Not Damaged (1930) Review: A Weirdly Charming Early Talkie

You should watch this if you are bored on a Sunday and have a weird obsession with how people dressed in 1930. 👒

It is mostly for folks who find old department store sets charming and don't mind a lot of fast talking. If you want a movie with actual action or a plot that moves like a normal person walks, you will probably hate it.

It is very stiff, like most movies from that year, because they were still figuring out where to hide the microphones. But there is something kinda sweet about it.

Lois Moran plays Gwen, and she’s a girl who works at a department store and just wants a little romance in her life. She goes to see this fortune teller who is wearing what looks like a heavy velvet curtain for an outfit. 🔮

The fortune teller tells her she is going to meet a "tall, dark stranger." It is the oldest trope in the book, even back then. Gwen is skeptical at first, which I liked. She’s not a total pushover for the supernatural stuff.

But then, predictably, things start happening that make her think twice. The way she latterly concedes to the premonitions is a bit sudden. One thing goes right and suddenly she’s convinced the stars are aligned.

The Department Store Energy

I really liked the scenes in the store. It feels like a real place, even if the lighting is a bit flat and gray.

The extras in the background actually look like they are working. Sometimes in movies like Private Affairs, the extras just stand there looking confused.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Not Damaged (1930) through its definitive frames.

In this one, they are busy folding clothes and moving boxes. It makes the world feel a bit more alive. Even if the main actors are acting like they are on a stage a hundred miles away.

The "tall dark stranger" is played by Walter Byron. Honestly, he just looks like every other guy from 1930 with a mustache and slick hair. He doesn't feel very mysterious to me. He feels like he wants to sell me a used car or some life insurance.

The chemistry between him and Gwen is... okay. It is that very polite, 1930s kind of romance where they stand three feet apart and talk about their feelings very clearly.

There is a scene where they just stare at each other for a bit too long. It starts to feel awkward rather than romantic, like the director forgot to yell cut. One reaction shot of Lois Moran lingers so long it becomes funny.

The Snappy Dialogue

The writers, Frank Gay and Harold Atteridge, clearly wanted the dialogue to be snappy. Sometimes it works and it’s pretty funny. Other times, it’s just a lot of noise. 🗣️

It reminds me a bit of When Love Is Blind but with more people talking at the same time. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you that these conversations matter more than they do.

Inez Courtney is actually the best part of the movie. She plays the friend and she has all the best lines. She’s got this high-pitched voice that should be annoying but it’s actually just really fun.

• The sound quality is a bit fuzzy, like everyone is talking through a woolen sock.
• The hats are absolutely incredible.
• The pacing is weird; it starts slow and then everything happens in the last ten minutes.
• There is a very long shot of a telephone that I think was supposed to be dramatic?

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Not Damaged (1930) through its definitive frames.

If you have seen The Forbidden Room, you know how these early sound movies can be a bit clunky. They are trying so hard to be modern. Not Damaged is exactly like that.

It is not a masterpiece. But it’s not a disaster either. It’s just a comfy watch if you like black and white movies.

I dont really know why the movie is called Not Damaged. It’s a weird title that doesn't really seem to fit the story about fortune tellers. Maybe it sounded cooler in 1930? I guess we will never know.

The ending is a bit of a cop-out, to be honest. It all wraps up way too neatly. But hey, people wanted happy endings back then because the world was a mess.

It’s a bit like We Can't Have Everything in its vibe. Just people wanting things they can't quite get until the script says they can.

One more thing: the way Gwen walks across the room is so deliberate. Like she is trying really hard not to trip over the microphone cables hidden under the rug. You can almost see her thinking about where her feet are going.

Overall, it's a decent way to spend an hour. Just don't expect to remember much of it by tomorrow morning. 😴

Check out Jack O'Clubs if you want something with more grit. But for a rainy afternoon, this one is perfectly fine.