Going Places (1929) is twenty minutes of glorious, clunky chaos

Is this worth watching today? Honestly, only if you have twenty minutes and a weirdly high tolerance for grainy footage of guys in oversized suits.

If you love early slapstick where the jokes are mostly about people being in the wrong place at the wrong time, you’ll dig it. If you need a plot that actually makes sense or high-def visuals, you will probably hate this with a passion.

It’s a very thin movie. George Davis has this face that looks like it’s constantly apologizing for existing, which works perfectly for the character.

The whole thing feels like it was shot on a Tuesday morning before the cast had their coffee. There is a specific moment where George is trying to handle some luggage and he looks genuinely confused about how hands work. 👋

I caught this right after watching A Man About Town and the vibe is totally different. While that one felt a bit more structured, Going Places feels like someone just turned on a camera and said "Okay, George, go be annoying over there."

The sound quality is... well, it's 1929. It sounds like everyone is talking through a tin can filled with gravel.

Sometimes the actors stop moving for a second too long, like they’re waiting for someone off-camera to tell them what to do next. It’s charming in a clunky, old-school way.

Helen Levine and Jackie Levine are there too, though they mostly seem to be reacting to whatever mess George is making. Their expressions are great—mostly just sheer exasperation.

I noticed a weird shadow on the back wall during the indoor scene. It definitely wasn't supposed to be there, but they just kept filming anyway.

It reminded me of the pacing in The Only Road, where things just kind of happen because they need to fill the runtime. Not every scene needs to be a masterpiece, right?

There’s a bit with a hat that goes on for way too long. Like, we get it, the hat is in the way, move on already! 🎩

But then George does this little double-take that actually made me chuckle out loud. It’s those small, human moments that save these old shorts from being totally boring.

The sets look like they might fall over if a stiff breeze came through the studio. You can almost see the edges of the backdrop in one of the wider shots.

If you've seen Lost Money, you know how these late-20s productions can feel a bit identity-less. They are stuck between the visual storytelling of silent films and the talky-talky nature of the new era.

Going Places doesn't really have a message. It doesn't have a point. It’s just a guy being a goof.

I think I liked it more because it wasn't trying to be important. It’s just a time capsule of a very specific kind of low-stakes comedy.

The editing is pretty jumpy. One second he's by the door, the next he's practically across the room. I think they lost a few frames of film somewhere over the last ninety years.

It’s not as polished as The Deuce, but it has more heart in its pinky finger. Or at least, it’s more honest about being a bit of a mess.

One reaction shot from Bobby Newman lingers so long it actually becomes funny for the wrong reasons. He just stares. And stares.

I wonder if they had fun making this. It feels like a bunch of friends getting together to see if they could make a movie in a weekend.

Don't go into this expecting some big revelation about the human condition. Expect a guy tripping over his own feet and some very loud silence. 🤫

Is it a classic? Probably not. Is it a good way to spend twenty minutes while you're waiting for your laundry to dry? Absolutely.

It’s got that weird energy that only early talkies have. Everything is a bit too loud or a bit too quiet, and the actors are still figuring out how to talk and move at the same time.

If you see it on a playlist of old shorts, don't skip it. Just don't expect it to change your life.

Actually, the way George Davis walks is kind of hypnotic. He has this bouncy step like he’s walking on trampolines.

Anyway, it's a short film. It does its job and then it leaves. No filler, just pure 1920s awkwardness.