Screen Snapshots Series 12 No 7 Review: 1930s Celebrity TikTok

If you have about nine minutes and want to see people from the 1930s acting like they don't see the camera, this is a fun trip. It’s mostly for people who love old movies or just like seeing how high pants used to be back then.

If you hate old, grainy footage or narrators who sound like they are selling you a used car at 100 miles per hour, you should probably skip it.

The whole thing feels like a home movie that accidentally had a tiny budget. There is this one shot of a group of actors at a charity baseball game where they all look like they are trying so hard to have fun for the lens.

One guy misses the ball by a mile and just laughs at the sky. It actually feels more real than most of the scripted movies that came out that year.

The narrator is the real star here, though. He talks so fast I think his tongue might have been on fire while recording.

He introduces everyone like they are royalty. Even if they only had one line in a movie once, he acts like they are the king of the world.

It’s a bit like watching Sing, Bing, Sing if you removed all the singing and just kept the awkward 'famous people' energy. The transitions are pretty rough too.

One second we are at a pool, and then boom, we are looking at a horse. I noticed one actress in the background of a party scene who looks totally bored.

She’s just staring at her drink while everyone else is grinning like maniacs for the camera. I really felt that.

It reminded me of the random variety you get in something like Believe It or Not (Second Series) #11. You don't really learn anything deep about Hollywood here.

It’s just a vibe check from 1933. Some of the outfits are honestly incredible to look at now.

How did they move in those suits? The film quality is pretty beat up, with scratches everywhere on the frame.

It adds to the charm, I guess. Like finding an old photo in a dusty box in your attic.

It’s way better than watching a modern documentary about the same era. At least this was actually *there* when it happened.

You see a few faces that might look familiar if you’ve spent time watching Romance of the Underworld. Or maybe not.

Most of these people are totally forgotten now. That’s the part that sticks with me after it ends.

Everyone here is so young and 'important,' and now they are just a digital file on a server. The camera lingers on a guy eating a sandwich for way too long in one bit.

He realizes he's being filmed and his face goes through three different emotions in two seconds. He settles on a weird, stiff smile that looks painful.

You get these flashes of the 'real' Hollywood that usually got edited out of the big features like Sally's Shoulders. I think my favorite part was the fashion.

Men in 1933 really loved hats. They wore hats to the beach and they wore hats to play tennis.

The music is that tinny, upbeat orchestral stuff that makes everything feel like a parade is about to start. Even when they are just standing around a buffet table, the music makes it feel like The Most Important Event Ever.

I found myself squinting at the screen trying to see what they were eating. It looks like a lot of gelatin.

People in the 30s loved putting things in gelatin for some reason. If you've seen The Showdown, you know how serious these studios could be.

This short is the opposite. It’s the studio letting its hair down, even if it’s all obviously staged for PR.

It’s a weirdly lonely experience watching this alone at night. All these people laughing and waving at a future they wouldn't ever see.

The way they interact feels performative. Is it art? Probably not.

But it’s a great way to waste a few minutes before bed. The film ends so abruptly it actually made me jump a little bit.

No credits, just a black screen. It’s like the movie just gave up on itself.

The Screen Snapshots series was basically the 'People Magazine' of its day. Without the glossy paper.

I think I saw someone who looked like my grandfather in the background of the horse race. He wasn't, but he had the same exact hat.

It’s a strange little piece of media. Not quite a movie, not quite a news report. Just a snapshot.

I'll probably watch the next one tomorrow if I can find it. I need to know if the sandwich guy comes back. 🎥