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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Going Places remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Okay, so Going Places from 1930, it’s a curious little short, really. If you're someone who actively seeks out early talkies, the kind that feel almost like a staged play recorded on film, then you might find a certain charm here. It’s definitely not for folks looking for a tight plot or polished performances; more a historical snapshot for the really dedicated film buff. Most people today? You'll probably find it slow, maybe even a bit perplexing, and that's totally fair.
The whole premise is simple: two fellas, clearly down on their luck, somehow bluff their way into a nice restaurant. Frank McNellis and Sam Lee play these 'bums,' and their dynamic is less Laurel and Hardy and more... well, just two guys trying to get by. You can almost feel the film trying to set up a classic 'fish out of water' scenario, but it never quite lands with a big splash. 🐠
There's this one bit where they're trying to act all sophisticated, talking about how they're "self-made men." McNellis delivers it with this puffed-up chest sort of energy, but his eyes just give away the game. Lee, on the other hand, seems to mostly just nod along, maybe a little too eagerly. It’s less comedy, more a slightly uncomfortable peek into a moment.
The dialogue, typical for early sound films, feels very much like it was written for the stage. It’s delivered in these *very* specific cadences. You can almost hear the actors thinking about hitting their marks for the sound engineer, rather than just having a conversation. Joan Clements, as maybe a waitress or another patron, gets a few lines, and she’s got that classic 1930s screen presence – very deliberate, very proper.
The restaurant itself, the set design, it’s all pretty basic. Like, was that tablecloth *really* supposed to be that rumpled? Little things like that catch your eye. You spend more time noticing the background details than getting lost in the "story." There's a moment when Al Shaw, another cast member, makes a brief appearance, and I honestly just remembered his tie knot more than anything he said. It was just... very neat. ✨
They admit they're a "couple of comics." This part is where you expect some kind of routine or a flash of genuine wit. Instead, it’s more of a declaration, almost like an excuse for being there. The humor, if you can call it that, comes from the sheer audacity of their claim rather than any actual jokes they tell. It’s a very quiet kind of comedy, almost accidental.
What sticks with you isn't the laughs, but the vibe of it all. It’s a tiny time capsule. The way people dressed, the formality, even in a supposed comedy. It’s a world that feels a million miles away, even with its simple premise. The scene goes on about 15 seconds too long after they make their big pronouncement, and the silence just hangs there. You can feel the *lack* of a big punchline. It’s almost endearing in its awkwardness.
So, yeah, *Going Places* isn't going to be anyone's favorite movie of all time. It’s a curio. A very, very short window into a different era of filmmaking. It’s like finding an old postcard – interesting to hold, but not something you’d spend hours analyzing. You just look at it, nod, and put it back. ✉️
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