The Thrill Seekers

All right. The curiosity of seeing the world in the 1920's will always hold a bit of fascination for me, but that's just about where my compliments on this film ends. Running at a short 49 minutes, The Thrill Seekers deals with a man who rescues a girl from a dreaded scoudrel during a bar fight. Months pass and on the evening before the two are to be married, they are kidnapped by said scoundrel. Boats, swimming, fighting and kissing ensue, leading to a happy ending. Spoilers? Not really.This is a 1927 film. They had to end that way.

The film is on blu ray courtesy of Grapvine Video. They're a very small operation, and props to them for trying to save some otherwise unseen film. There wasn't much restoration done, but everything can be seen clearly despite the film damage. You have to pay attention to the characters closely because the inter-title cards (while original) don't fully tell the story. The one major problem I had was with the musical score. Silent films rely heavily on these. So, why would a 1920's movie have a new score with fantastic sound, but included electric guitar & keyboards? If the makers ever read this please try to stick with period instruments. It will allow the viewer to become more immersed into the film.

Lumbercamp lad Jimmy Fulton inherits a lot of money and decides to see what the Big City offers. With valet Lee Moran and chauffeur Harold Austen, he's making a dent in his bankroll. One night at a waterfront dive, he spots society girl Ruth Clifford being abused by her date, so he steps in, and wakes up with a headache. A few weeks later he's about to marry Miss Clifford, when bootlegger Robert McKim, complete with a villainous mustache, has him kidnapped to make a hole in the ocean, and Miss Clifford to accompany him on an ocean voyage. Can Moran and Austen save the day?

It's a well cast B feature, only fifty minutes long, and a reel shorter in the version I watched. There isn't much time except for a couple of exciting fights, but they are present, and if the director and lead are minor, it's still a decent, if unexceptional example of the thrills available in the late silent era.