Over the Garden Wall (1934) review: Loud aunts, cheap dances, and a lot of silly charm

If you have seventy minutes to spare and want to feel like you stepped into a dusty attic full of old theatrical props, Over the Garden Wall is absolutely worth a watch. It is perfect for anyone who loves silly, fast-talking British comedies from the 1930s. But if you cannot stand shrill voices or plots that make zero sense, you should probably stay far away. 🚪

The whole thing starts on a train, which is always a great way to kick off a movie. Bunny—played by Bobby Howes with the energy of a puppy who just drank an espresso—sees this beautiful girl named Mary through the window.

Turns out, they are staying right next door to each other in the countryside. But of course, there is a catch. Their aunts absolutely despise each other. It is basically Romeo and Juliet, but with way more screaming and some very awkward musical numbers. 🎶

Bobby Howes is the main reason to watch this, honestly. He has this incredibly rubbery face and does these little physical bits that made me laugh out loud. He is just so desperate to be liked.

Marian Marsh plays Mary, and she is fine, though she mostly just has to look pretty and look slightly worried. Her chemistry with Howes is weird because he feels like a cartoon character and she feels like a real person who wandered onto the wrong set.

The aunts are the real menace here. Bertha Belmore plays Bunny's aunt, and she has this permanent look of utter disgust. When she starts arguing with the neighbor aunt, the audio gets so loud and distorted that I had to reach for my remote. 🎚️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Over the Garden Wall (1934) through its definitive frames.

At one point, there is this bizarre musical number that tries to copy Busby Berkeley. It has a fan dance, but you can tell the budget was about five pounds and some cardboard. It is wonderfully cheap and honest in its cheapness.

It reminds me a bit of the chaotic energy in older silents like Twin Kiddies, where everyone is just running around trying to resolve misunderstandings. Nobody stops to think for even a second.

There is this one scene where Bunny tries to climb over the garden wall—hence the title—and he just keeps slipping. It goes on for so long that I started wondering if the actor actually got hurt. It is a bit painful but you cannot look away.

The editing is also pretty wild. Sometimes a scene will just end mid-sentence, and suddenly we are in a completely different room. I love that kind of rough filmmaking because it feels so human and rushed.

By the time they decide to elope, the movie has completely given up on logic. They just need to get to the end of the script so everyone can go home. And honestly, I respect that.

If you are looking for a masterpiece, this is not it. But as a weird little time capsule of 1930s British music hall humor, it is a total blast. Just keep your hand near the volume button during the aunt fights. 👵💥