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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
You should probably watch Melody Lane if you're the kind of person who likes looking at old dusty relics in a museum and wondering how they actually worked. 🏺
If you're looking for a smooth, fast-paced action movie or a romance that makes sense, you are going to absolutely hate this.
It’s from 1929, which means the movie is basically a toddler learning how to talk. The sound is crunchy and everyone stands very still, probably because they were terrified of moving away from the hidden microphones.
The story follows this songwriter guy who dumps his chorus girl girlfriend to go fight in WWI. Because apparently, writing songs wasn't stressful enough.
Once he gets to France, he meets Madelon, played by Josephine Dunn. She’s a singer, and honestly, she’s the only reason this movie doesn't completely fall apart in the first twenty minutes.
There is this one scene in a French cafe where the extras are just... sitting there. They look like they're waiting for someone to tell them it's okay to blink. 👁️
The war scenes are hilariously small. You can tell they had about five feet of trench and three bags of dirt to work with.
Our hero gets 'crippled' in action, which in 1920s movie language mostly means he looks a bit sad and sits in a chair a lot. It’s not exactly a gritty war drama.
When he gets back to the States, his original girlfriend basically says 'thanks but no thanks' and leaves him. It’s cold, but you kind of get it because he’s been moping for thirty minutes straight.
Then Madelon shows up in the USA because of course she does. She’s looking for work as a singer and just happens to stumble into him.
The movie really leans into the idea that music can fix anything. Like, literally anything. 🎶
The ending is the best part because it's so ridiculous. He hears her singing one of his old songs and he is just... cured.
He just stands up! The power of a good melody, I guess? I wish my physical therapist worked that fast.
The acting is very stagey, especially Eddie Leonard. He was a big deal in minstrel shows back then, and he brings that whole 'performing for the back row' energy to the screen. It’s a bit much for a close-up.
If you’ve seen The Cocoanuts from the same year, you’ll recognize that weird, hollow echo in the voices. It makes everyone sound like they are shouting from the bottom of a well.
There’s a strange moment where a character just stares at a piano for about ten seconds too long. I think someone forgot to yell 'cut' or the actor forgot his line. It’s beautifully awkward.
I found myself distracted by the hats. Everyone in 1929 had such aggressive headwear.
The movie is way more interesting as a history lesson than as a story. It’s trying so hard to be a 'talkie' that it forgets to be a movie sometimes.
Compared to something like My Man, it feels a bit more structured, but that’s not saying much. Early sound films are just their own weird species.
I noticed that the camera almost never moves. It’s like the tripod was glued to the floor. It gives you a bit of claustrophobia after a while.
Jane La Verne plays the kid, and she’s actually not as annoying as most child actors from that era. Usually, they act like tiny 40-year-old men, but she’s okay.
There’s a bit of a tangent where they show some sheet music, and the font is actually really cool. I spent way too long looking at the graphic design instead of listening to the dialogue. 🎨
The 'miracle cure' scene is definitely the highlight for all the wrong reasons. It’s so earnest that you can’t help but smile at how silly it is.
If you’re into the vibes of The Night Workers or The New Babylon, this might feel a bit too 'showbiz' for you. It’s definitely aiming for the cheap seats.
It’s a short movie, which is a blessing. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, even if the middle section drags like a wet blanket.
I think I saw a shadow of a microphone boom at one point during the hospital scene. Or maybe it was just a very deliberate 1920s shadow. Who knows?
Actually, the best way to watch this is with a friend so you can make fun of the dramatic pauses together. It’s a social experience.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a 'good' movie by modern standards. But it has this clunky heart that I kind of respect.
If you have 70 minutes to kill and want to feel like you’ve traveled back to a smoky theater in 1929, give it a go. Just don't expect it to make much sense. 📽️
It’s definitely better than some of the other junk from that year, like Flapper Fever, but it’s no Jazz Singer.
Final thought: The songwriter guy is kind of a jerk for leaving his first girlfriend like that, but the movie just glosses over it. Typical. 🤷♂️
IMDb —
1916
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