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Cult Review
Archivist John
Senior Editor
If you're looking for something to put on a Sunday afternoon when you just want to see people in 1920s clothes acting like idiots, this is it. It’s a great pick for anyone who loves silent comedies but is tired of the really slapstick stuff. If you hate movies where the main character is a spoiled rich kid who never faces real consequences, you will probably want to throw your remote at the screen by the thirty-minute mark.
I went into this one mostly because I saw Herman J. Mankiewicz was on the writing credits. You can actually tell he had a hand in it because the title cards are way funnier than they have any right to be. They have this snappy, cynical edge that makes the whole 'save my parents' marriage' plot feel less like a Hallmark card and more like a real mess.
Esther Ralston is the whole show here, honestly. She has this way of looking at the camera where you can tell she knows exactly how ridiculous she’s being. There’s a scene early on where she’s trying to decide how to be 'bad' and she just looks so bored with her own wealth. It’s relatable, in a weird way.
The whole plot is basically Nancy (Ralston) hearing that her parents are splitting up. She decides that if she becomes a public scandal, they’ll have to team up to save her. It’s that logic only a teenager in a movie would have. It reminds me a bit of the setup in Man Bait, but maybe a little less grimy.
She tries to get arrested, which is harder than she thinks because she's rich and pretty. The police basically keep apologizing to her for her breaking the law. There’s one guy in the background of the police station scene who looks like he’s actually falling asleep. I wonder if he was just an extra who didn't know the camera was on him.
Then she meets this guy, played by Lane Chandler. He’s supposed to be this poor, struggling dude, but let’s be real. He looks like he spends four hours a day on his hair. Their chemistry is actually pretty decent, even if the romance feels like it happens in about five minutes of screentime.
I noticed this one scene where they’re at a party and the background actors are just… doing too much. One lady in a flapper dress is waving her arms around like she’s trying to catch a bird. It’s so distracting once you notice it. But that’s the charm of these old silents, right? Everything is a little bit over the top.
There’s a bit of a mix-up with a jewelry theft that feels like it belongs in a different movie. It slows things down right when the comedy is getting good. It’s like the writers suddenly remembered they needed 'stakes' and just threw a crime in there. It’s not as well-handled as the crime stuff in Too Many Crooks, which felt more baked into the story.
Hedda Hopper shows up too! Before she was the terrifying gossip queen of Hollywood, she was actually a pretty good actress. She plays the 'other woman' sort of role here. She has this cold, sharp energy that balances out Ralston’s bubbliness. Every time she's on screen, the movie feels a little more grown-up.
The pacing gets a bit weird toward the end. It feels like they had about ten minutes of film left and realized they hadn't fixed the parents' marriage yet. So everything just… resolves. It’s not very satisfying if you’re looking for a deep emotional payoff, but it fits the vibe of a light comedy.
One thing that really stuck out was the fashion. I know that sounds shallow, but the hats in this movie are insane. There is one hat Esther wears that looks like a literal architectural model. I spent half a scene just wondering how she kept it on her head without it tipping over.
It’s a bit like Mary's Lamb in how it treats its lead girl as this force of nature. But Ralston feels more human than most of the stars from that era. She doesn't just do the 'wide-eyed doll' look. She actually looks like she’s thinking, which is nice.
The courtroom scene is probably the highlight for me. Nancy is trying so hard to be found guilty and the judge is just not having it. The back-and-forth in the title cards is genuinely funny. I actually laughed out loud at one of the insults she hurls at the bench. It’s a very Mankiewicz moment.
Is it a masterpiece? No. It’s not even the best movie from 1928. But it has this spark. It feels like a group of people having a good time making something that didn't have to be 'important.' Sometimes that’s better than a movie that’s trying to change the world.
I will say, the print I saw was a bit grainy in the middle. There’s a shot of a car driving down a street where the film gets all jittery. It almost makes it look like the car is jumping. I kind of liked it, though. It reminds you that you're watching something that survived a hundred years.
If you enjoy seeing how people used to flirt before they could talk on screen, give it a look. It’s mostly just leaning in really close and then looking away. It’s charming in a way that feels totally extinct now. Just don't expect the parents' subplot to actually make any sense by the time the curtains close.
I’m still thinking about that one extra in the police station. He really was just checked out. 10/10 performance from that guy.
IMDb —
1923
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