City Limits

One of the problems I encounter with most reference books, is that they ignore the products of Poverty Row – unless of course they have amassed a large cult following. So you won't find "City Limits" in any of the must-see reference books. A pity, because this Monogram comedy comes as a great surprise. The players, led by now under-rated Frank Craven – Craven had a fair-sized cult following fifty years ago, but it now seems to have evaporated – are not only extremely personable, but all give such a good account of the script that few viewers will notice the complete absence of background music. Not to over-emphasize the point, the cast is one of the best Monogram ever assembled. James Burke and Jimmy Conlin are especially delightful as a couple of well-spoken tramps, whilst George "Gabby" Hayes is commendably unrecognizable without his beard and his phony voice.

Also deserving of unstinted praise is the photography of Jerry Ash, which seems astonishingly "modern" and crisp. It also includes some excellent location work. As for William Nigh's well-paced direction, for once we can well believe that in the late 1920s, Nigh was a highly regarded, top-flight director of prestige, top-budget pictures starring Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most prestigious talents including Joan Crawford, Lon Chaney, Ramon Novarro, and John Gilbert.

Jack Woodford was a prolific and highly talented writer. He was regarded as somewhat scandalous -- if not an outright pornographer -- in his day, but by contemporary standards his books were really rather sweet little romances, with just a dash of sex suggested, never described in salacious detail.

"City Limits" was one of his early novels, and Woodford fans would be eager to see it, if it were released on tape or DVD. However, they would be disappointed. There is very little resemblance between the film and Woodford's novel of the same name.

Railroad owner Frank Craven is taking over a competing line when his doctor orders him to take a vacation in the country. He falls off the railroad on the way and into the company of tramps James Burke and Jimmy Conlin, who believe him another tramp and delusional. Meanwhile, the other line, led by Claude Gillingwater fights back and Craven's daughter, Sally Blane, with the help of reporter Ray Walker, try to hold the situation together.

It's an amusing little comedy directed by oldtimer William Nigh, another director who had fallen from the A list with the coming of sound. He had directed Marion Davies and Lon Chaney. Now he was working for Paul Malvern and Trem Carr at Monogram. It's a decent script, with some nice understanding of how high finance operated in the period, but it's most fun when dealing with the tramps and Craven.