Road House

This musical is flawed like so many because it can't decide quite which type of plot it wants to be, a crime thriller, or a comedy, or anything.

But in between, we can see that once great star of musical comedy, Violet Loraine, who reprises one of her great numbers Let the Great Big World Keep Turning, plus three other songs. Then there's Gordon Harker who adds his own touches of humour, including a nice moment with a little wannabee Shirley Temple a-dancin' and a-skippin'.

Violet's best song is kept for last, she puts a lot into What a Little Moonlight can Do, and the finale is nothing like Busby Berkeley, nothing at all, except there are a few girls, there is a swimming pool, they do get quite excited as they remove their evening best and dip wildly into the water. It's a pleasing madcap end to a muddled film, which does offer some fine moments that preserve the presence of a great star.

I love this film! Gordon Harker and Violet Loraine are top-notch, and all the other leads are great. I love the singing and the story and the look back at a time long gone. The editing is terrific, so the pace is lively. Absolutely wonderful.

Having watched this film i could not believe the travesty of the review already posted.There is so much of interest and so many different personalities that this film,though long forgotten,is essential viewing for anyone interested in Britain of the 30s.For example it has a 10 minute sequence inside a faithful reproduction of a musical hall.It has a night club sequence featuring amongst others Geraldo,and Stanley Holloway and Emelyn Williams.After all would you criticise "The Way Ahead" or "This Happy Breed" just because Stanley Holloway does not sing!The plot is hardly original,but so what.Watch this film and you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

I am not usually a huge fan of musicals. I like many but often think the singing gets in the way of plot. Fortunately, while there's quite a bit of singing in "Road House", it fits in here and works quite well as it doesn't stand in the way of the story.

The story centers on Belle (Violet Loraine), a barmaid when the story begins. She's in love with Archie, but it takes him a long time to notice her. Fortunately for Belle, he eventually does. They marry but then WWI begins and Archie is killed. Now Belle is stuck...having to work but with a baby! So, she gives the baby to her sister to raise and soon Belle is the belle of the stage...as she now is a dancehall star. This goes on for time, that is, until her voice gives out....and she's back to working in the bar...which is now owned by her good friend, Sam (Gordon Harker). He is obviously in love with Belle...though like Archie earlier in the story, it takes her a long time to notice! Sam convinces Belle to sing in his fancy pub...and soon she's back to her old ways and she's adored by the public.

While things sound marvelous, there are a couple BIG problems looming. Sam's partners in this pub turned nightclub are a couple rogues (including George Zucco)...and Belle can see right through them. In addition, Belle's now grown daughter has fallen in love with one of these jerks...and Belle is worried that she doesn't realize he's not only a thief but is already married!! What's next? See the film....you'll be glad you did.

There isn't much not to like about this film. My only complaint is one the film itself can't help...it could really use closed captions. This is because for an American like me, some of the British accents are tough to follow.

By the way, if you do watch, get a load of that swimming pool INSIDE the night club near the end! This is something you probably only saw in films, as I cannot imagine a real nightclub with a pool being used as part of the show!

The brilliant "musical" career of our heroine seems to be based on constant repetition of one childish rhyme. If this doesn't get under your skin pretty quickly there's plenty more to irritate you about this time-waster. The plot staggers wildly from one untied loose end to another, leaving this viewer wondering "but why did...?" and "what ever happened to...?" and so on. The terrible misjudgments by the producer and director are nowhere more obvious than the complete absence of any musical role for Stanley Holloway (later legendary in My Fair Lady) while the other no-talent cast members are permitted to embarrass themselves at length.