24 Hours (1931) Review: A messy, moody Pre-Code drama about bad choices.

You should probably watch 24 Hours if you have a soft spot for movies where everyone is constantly holding a cocktail. It is a great pick for fans of that early 1930s gloom and people who love Kay Francis.

If you hate slow talk and theatrical acting that feels like it’s being shouted from a stage, you will probably find this a bit of a chore. It’s a very specific vibe.

The movie starts at a party that looks like it has been going on for three days. Everyone is rich, bored, and slightly mean to each other.

Clive Brook plays Jim Towner. He spends the first ten minutes looking like he’s trying to remember if he left the oven on. 🍸

He’s married to Fanny, played by the legendary Kay Francis. She has these incredible heavy eyelids that make her look like she’s seen everything in the world and isn't impressed.

They have a terrible marriage. Like, really bad. They both know it, and they aren't even trying to hide it from their friends.

Jim has a mistress named Rosie, played by Miriam Hopkins. She is a nightclub singer who seems way too energetic for this movie.

When Miriam Hopkins is on screen, the energy level spikes so hard it’s almost jarring. She sings a song called "My Ideal" and she does it while leaning against a piano in a way that feels very real.

It’s one of those scenes where you feel like you’re actually in a smoky 1931 basement club. You can almost smell the cheap gin and the floor wax.

The whole "24 hours" thing is the gimmick. We follow these people through one full cycle of bad decisions.

There is a scene where Jim goes to Rosie’s apartment, and the lighting is just… weird. There’s a shadow on the wall that looks like a giant hand, and I can’t tell if it was intentional or just a mistake by the crew.

Then someone gets murdered. I won’t say who, but the movie gets much darker very fast.

The detective who shows up later is surprisingly funny. He has this dry way of talking that makes the high-society drama seem silly.

The Clive Brook Problem

I have to talk about Clive Brook for a second. He is so stiff. He moves like his suit is three sizes too small and made of wood.

He was in Interference a few years before this, and he hasn't really loosened up since then. But weirdly, it works here.

His character is supposed to be a numb alcoholic. So being a wooden statue actually makes sense for the role.

There is a moment where he looks at a clock, and the shot lingers for about five seconds too long. It’s like the editor forgot to cut, or they really wanted us to know that time is passing. 🕰️

It’s funny how movies back then handled "suspense." A lot of it was just people staring intensely at objects.

Kay Francis gets some of the best lines. She says things with such a sharp edge that you wonder how the other actors didn't get cut.

Her outfits are also a highlight. One dress has these weird puffy sleeves that look like small clouds attached to her arms.

Odd Little Details

• The sound of the ice hitting the glass in the opening scene is way louder than the dialogue.
• There is a butler who looks like he’s about 100 years old and he moves faster than anyone else in the film.
• The way they handle the "affair" is very Pre-Code. They don't talk around it; they just admit it.
• There is a very strange shot of a telephone that feels like it belongs in a horror movie.

The middle part of the movie drags a little bit. There’s a lot of walking back and forth in fancy rooms.

But then the murder mystery kicks in, and it gets messy. Not "CSI" messy, but 1930s "everyone is panicking" messy.

The ending feels a bit rushed, to be honest. It’s like the director realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap everything up.

One minute someone is being accused of a crime, and the next minute everything is basically fine. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher.

"I don't care what you do, as long as you don't do it here." - This is basically the theme of the whole movie.

I liked it, though. It feels like a real slice of a time that doesn't exist anymore.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s interesting. It has that gritty, urban feel that disappeared once the censors got strict a few years later.

If you see it on a late-night broadcast, don’t change the channel. Just grab a drink and enjoy the drama.

Also, pay attention to the way the characters use the elevators. It’s oddly fascinating how much time they spend waiting for doors to open.

Anyway, it’s a solid 70 minutes of people being beautiful and miserable. What more do you want? 🎬