"Fifty Miles from Broadway" proves that not every oldie is a goody! I blame a lot of it on when it was made. 1929 was early in the history of talking pictures and films were still a bit stagy and awkward. But even for this era, this one is appallingly awkward and looks as if the acting is being done on a Vaudeville stage. In other words, the backgrounds are obviously painted, the actors break into song and dance numbers with no real motivation, the acting style is stilted and stagy and none of it seems the least bit natural.
The short film begins with Mary meeting her old boyfriend. She'd run off to Broadway to make it big and he misses her and wants her to come home for a visit. Once she returns, however, you can see why she left home--her father and uncle spend all their time arguing...just like a stage act. How does she respond? Well, she dons a peacock feather headdress and flowing gown and begins singing and dancing...all while stiffly facing the camera. After Mary and her boyfriend get fed up, the two old fools bury the hatchet and beg for them to return...promising they'll stop being buttheads.
Apart from film historians and masochists, I cannot imagine anyone wanting to see this movie. I give it a 2....it nearly earned a 1 but I was charitable since it was such an early talkie.
