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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Honestly, you should only watch this if you’re the kind of person who likes digging through old film archives just to see how people used to talk. It’s a 1930s movie, so it’s very creaky and the sound quality is basically like listening to someone fry bacon in the next room.
If you love the polish of modern movies, you will absolutely hate this. But if you think Bert Roach has a funny face, you might have a decent time. 🍿
I found a copy of this because I was looking into Lois Wilson after seeing her in The Plow Girl. She has this very specific way of staring into the camera that feels like she’s trying to communicate through time.
In this one, she’s dealing with the usual 1930s problems: men, money, and men with money. It’s called For Love or Money, which is about as creative as naming a dog 'Dog.'
The plot is a bit of a scramble. It’s one of those early 'talkies' where you can feel the actors waiting for the director to give them a thumbs up before they speak.
There is a scene in an office that goes on for way too long. I actually started counting the pens on the desk because the dialogue was looping in my head.
Bert Roach is the real reason to stick around, though. He has this weird energy where he feels like he’s in a completely different movie than everyone else.
While the others are being all dramatic and serious, he’s just... there. Being a goof. It reminds me a bit of the physical comedy in All Wet, even though that’s much older.
You can tell the crew was terrified of the microphones. Everyone stands very still when they talk.
It makes the movement feel stiff, almost like they’re playing a game of musical chairs but the music never starts. If you’ve seen The Red Mark, you know that era had some growing pains, but this one is especially rigid.
There’s a moment where a door closes and it sounds like a gunshot. I jumped a little.
The script by Forbes Dawson isn't exactly Shakespeare. It’s more like a series of polite arguments about things that don't really matter anymore.
I kept thinking about Ashes of Vengeance while watching this. Not because they’re similar, but because that movie felt so much more alive despite being a silent film.
Sometimes adding sound just made movies slower in the beginning. This is a prime example of that 'early sound' slowdown.
The whole thing feels a bit like a stage play that someone accidentally filmed. There isn't much 'cinema' here, if that makes sense.
But there is a charm to it. It’s like looking at a time capsule of what people thought was funny in 1930.
I wonder if the actors knew how weird this would look 90 years later. Probably not.
They were just trying to get paid and not trip over the microphone cables hidden in the flower pots. 💐
The ending is very abrupt. Like, the movie just decides it’s tired and goes to sleep.
One minute they are talking about their feelings, and the next, it’s just the The End card. No transition. No nothing.
It’s better than The Menace, I guess? Or at least it’s shorter.
I wouldn't call it a 'hidden gem.' It’s more like a 'hidden rock' that’s kind of a cool shape if you look at it from the right angle.
If you’re into the history of how movies became movies, give it a go. If you want to be entertained in a traditional sense, maybe go watch something else.
I’m glad I saw it, mostly so I can say I know who Bert Roach is. He’s the guy who looks like he’s always about to tell a joke that he forgot the punchline to. 🤡
Final thought: The wallpaper in the main house is hideous. I couldn't stop looking at it. It looked like it was moving.
Anyway, that’s about all I have to say about this one. It’s fine. It’s 1930. Whatever.
IMDb —
1917
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