Rolling Along (1934) is mostly just two guys yelling on a bus

Is it worth your time?

You should probably watch this if you have twenty minutes to spare and you like old-school shouting matches. If you hate slapstick or people being loud for no reason, stay far away from this one.

It is a weird little relic from 1934 that feels like it was filmed in a broom closet. Honestly, I think it’s kinda charming in a clunky way.

The main guys

George Sidney and Charles Murray were this comedy duo that mostly just bickered. In this one, they play bus drivers who absolutely despise each other.

The movie starts with them almost crashing into each other. It’s very high-energy right from the jump, maybe a bit too high if you haven't had your coffee yet.

I noticed George Sidney’s mustache looks like it might fall off if he yells too hard. And he yells alot.

They get assigned to the same bus because of some logic I didn't really follow. It doesn't really matter why they are together, it just matters that they are annoyed.

The Bus Ride from Hell

The bus itself looks like it’s made of tin foil and prayer. It’s cramped and everyone is basically sitting on top of each other.

Then the passengers get on. There are these two kids, Sherwood Bailey and Buster Phelps, who are basically tiny agents of chaos.

One of them has a horn or a whistle, I forget which, but the noise is piercing. It reminded me of Whoozit where the comedy is just people being inconvenienced by objects.

There is this one shot where the bus hits a bump and everyone bounces in unison. You can tell they are all just jumping on their seats to make it look like the bus is moving fast.

The Drunk Guy

Arthur Housman shows up as the drunk passenger. He made a whole career out of playing drunks and he is really good at it here.

He just leans against things and looks confused while the world ends around him. His face is probably the funniest thing in the whole movie.

At one point, he tries to help and just makes everything ten times worse. It’s a classic bit, but it still works because his timing is so lazy and perfect.

Specific weird things I noticed

• The back of the bus looks like a painted backdrop that wobbles sometimes.
• Charles Murray has a way of looking at the camera like he's asking the audience for a refund on his life.
• The sound quality is a bit fuzzy, so you have to really listen to hear the insults they are throwing.
• There is a moment with a flat tire that goes on way too long.

I kept thinking about Roaring Rails while watching this. That movie has way more action, but Rolling Along feels more like a stressful Tuesday morning commute.

Why it feels a bit off

The editing is pretty jumpy. Sometimes a character will be on the left and then suddenly they are on the right in the next shot.

It feels like they were in a huge rush to finish filming before the sun went down. I kind of like that though.

It makes the movie feel alive and messy instead of being some perfect museum piece. It's just a bunch of guys trying to make a buck and have a laugh.

The ending is very abrupt. It just... stops.

No real resolution, just everyone being tired and the credits rolling. It’s honestly the most relatable part of the film.

If you enjoy this kind of transport-themed chaos, you might also like Out of the Clouds, even though that’s much later and on a plane. There's just something about strangers being stuck together that makes for good movies.

Overall, it's a loud, dusty, slightly annoying good time. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything.