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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Follow Thru remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have any love for the early 1930s, then yeah, you should definitely put this on. It's light and doesn't ask much of you.
People who hate stagey acting or those old-timey high-pitched singing voices will probably want to turn it off after five minutes. But if you like seeing how movies used to look when they were just figuring out sound, it’s a total gem.
The first thing you notice is the color. This was filmed in early Technicolor, so everything has this weird, vibrant glow to it.
The grass isn't just green; it's like a neon lime green. And the outfits are just incredible—lots of high-waisted pants and patterned sweaters that look like they weigh ten pounds.
Nancy Carroll plays Lora Moore, and she’s got these massive eyes that seem to take up half her face. She loses a golf match early on, and you can tell she’s actually annoyed about it, which I liked.
Usually in these old movies, the women just giggle when they lose. Lora actually wants to get better, so she hires Jerry Downs (played by Buddy Rogers) to help her putt.
Buddy Rogers was called "America’s Boy Friend" back then. You can see why, because he’s got this blindingly white smile and he’s almost too polite.
He’s charming, but honestly, he’s a bit of a stick in the mud compared to the side characters. The movie really picks up whenever the golf lessons stop and the chaos starts.
Most people know Jack Haley as the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. Here, he’s much younger and way more manic.
He plays Jack Martin, the goofy friend, and he spends most of the movie running away from Zelma O'Neal. She plays Angie, and she is relentless in chasing him down.
Their energy is so much higher than everyone else's. It’s like they’re in a completely different movie, one that’s way faster and louder.
There’s this one scene where they sing "Button Up Your Overcoat." It’s easily the best part of the whole film.
They’re dancing and making faces, and it feels actually funny, not just "funny for 1930." Zelma O'Neal has this great, growly singing voice that cuts through the usual operatic stuff you hear in films from this era like Time to Love.
I noticed that the editing is a little choppy in the musical numbers. Sometimes the sound doesn't quite match the lips, but that just adds to the charm of it all.
It feels like you’re watching a filmed stage play, but with better sets. The country club looks like a place I’d actually want to hang out in, even if the golf rules seem a bit made up.
There’s a scene in the women’s locker room that feels very "Pre-Code." It’s not scandalous by today’s standards, but for 1930, you can tell they were trying to be a bit naughty.
Lots of towels and girls gossiping. It feels more human than the stuffy romances you see in something like Forbidden.
One thing that cracked me up was the golf match at the end. The stakes are supposed to be high, but the way they film the golf balls moving is clearly just someone throwing them from off-camera.
You see a ball roll into the cup, and it’s moving at like 40 miles per hour. No way that would happen in real life.
The plot about the other women chasing Jerry is... fine. It’s mostly just there to create misunderstandings that could be solved in two seconds if anyone just talked.
Thelma Todd shows up as a rival, and she’s always great. She has this way of looking at people like she’s just waiting for them to stop talking so she can leave.
I did find myself wandering off mentally during some of the slower ballads. There's a song Jerry sings that goes on for about three minutes too long.
He’s just standing there. The camera doesn't move. It’s very 1930.
But then the movie gives you another scene with Jack Haley trying to hide in a locker or something, and it’s back on track. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Roaming Romeo, though maybe not quite as polished.
Also, look out for the extras in the background of the party scenes. Half of them look like they are genuinely having a blast and the other half look like they are staring directly into the sun.
It’s those little imperfections that make me love these old films. They aren't scrubbed clean by a computer.
If you've seen things like Sydney's Darlings, you know what you're getting into here. It's a specific flavor of vintage silliness.
Follow Thru isn't going to change your life. It’s not some deep masterpiece about the human condition or anything like that.
It’s just a movie about golf and girls and catchy songs. Sometimes that’s all you really need on a rainy afternoon.
The color alone makes it worth a look. Even if the golf is terrible, the sweaters are a ten out of ten.
It’s much better than some of the other fluff from that year, like maybe Chicken Dressing, which I could barely get through.
Give it a shot. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s got a lot of heart for a movie that’s basically a long sweater commercial.
IMDb —
1923
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