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4.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Elstree Calling remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, 'Elstree Calling' from 1930. If you’re into the very early days of talkies, like, when they were still figuring out how microphones worked, then yeah, give this a peek. But if you’re just looking for a fun movie night, maybe skip it. This one's for the film archaeologists and the truly patient. 🧐
It’s basically a variety show, filmed. Tommy Handley, bless him, tries his best to hold it all together as the host. He’s got this chipper vibe, even when the gags are a bit... thin.
One running bit has this serious actor desperate to do some Shakespeare. He keeps getting bumped, bless his heart. It’s actually kinda charming in its repetition, seeing him pop up again and again, only to be shooed away.
Then there’s the inventor trying to get his newfangled TV to work. You see him fiddling in the corner, always missing the good stuff. A very 1930s vision of the future, that.
The sound itself, wow. You really get a feel for how new it all was. Sometimes voices are clear, other times it’s like they’re shouting into a tin can. The actors are often planted, trying not to move too much and ruin the recording. You can practically feel them concentrating.
Visually, it's mostly static. Camera doesn’t move much. Makes sense, I guess, trying to capture all that sound without a hitch.
But then, suddenly, there are these color segments. Four of them! They're not exactly vibrant, mind you. More like everything’s steeped in tea – lots of yellows and browns. It’s a neat little surprise, though, like finding a forgotten postcard from another era.
Some of the musical numbers, they just keep going. You get a song, then another, then a dance, and you're like, “Okay, I get it.” The energy is there, but sometimes the material feels a little... stretched.
It’s not trying to be high art, obviously. It’s a variety show, plain and simple, stuck on film. And for that, it’s a neat window into what entertained people way back then. The sheer effort to bring this to the screen with sound, that's the real star here. Not every joke lands, not every song is a banger, but the ambition? Absolutely.
IMDb 6.2
1932
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