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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Rambling 'Round Radio Row #6 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like watching dusty, strange artifacts from early sound-era cinema, this is a fun little rabbit hole. If you need a plot or anything resembling a coherent structure, you are going to be miserable. It is basically a series of musical acts taped together with some very loose, very awkward charm.
The whole thing feels like somebody just left the cameras rolling in a room full of performers who were waiting for their actual gig to start. There is no polish here, and frankly, that is the only reason to watch it.
Harry Rose tries to act like he is mixing a musical cocktail, but it’s more like he’s just throwing ingredients at a wall. Some of the acts have a spark, sure, but others just stand there looking incredibly confused about where to put their hands.
It’s funny how much more interesting these forgotten shorts feel compared to something like The Pace That Thrills, which at least tries to pretend it has a point. Here, there is no pretense. It’s just noise and faces.
There is a weird, hollow resonance to the studio space. You can hear the floorboards creaking under the dancers, which is honestly my favorite part. It makes it feel grounded in a way that modern stuff never is.
It definitely has more soul than the overly staged bits in One Day in Hollywood. It's just a bunch of people trying to put on a show in a tiny room, and you can see the sweat. 😅
Sometimes the camera just lingers on a performer’s face for way too long after they finish singing. It gets genuinely uncomfortable. I kind of love it.