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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Fast Company remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so you’re thinking about watching Fast Company from 1929? Look, it’s not for everyone. If you’re into the quirks of early talkies, the slightly clunky acting, and a story that feels straight out of a forgotten dime novel, then yeah, give it a shot. But if you need sleek editing, crystal-clear sound, or a plot that doesn't occasionally feel like it's just winging it, then you might want to skip this one. It's a fun little historical artifact, but definitely an acquired taste.
The premise is simple enough: Elmer Kane, a baseball star, gets swept up in a gambling mess. You know the drill. Guy meets girl, girl’s got connections, connections are bad news. It’s a story as old as, well, 1929.
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher plays Elmer, and he’s got this nervous energy about him. Like he’s always just slightly bewildered by whatever crazy situation he’s in. There's a scene where he's trying to explain himself to his manager, and his hands are just *flying* around. You can almost feel the exasperation radiating off him. It's pretty good, actually, for a film this old.
And then there's Evelyn Brent. She plays the 'dangerous woman' type, and she does it with this cool, almost detached air. She’s got these fantastic outfits, and her expressions are often so subtle. You can tell she’s got a secret without her having to say a word. It’s a very Rouged Lips kind of vibe.
The sound quality, though. Oh boy. Sometimes it's surprisingly clear, then suddenly it’s like everyone’s talking from inside a cardboard box. You have to really strain sometimes, especially when there’s more than one person in a room. It adds to the charm, I guess, if you're in the right mood. You can hear every little rustle and cough, too. It’s wild.
There’s this one part, where Elmer is trying to call someone on the phone. The dialogue is just a bit too slow, and the pauses feel like ages. It’s like they were still figuring out how conversations worked on screen. It drags a little, you start looking at the wallpaper in the background. Is that really wallpaper or just painted canvas?
The baseball scenes are… well, they’re not going to fool anyone who’s ever seen a real game. The pitches look a bit soft, and the swings are a little too dramatic. You can tell they’re actors trying to look like ballplayers. But it’s endearing in its own way. You gotta respect the effort. They even had real baseball players like Irish Meusel in the mix, but even that couldn't make the plays look totally convincing.
The plot itself zips along, mostly. It has these moments of genuine tension, like when Elmer realizes he's truly in over his head with these gamblers. Sam Hardy, playing the main heavy, 'Stuffy' Johnson, is wonderfully slimy. He just *oozes* menace, even when he’s being polite. A real nasty piece of work, that guy.
You can tell this was adapted from a play. The blocking feels very theatrical at times, with characters often standing in a line, delivering their lines. The sets are simple, but effective for what they needed to be. They don't try to hide the fact that it's all happening on a stage, and that's fine. It's part of the era's charm, right?
The ending comes together pretty quickly. No huge twists, but it resolves everything in a neat, satisfying bow. You’re left feeling like, “Okay, that was a ride.” Not a profound ride, not a visually Metropolis kind of ride, but a ride nonetheless.
It’s interesting to see the fingerprints of writers like Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Ring Lardner on this. You can almost catch glimpses of the wit and storytelling that would come later, even through the early sound limitations.
A few things that stuck out to me:
Overall, Fast Company is a decent way to spend an hour and a bit, especially if you’re a fan of early cinema or just curious about how they made movies when 'talkies' were still a novelty. It's not a masterpiece, but it’s got a certain scrappy charm that makes it worth checking out. Just be ready for some audio adventure. 🔊
IMDb 6.6
1922
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