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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. New Orleans remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
You should probably watch this today if you have a soft spot for old-fashioned melodrama and don't mind a bit of flicker. It is great for people who like seeing the 'high life' collide with the 'low life' in a way that feels very specific to the late 1920s.
If you hate silent movies or get annoyed by grainy footage, you will probably find this one a bit of a chore. But for the rest of us, it has a certain mood that is hard to find in modern stuff. 🎷
Ricardo Cortez plays our main guy, and he has this face that just looks like he belongs in a tuxedo. He starts off as a wealthy society man who loses everything because he’s a bit too fond of the cards.
He ends up in New Orleans, which, let’s be honest, looks more like a Hollywood backlot than the actual city. But the atmosphere is still there, even if the sets feel a little thin at the edges.
I noticed early on that the way he smokes his cigarettes tells you everything about his character. He’s nervous but trying to act like he’s still the richest guy in the room.
The movie doesn't waste much time getting him to the bottom. One minute he's at the top, and the next, he's wandering around the French Quarter looking a bit lost.
Alma Bennett shows up and she’s got that classic 1920s look where her eyes do most of the heavy lifting. Her performance is a bit dramatic, even for a silent film, but it fits the vibe here.
There is a scene in a gambling den that actually feels pretty tense. You can almost smell the stale cigar smoke through the screen. 🚬
I liked how the light hits the actors' faces in the darker scenes. It’s not as polished as The Patent Leather Kid, but it has its own charm.
Sometimes the title cards stay on the screen for way too long. I found myself reading them three times before they finally cut back to the action.
The writing by Jack Natteford and the Hattons is pretty standard for the time. It doesn't try to be too fancy with the dialogue, which I actually appreciate.
It reminded me a bit of Marriage for Convenience in how it handles social status. Everyone is so obsessed with who has money and who doesn't.
William Collier Jr. is also in this, and he does a decent job playing the loyal friend. Every movie like this needs that one guy who stays cool while everyone else is panicking.
The pacing is a bit weird, though. It feels like it’s rushing through the important parts and then spending ten minutes on a scene where people are just standing around a piano.
I spotted a cat in the background of one street scene that looked like it was trying to escape the set. It made me laugh because it was the most realistic thing in the whole shot.
The drama builds up to a big climax that involves a lot of pointing and worried expressions. It’s very 1929. 🎬
If you’ve seen Fashions for Women, you know how these movies love to show off costumes. There’s a bit of that here, but it’s mostly about the grit of the gambling halls.
I found the ending to be a little too neat. It’s like the movie suddenly realized it was almost out of film and had to wrap everything up in two minutes.
Still, there is something about the way Ricardo Cortez moves. He has this swagger that survives the grainy quality of the print.
It’s not as fast-paced as something like Adventure Mad. You have to be patient with it.
The New Orleans in this movie feels like a dream version of the city. It's all shadows and jazz-age archetypes wandering around in the dark.
I think the best part is just the visual texture of it. It feels like looking at an old, slightly damaged postcard from a trip you never took.
One reaction shot of a gambler losing his last dollar lingers for an eternity. It’s supposed to be sad, but the guy’s mustache is so big it’s hard to take him seriously.
It makes me want to dig up more stuff from this era, like The Romantic Journey. There’s a certain sincerity in these old films that we don’t get anymore.
The film doesn't have the huge budget of The Olympic Games, Amsterdam 1928, but it uses what it has well. It’s small, intimate, and a little bit messy.
If you're looking for a deep message, you won't find it here. It’s just a story about a guy who makes some bad choices and has to deal with them.
The way they handle the 'underworld' characters is pretty funny. They all look like they’ve never seen the sun in their lives.
I noticed some of the extras in the crowd scenes were looking directly at the camera. It’s those little mistakes that make these old movies feel more human to me.
Overall, it's a solid watch if you're already into the genre. It won't change your life, but it’s a good way to spend an hour and a half.
It’s a bit like The Whip Woman in its intensity. Just a lot of people feeling very strongly about things in small rooms.
I'd say give it a chance if you find a decent copy. Just don't expect it to be a masterpiece of world cinema.
It’s just a good, dusty piece of history that still has a bit of a pulse. And sometimes, that is enough for a Sunday afternoon. ☕
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