Leathernecking (1928) Review: A Quaint, Uneven Early Musical

Okay, so "Leathernecking." It's a 1928 film, which means you're really stepping back in time. The sound quality, for one, is often... charming. You catch bits of dialogue, then it's like someone turned the faucet off for a second, then it's back. Very early talkie vibes, you know? 🎙️

Our main guy, Chick Evans (played by Eddie Foy Jr., who's got this kind of restless, almost frenetic energy), is head-over-heels for Delphine Witherspoon. She's got money, she's got class, and Chick, well, he's just a Marine private. The whole setup feels pretty standard for the era. That classic "guy from the wrong side of the tracks trying to get the rich girl" kind of thing.

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

His first big idea? Impersonate an officer to get into a fancy party. It goes exactly as you'd expect. His Marine buddies, led by Benny Rubin, show up and just kind of barge in. The whole thing spirals into this chaotic mess. Rubin, by the way, has some truly *wild* facial expressions. You see him in the background sometimes, just reacting to things, and it’s almost more entertaining than the main plot. He's really working it for the camera.

Delphine, understandably, is not impressed when Chick's real rank comes out. He’s pretty deflated after that. Then there's Edna, a mutual friend, who tries to play matchmaker. She sets up a meeting on Delphine's yacht. This is where things really start to go off the rails, but not in the way you'd necessarily hope for a musical.

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

The yacht scene is a bit of a drag. There are a lot of people on this boat, and it feels like everyone's just kind of waiting for something to happen. The dialogue gets a bit stiff here, like they’re reading lines for the first time. Chick, in a fit of pure desperation, convinces the captain to *fake a shipwreck*. I wrote that down as "seriously?" in my notes, because the logic really takes a vacation there. 🚢

And then, wouldn't you know it, a real storm hits! Suddenly, they're actually wrecked on a desert island. This turn feels pretty abrupt, even for a movie from this period. One minute, it's a silly misunderstanding, the next, they're stranded. The special effects for the storm are what you'd call... enthusiastic. Lots of rocking boat, some visible wires, the usual. It’s charming in its effort, I guess.

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

On the island, Chick just keeps trying to win Delphine over. He's relentless. You gotta give him that. He just doesn't quit, even when she's clearly annoyed. And eventually, she comes around. It’s a bit fast, but hey, desert island romance, right? They get rescued, return to Honolulu, and Chick gets hailed as a hero. Promoted to captain, too. Everything just kind of works out in the end. ✨ It's a very neat little bow.

What really stuck with me were these little moments that probably weren't meant to be the main takeaway:

• The way Rita La Roy, as Delphine, tries to keep a straight face during some of Chick's more absurd antics. You can almost see her trying not to crack up in a few shots.
• Ned Sparks shows up for a bit. He's got that perfectly deadpan delivery even back then, a true master. Always a welcome sight.
• There's a song number where the choreography just feels a little... *off*. Like they hadn't quite figured out how to make song and dance translate cleanly to film yet. The camera just kind of sits there, watching.
• One shot of the ocean during the "storm" sequence looks suspiciously like a bathtub. Or maybe a really big sink. It’s hard to tell.
• The whole "getting promoted to captain" bit at the end happens so fast you almost miss it. Just a quick title card, and bam, he's a hero.

The music itself, being Rodgers and Hart, has some catchy tunes, but they don't always land with the same punch as they would on stage. The film often feels like it's just pointing a camera at a play, rather than really *using* the medium of film. It's an interesting contrast to see how much early cinema was still figuring things out. They hadn't quite figured out how to move the camera for these big musical numbers, so it feels very static.

Irene Dunne is in this, too! Though not in a huge role, more of a supporting character. It’s fun to spot these familiar faces from later films, seeing them in their earlier work. She has this undeniable elegance even in a smaller part. You can tell she was destined for bigger things.

Ultimately, "Leathernecking" is a snapshot. It's a window into what musicals looked like right when sound came in. It’s clunky, it’s silly, and sometimes it’s genuinely charming in its earnestness. It’s definitely not a hidden gem for everyone, but for those curious about film history, especially the very early talkies, there’s something here. Just be ready for an experience that feels very much from another time. ⏳ It’s an acquired taste, for sure.