1933 was one of Hollywood's golden years - so many good films made then are just as enjoyable today as they were ninety years ago. This unfortunately isn't one of those but maybe because it was made in "the golden year" that it's better than most poverty row flicks. But with so many excellent films still around from then, why waste your time with also-rans?
The magic of early thirties movies is that they can transport you to a different world - one like ours, one that's familiar but also very strange. To some extent this succeeds but it succeeds more so in highlighting that it doesn't do it as well as X or Y or Z. These days our TV and films are filled with clever conspiracy stories, murky corruption in government or bent coppers - it's interesting to see how this film dealt with corruption but the plotting and the intrigue is very superficial and simplified. One thing it isn't is boring - no, this is exciting stuff - it's pretty much non-stop action even though it reminds me of the 1960s comic book inspired BATMAN tv show.
Pictures like this, especially ones with limited budgets are character driven so rely on you being to engage with those people on the screen, believing that they are real people. I'm not sure you can with this.... apart from Evalyn Knapp....almost. She single-handedly saves this cheaply made also-ran. Her pretty face and bubbly personality keeps you watching and although she's certainly no great actress and not in any way believable, she is kind of sweet. Preston Foster however is a bit of a non-entity.
Preston Foster....does he sound vaguely familiar? Maybe and this is one of those films where you'll recognise everyone but not know any of their names or know where you've seen them before. Sadly for independent film makers like William Berke outside of the studio system, all they could afford were z-listers, has-beens and the sort of actors whom today would be doing supermarket ads. Were this made at a big studio, you could imagine Paul Muni or Fredric March as the mayor and Joan Blondell would have been amazing as the sassy secretary - imagining how good this could be with big stars and a big budget somehow only serves to make this more disappointing.
For a bargain bucket movie it's not too bad. It is directed with zip, the acting is ok and the story is intriguing enough to keep your attention but other than being able to say: Evalyn Knapp, she was quite cute or wondering whether X or Y or Z was the butler in that thing you watched last month...what's the point?
