Barnum Was Right (1929) - A weirdly loud silent-era relic

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for movies where grown men trip over furniture for sixty minutes straight. If you hate "lie-based" plots where one small fib turns into a giant disaster, this will probably give you a headache.

Freddie owns this hotel that looks like it’s made of thin cardboard and desperation. It’s failing, obviously, because no one stays there. So he does what any logical person would do and starts a rumor about buried pirate treasure.

The first thing I noticed is Glenn Tryon’s face. He has this way of looking stressed out that feels very specific to 1929. His eyes sort of bulge out whenever he’s lying. It's a lot of acting, even for a movie this old.

I kept thinking about The Telephone Girl while watching the hotel scenes. There is a similar kind of chaotic energy when the guests start showing up. People in these old movies never just walk into a room; they explode into it.

The hotel guests are the best part, though. You have all these people who probably haven't held a shovel in their lives suddenly tearing up the floorboards. There is one scene where a guy is digging in a suit and he looks so genuinely annoyed by the dirt. I wonder if the actor actually hated the script that day.

The shovel gag. It goes on for about thirty seconds too long. Freddie is trying to hide the fact that he's the one who planted the "clues," and he keeps almost hitting himself in the head. It starts out funny, then it gets awkward, then it gets funny again because of how long it lasts.

Merna Kennedy is in this too. She’s fine, I guess. She mostly has to look confused or disappointed in Freddie. It’s the classic "girl loves a loser" trope that hasn't changed in a hundred years. Her hats are very impressive, though. One of them looks like a small architectural project.

There’s a weirdly specific moment where a vase breaks. It doesn't even matter to the plot. But the camera lingers on the shards for a weirdly long time. It felt like the director was really proud of that specific prop.

The movie gets noticeably better once the actual digging starts. Before that, it’s just a lot of talking in the lobby. The lobby set is weirdly empty. Like, they had a budget for the pirate stuff but forgot to buy chairs for the background.

I noticed one extra in the background of the dining room scene who is just staring at the camera. He looks like he wandered in from the street and nobody told him to stop. It’s these little things that make these old movies feel real.

If you’ve seen Sunshine Dad, you know how these domestic comedies can get a bit repetitive. Barnum Was Right suffers from that too. The middle section is basically just people running up and down stairs.

I wish the pirate stuff was more creative. It’s just a few old chests and some fake maps. But the way the guests fight over the holes they dug is pretty great. It’s like a fever dream of greed.

There is some physical comedy that feels very "Ouch." Someone falls through a trap door and you can tell there wasn't a very thick mat down there. You have to respect the hustle of these old actors. They really beat themselves up for a laugh.

The writing is credited to like five different people. You can kind of tell. The tone shifts from being a romance to being a weird mystery and then back to slapstick. It doesn't always fit together perfectly. It’s a bit of a mess, honestly.

Also, the title. "Barnum was right." It refers to the "sucker born every minute" thing. It’s funny because Freddie thinks he’s the one doing the conning, but he’s just as much of a mess as the guests.

One reaction shot of a guy with a mustache lingers so long it becomes funny. I don't think it was supposed to be funny. He just looks very, very confused by the concept of a hotel having a basement.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece. It's not One Third Off. But it has this charm that comes from being so old and clunky. It feels like a time capsule of what people thought was hilarious before the Great Depression hit.

The ending is... well, it's an ending. It wraps up exactly how you think it will. No big surprises here. Just a lot of dust and people shaking hands.

If you're bored on a Sunday and want to see what people laughed at in 1929, give it a go. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🏨🏴‍☠️

• The dust effects are clearly just flour.
• Freddie's tie is way too short in the second act.
• The pirate map looks like a kid drew it in five minutes.
• Louise Beavers is underused, as usual for this era.

Anyway, I'm glad I watched it once. I don't think I'll ever need to see it again. It’s a loud, dusty, weird little movie that knows exactly what it is.