Girls Gone Wild (1929) - A Silent Cop Drama with Too Many Hats

If you're looking for a movie with a title that sounds like a 2000s late-night commercial, this isn't it. This is a 1929 silent film about a dad who is also a cop and his daughter who really likes to party.

It is definitely worth watching if you enjoy old motorcycles and very aggressive 1920s fashion. People who hate slow, silent storytelling will probably want to skip this one entirely.

William Russel (yes, with one 'l' sometimes in the credits, but let's stick with two) plays Dan Brown. He is a motorcycle policeman and he looks like he has seen way too many car crashes.

His daughter is Babs, played by Sue Carol. She has this energy where she’s constantly looking for a mirror even when she’s supposed to be in trouble.

The first ten minutes are just people driving around and looking very serious. It’s funny how 'wild' back then just meant wearing a slightly shorter skirt and staying out past 10 PM. 🍸

There is this one scene where Dan is trying to fix his motorcycle and he looks genuinely annoyed with the machine. It didn't feel like acting; it felt like a man who actually hated that specific bike.

I noticed that the title cards have this weird, blocky font. It makes the word 'Babs' look like 'Rabs' if you squint too hard.

Nick Stuart is in this too, playing the boyfriend. He and Sue Carol were a real-life couple, and you can kind of tell because they look very comfortable ignoring everyone else in the room.

The party scenes are loud, even without sound. You can almost feel the vibration of the floorboards through the grainy film stock.

It reminded me a bit of Youth for Sale, but with more exhaust fumes and less lecturing. Though, there is still quite a bit of lecturing.

Hedda Hopper shows up as an aunt or something, and her hat is so big it practically has its own zip code. I spent three minutes just wondering how she kept her neck straight.

The chase scenes are actually pretty impressive for 1929. The cameras were heavy back then, so seeing them move this fast is honestly kind of cool.

There is a guy in the background of the cafe scene who just stares at the camera for three seconds too long. It is creepy and I love it. 👁️

The plot gets a bit messy when the bootleggers show up. It feels like the movie suddenly realized it needed more 'action' and just threw some criminals in.

Matthew Betz plays a guy named Tony who is a 'hoodlum.' He has a face that looks like it was carved out of a very old, very grumpy potato.

I liked this more than The Girl in the Limousine because the stakes felt a bit more real. Even if the 'danger' is just a bunch of kids in a Ford Model T.

There’s a moment where Babs gets caught by her dad and the look on her face is pure 'I'm grounded and I hate it.' We’ve all been there, Babs.

The ending feels a bit rushed, like they were running out of film or the sun was going down. It just sort of... stops.

It’s a shame this was Russell's last film. He had a very solid, physical presence that worked well for a cop role.

If you've seen Evangeline, this is the complete opposite of that vibe. This is dirty and fast and a bit clunky in the middle.

I found myself rewinding a bit where a dog runs across the street in the background. I don't think the dog was supposed to be there, but he seemed to be having a great time.

Sometimes the editing is so fast it feels like a modern music video. Then it slows down for a three-minute conversation about nothing.

The way they filmed the night scenes is interesting. Everything is tinted blue, which is a classic silent movie trick, but it makes the headlights look like ghost eyes.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but it’s a fun way to spend an hour. It’s got a lot of heart even if it doesn't have a lot of logic. 🏍️

The lighting in the final warehouse scene is actually pretty moody. It made me forget for a second that I was watching a movie about a motorcycle cop's feelings.

One of the title cards says something about 'the restless generation.' Every generation thinks they invented being restless, I guess.

I'm glad I watched it, mostly for the hats. And the motorcycles. But mostly the hats.