Get That Venus: A chaotic, old-school romp that doesn't quite know where it's going

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much you love 1930s-style chaos. If you’re looking for a tight, logical plot, you’re going to hate this. But if you want to watch people run around town making terrible decisions in the name of a painting, you’ll probably have a good time.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Get That Venus (1933) through its definitive frames.

It’s a bit of a mess, but a fun one. The kind of movie that feels like it was written on the back of a napkin during a very loud lunch.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Get That Venus (1933) through its definitive frames.

The vibe of the thing

The whole premise is weird. Who decides to sell a town’s only landmark just because some neighbors complained about horse riding? Georgina Van Aster is a special kind of petty. Watching the town newspaper guys try to outsmart her feels like watching two people try to fix a sink with a hammer.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Get That Venus (1933) through its definitive frames.

And then there’s Tim Wilson. He’s the kind of guy who thinks hiring an organ grinder to follow him around so he can dance with a girl is a solid first date move. It’s aggressively charming in a way that feels totally alien today. 🎻

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Get That Venus (1933) through its definitive frames.

Odd bits I couldn't ignore

• The Dutch cheese guy is clearly just there to cause trouble, and his motive for buying art is just bizarre.
• The burglar, Joe Smiley, actually has more personality than most of the lead cast.
• The way they just casually decide to steal the painting back after the police get involved is… bold?

There’s a moment where Tim is just flirting while everything around him is falling apart. It’s very silly, but it works because the movie never pretends to be high art. It knows exactly what it is, even if it trips over its own feet every ten minutes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Get That Venus (1933) through its definitive frames.

Comparison time

It’s got that frantic energy you see in When Caesar Ran a Newspaper. Both films have that weird, dated sense of humor that either clicks for you or makes you want to check your watch. It’s not quite as sharp as the best of the era, but it’s got heart.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that got lost on its way to a real movie set. The dialogue is snappy, but sometimes it moves so fast you forget who is trying to steal what. I think I counted four different schemes happening at once by the middle of the second act.

Don’t think too hard about the ending. The police sergeant just sort of… lets it happen? Sure. Whatever. It’s a movie about a painting. Just enjoy the ride and ignore the glaring plot holes the size of a barn door.