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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. A Holy Terror remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
You should probably watch this today if you have a soft spot for early talkies that don't quite know what they want to be. It is a Western, but it starts with a polo match and a plane crash. If you like seeing actors from the silent era try to figure out how to talk naturally, you'll get a kick out of it. 🤠
People who hate old-fashioned logic or 'stagey' acting will probably want to skip this one. It is a bit clunky. The plot moves like a horse with a limp sometimes.
So, the main guy is Bard, played by George O'Brien. He's rich, he's fast, and he's basically a human chin. After his dad gets murdered, he decides the best way to investigate is to fly a plane out to a ranch in the middle of nowhere.
He actually crashes the plane right into the ranch house. Specifically, he pokes the nose of the plane into the bathroom while Jerry (Sally Eilers) is just standing there. It's one of those moments that is so absurd you have to wonder what the writers were drinking. 🍸
Most movies today would make that a huge tragedy. Here, it’s just a way for them to start flirting. Bard looks like he just tripped over a rug instead of surviving a high-speed aviation disaster.
George O'Brien has this massive smile that he wears through almost everything. Even when he's talking about his dead father, he looks like he's about to tell you a joke. It’s a bit weird to watch now, but he’s got so much energy you kind of just go with it.
The big draw for a lot of people now is seeing a young Humphrey Bogart. He plays Steve, the guy who is already sweet on Jerry and absolutely hates that this rich flyer just dropped into their lives. He doesn't have the hat or the cigarette or the cool 'Casablanca' vibe yet.
He looks a bit uncomfortable in the Western gear. It's like he’s wearing a costume for a party he didn't want to attend. He spends most of the movie looking grumpy and jealous, which I guess is the point. 😠
There is a scene where he’s just lurking in the background while O'Brien is being charming. You can almost see the future movie star waiting to happen, but right now he’s just a guy getting overshadowed by a man with better teeth.
It reminds me a bit of the awkward energy in The Dark Star where the pacing just feels off. Everything is a little too slow or a little too fast. No middle ground.
A Holy Terror spends a lot of time trying to be a mystery. Bard is looking for a guy named Drew. There are these long stretches of people sitting in rooms talking about things that happened years ago.
The sound quality is... well, it's 1931. You can hear the hiss of the equipment. Sometimes the actors shout their lines because they aren't sure if the microphone can hear them. It makes the emotional scenes feel like a shouting match. 📢
I noticed that the horses seem more natural than the people. There is a lot of good riding, though. George O'Brien was a real athlete, and you can tell. He jumps on and off things like it’s nothing.
"I didn't come here to make trouble," Bard says, right after destroying a whole wing of a house with his aircraft.
That line made me laugh out loud. The lack of self-awareness in these old scripts is just gold.
The ending comes up on you fast. It’s one of those 'oh, I guess we’re done now' finishes. The mystery gets solved, but it feels like they ran out of film and just decided to stop. 🎞️
It isn't a masterpiece like some of the stuff from that era. It's more like a weird artifact. It feels like Noisy Neighbors in the way it mixes genres without really asking permission.
If you've ever seen Pay Day, you know that short, punchy storytelling can work. This movie tries to be a bit more epic and doesn't quite get there. But the plane crash scene alone is worth the price of admission, even if you’re just watching it on a dusty old screen.
I think the most honest thing I can say is that it’s fun. Not 'good movie' fun, but 'look at what they used to do' fun. O'Brien is just so earnest. You can't help but like the guy, even if he is a bit of a wrecking ball.
Bogart fans will be disappointed if they want 'The Big Sleep,' but if you want to see him as a bitter ranch hand, this is your chance. He gets punched at some point, and it’s weirdly satisfying because O'Brien is just so much bigger than him. It’s a total mismatch.
Anyway, it’s a short watch. If you have an hour and a bit to kill and you want to see a bathroom get destroyed by a biplane, give it a go. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. ✈️🏠
IMDb 6.3
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