Good Morning, Judge is a goofy silent gem about lying for love

If you have got about an hour and want to see a rich guy act like a total dummy for a girl, this is 100% for you. It is light, it is silly, and it doesn't try to be anything but a good time. 🍿

If you can't stand the "liar revealed" trope where the whole plot depends on someone being dishonest, you are gonna want to skip this one. It will just make you feel annoyed at the screen.

Reginald Denny plays Freddie, and honestly, his face is doing so much work here. He has that classic "rich idler" look where you just know he has never washed a dish in his life.

He meets Julia (played by Mary Nolan), who is basically a saint running a mission for guys who just got out of the slammer. She is very serious, which makes Freddie’s goofy faces even funnier when they are in the same frame.

Freddie decides the best way to get her attention isn't to buy her flowers, but to pretend he's a hardened criminal. It is such a terrible plan, honestly.

There is a bit where he is trying to look "tough" at the mission, and he looks more like he is having a mild allergic reaction. I couldn't stop laughing at how he tries to walk with a swagger and just completely fails. 😂

Bull Montana shows up as one of the actual criminals, and let’s be real, his face is a national treasure. He looks like he was carved out of a very grumpy rock. 🗿

It reminds me a little of The Prince of Headwaiters in how it plays with social classes, but this is much more slapstick. It doesn't have the same polish, but it feels more energetic.

Some of the intertitles are a bit clunky, like they were written in a huge rush. One of them has a typo I think? Or maybe it is just old-timey slang I don't totally get.

The mission itself is such a weird set. It looks like a library crossed with a prison cafeteria, very grey and stiff.

There is a scene where they are all eating, and the way the "reformed" guys look at Freddie is priceless. They know he is a total fraud immediately.

It isn't as high-energy as Hit and Run, but it has its own weird rhythm. Sometimes the camera just sits there and lets the actors mess around for too long.

I noticed a guy in the background of a street scene who looks like he is actually lost. He just stares at the camera for three seconds before wandering off into a shop.

The romance is... fine, I guess. You know they will end up together, so there isn't much actual tension in the air.

But Mary Nolan is really lovely here, even if her character is a bit of a wet blanket sometimes. She plays the "sincere social worker" without making it too annoying to watch.

If you have seen All Man, you will recognize that specific silent-era obsession with "making a man out of someone." It’s a very common theme back then.

I think my favorite part was the ending sequence in the courtroom. The judge looks like he wants to be anywhere else on earth, which, honestly, same buddy.

It is a comfy movie. Not a masterpiece, but definitely not a waste of a Sunday afternoon. 🛋️