Don't Get Nervous (1929) - A sweaty, loud relic of early sound

Is this worth watching today?

Honestly? Only if you’re a total nerd for film history or you have ten minutes to kill and want to feel slightly uncomfortable.

If you hate static-filled audio and people shouting at you from the 1920s, you will probably hate this.

It’s basically a short video of a guy being very extra for the camera.

Georgie Price is the main guy here. He’s a stage performer who isn't quite sure what to do with a microphone yet.

He spends the first part of the movie talking to Bryan Foy. Foy is the director, but here he’s just playing a guy standing there.

The whole bit is that Georgie is "nervous" about the new sound technology. It’s very meta for 1929.

But the thing is, Georgie doesn't actually look nervous. He looks like he drank five cups of coffee right before they hit record.

He’s got this high-speed way of talking. It’s like he’s afraid if he stops for a second, the audience will leave.

Unlike The Heart of Maryland, which feels like a proper movie, this is just a captured stage act.

The set is incredibly plain. It looks like they just found a corner of a studio and shoved a desk in there.

I noticed that Bryan Foy looks super stiff. He’s standing there like he’s afraid to move a muscle and mess up the sound.

Back then, the mics were hidden in weird places. Maybe he was worried about bumping into one?

Then Georgie starts singing. Oh boy, does he sing.

He does this Al Jolson thing. Wide eyes, big hand gestures, lots of energy.

It’s the kind of singing that was meant for the back row of a theater with 2,000 people. Not for a small room.

It’s loud. The audio quality makes it sound even sharper and more piercing.

I found myself squinting at the screen. Not because it was dark, but because his energy was just so pointed.

It reminds me a bit of the vibe in Body and Soul, but without the actual drama.

There is a moment where Georgie looks directly at the camera. It feels like he’s looking right into your living room, which is kind of creepy for a movie this old.

Stuff I noticed:

• Georgie's bowtie is just a little bit crooked.
• The way the shadows hit the back wall makes the room look even smaller than it is.
• Bryan Foy's expression never really changes. He just looks patient.
• The hiss in the background is constant, like a snake is living in the speakers.

If you’ve seen The Lily and the Rose, you know how quiet and graceful old films can be. This is the opposite of that.

This is the sound of the future arriving. And the future is apparently very noisy and likes to shout.

I don't think I'd ever want to watch this twice. But seeing how they struggled with the microphone is pretty interesting.

It’s a tiny slice of time. A weird, sweaty, loud little slice.

Georgie Price is long gone now. But his nervous energy is still right there on the screen.

I wonder if he ever actually got used to the camera? Or if he always felt like he had to perform for the back of the house.

The movie ends abruptly. It’s like they just ran out of film and said, "Yeah, that’s enough singing."

It doesn't have the polish of Paid in Advance. It’s raw and kind of clunky.

But hey, it’s only a few minutes long. You could do worse with your time. 🤷‍♂️

Just maybe turn the volume down a little bit before you start.