery over. I can't even recap the story as it is very involved and convoluted, but a young lady poisons herself and her family spends the rest of the picture trying to solve it.

My title is 'No Fair' due to the resolution of the crime, and it would have an exclamation point if the website allowed it. If you should happen upon it, watch it - and I defy you to guess the murderer.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/14/21.

******* 7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Wandering Fires (1925)

Solemn Drama

[26 August 2021]

Hardly anyone cracks a smile in this heavy-going drama about WWl and its aftermath. Constance Bennett is a controversial socialite who catches the eye of an introverted young fellow at a country club soiree. But she has a 'secret' (o tempora, o mores) which makes her the 'talk of the town'.

I thought the story, while self-important and overdramatic, was curiously absorbing and with a surprise ending. An enjoyable silent ably carried by Ms. Bennett. I thought the rating by the website didn't do it justice. Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/14/21.

******* 7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Duck Soup (1927)

Hilarious Short

[24 August 2021]

This is the first short in which Laurel and Hardy worked together as a team. They were not called 'Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy' but have fictitious names. And Hardy has a two day growth of stubble. Nevertheless, this one is loaded with some very funny sight gags (this being the silent era) and ranks among their funniest films.

Forest Rangers are recruiting volunteers and have been given permission to press into service vagrants found in the LA area. Our heroes fall into that category in this short and do all they can to avoid the Rangers. They come upon an unoccupied mansion and hide inside - until a couple who rented it show up at the front door. Things begin to unravel for the boys in predictable fashion, making it one of their best. It played at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/14/21.

******** 8/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Her Wedding Night (1930)

Menage a Quatre

[23 August 2021]

Uneven comedy that doesn't get really funny until the end of the picture. Beforehand there's some funny sequences and a lot of tedious business. It stars Clara Bow and Charlie Ruggles (they're funny) and Ralph Forbes (he's not). It takes place in France and the gist of the plot is trafficky and convoluted; Bow is trying to avoid fans and Forbes is a bon vivant song writer. He has lots of old flames who come to his flat to pester him and Bow somehow ends up there, along with Ruggles and another woman.

Towards the end the picture becomes a bedroom farce and is pretty funny, with people dashing in and out of each others bedrooms. We've seen it before, with doors opening and closing just as one leaves and another enters, but it's done very well here. Otherwise it's a long wait for the payoff. This played at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/14/21.

******6/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

The River Pirate (1928)

Good/Bad Boy

[21 August 2021]

How to judge Sandy, a reform school kid who can't stay out of trouble. Career crook Victor McLaglen takes him under his wing and promises to 'take care of him' upon his release and show him the ropes (river pirates rob warehouses along the riverfront). But he has an angel in Lois Moran, playing a social worker who tries to straighten him out.

Victor McLaglen is the star, looking very trim here before adding weight as we remember him in later films. He is a sympathetic character with his customary winning smile and carries the picture. Sandy is played by Nick Stuart who is all but forgotten to film fans but has an appealing, boyishness about him.

Interesting story but not a swashbuckler as the title implies. It was shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/14/21.

****** 6/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

The Pursuit of Happiness (1934)

American Tradition

[21 August 2021]

It starts out like a war picture. Hessian soldiers are conscripted to fight in America beside the British. Francis Lederer is a college student who can speak English and becomes a translator, before deserting to join the American side once here.

Upon meeting Joan Bennett he is smitten and the picture abruptly becomes a light comedy. It is clearly a vehicle for Lederer who had just become Paramount's newest star. He is in nearly every scene, cheerful, appealing and smiling relentlessly.

We find out about Bundling, a colonial courting custom allowing couples to sit in bed to converse, read to one another, etc., and with a 9 inch wooden board between them to ward off any impure spirits. It's a very entertaining story and was adapted from the Broadway stage to the big screen.

See it if you can, it's surprisingly good. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, NY. 8/14/21.

*******7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Rich People (1929)

Good Connie

[17 August 2021]

Constance Bennett faces a dilemma; will she choose the rich guy or the ordinary Joe? Naturally, Connie has the answer in time for the final credits. Rich guy is played by Robert Ames and regular guy is Regis Toomey, whose hobby is creating statistical business charts and life trends. A lively picture that moves right along and wastes little time.

This was Bennett's return to the screen after retiring in 1925, having just married Philip Plant. She divorced him in 1929 and made "Rich People". The little known Ames was an alcoholic and died in 1931, aged 42. Regis Toomey made 271 films and died in 1993, aged 91.

The film was restored by the Library of Congress and was shown at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/13/21.

Face the Camera (1922)

Very Funny

[16 August 2021]

"Face The Camera" is just that - a very funny film short starring James Parrott, who bears a striking resemblance to Charley Chase. It's not by accident, though, as he was Charley's older brother.

Story involves a cameraman ( a pretend cameraman) assigned to cover a bathing beauty contest. Here follows a hilarious string of sight gags (this being the silent era), and many are ingenious and resourceful, adding to the continuous fun.

See it if you can. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, NY, 8/13/21.

********8/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

She Wanted a Millionaire (1932)

Star Vehicle

[16 August 2021]

"She Wanted A Millionaire" is a trifling story made palatable by the presence of the two stars, and unworthy of their talents. I wonder if this picture broke any new ground in long ago 1932; in fact, it did, as the story parallels a similar real-life scandal in which a beauty contestant married a millionaire which subsequently involved a murder.

That slim thread may be responsible for any success the film may have had in the 30's but is an insufficient reason for anyone to pursue it now. It is dated and devoid of humor and good feeling and interesting only as an early look at the budding careers of two Hollywood newcomers who eventually made it big.

Shown at Capitolfest, Rome NY, 8/13/21.

*****5/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Racket Busters (1938)

Hyperbole

[1 September 2020]

'Racket Buster" plays like a Public Service announcement, or like a "Crime Does Not Pay" short which were popular in the 30's and 40's. Not much time wasted, as the film gets right to the point; racketeering throughout the city which the DA (Walter Abel) tries hard to stop. The head of the rackets is Humphrey Bogart and the hero is George Brent along with his pal, Allen Jenkins.

There is no time for subtlety or nuance here (at 71 mins.) and the characters are painted with broad strokes and many plot points are telegraphed. Nevertheless, the picture is well done all around and is better and more entertaining than the websites rating would suggest. Probably a 'B' picture in its' time but plays almost like an 'A'.

7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.