Hello Thar (1930) Review: Why are they all shouting? 📢

If you have about ten minutes and want to see what a movie looks like when people are still figuring out where to hide the microphone, this is for you. You should watch this if you're the kind of person who likes looking at old photos of strangers and wondering what they smelled like. (Probably wool and cigarettes). 🚬

You will probably hate this if you need things like 'high definition' or 'plots that make sense' to enjoy your life. It is very much a product of 1930, which means it is noisy and everyone looks slightly panicked.

Edward Buzzell is the main guy here. He has this energy that says 'I am doing this for the paycheck, but I am going to have a great time doing it.' He eventually became a director, but here he’s just a guy with a very expressive face.

The film is called Hello Thar, which I think is supposed to be a joke? Or maybe that is just how people said hello in the mountains back then. I don't know. I wasn't there.

Clay Clement and Caryl Bergman are in it too. Clement has this very serious posture that feels like he is trying to hold his breath the whole time. It makes him look like a statue that might fall over if someone sneezes. 🗿

The Weird Stuff I Noticed

• The audio hiss is so loud it sounds like a swarm of bees is attacking the set. 🐝
• You can see the makeup lines on their necks where the powder just stops.
• Someone closes a door and it sounds like a cannon going off.
• The lighting is so harsh that shadows occasionally just eat the actors' faces.

It’s very stagey. It feels like a play that was filmed in a basement with one very bright lightbulb. I kept thinking about The Red Mark while watching this, mostly because both films have that 'we are trying so hard' vibe.

There is a bit of a song-and-dance thing happening, but it’s not really a musical. It’s more like a skit you’d see at a talent show where the performers are actually talented but the stage is made of cardboard.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Hello Thar (1930) through its definitive frames.

The dialogue is fast. Like, scary fast. They talk like they are afraid the film is going to run out before they get to the punchline. Lots of 'Say!' and 'Listen here, brother!'

I caught myself looking at the background more than the people. The sets are so thin you can almost see the wood grain on the 'stone' walls. It’s charming in a way that modern movies just aren't.

"It’s like a warm blanket that smells slightly like mothballs."

Caryl Bergman has this look in her eyes like she’s trying to remember her next line while also trying not to look at the camera. I’ve had that exact same look during every job interview I’ve ever been to. It’s very relatable.

I also kept thinking about All Wet for some reason. Maybe it’s just that feeling of people being happy to be on camera, even if the technology isn't quite there yet.

There is a moment where someone moves their head and the shadow just swallows the other person entirely. It’s unintentionally funny and I rewatched it three times.

Don't expect a masterpiece. This isn't a 'profound exploration' of anything. It’s just ten minutes of people being silly before the Great Depression really ruined the mood for everyone.

By the time your coffee is finished brewing, the movie will be over. You’ll probably forget most of it by lunch. But for those ten minutes, you’re back in 1930, and everyone is shouting at you.

It’s a weird trip. If you find a copy, give it a whirl. Just don't turn the volume up too high or your neighbors will think you're watching a riot. 📢