Checking in on the stars of 1934

Is this even a movie?

If you're looking for a plot, go watch The Ace of Spades instead. This isn't a story, it's a collection of grainy newsreel footage from 1934 that feels like someone’s grandfather dug it out of a dusty attic. You should watch this only if you’re a total nerd for old Hollywood fashion or just want to see what a tennis tournament looked like before everyone started wearing neon.

Honestly, if you find history boring, you are going to absolutely hate this. It’s short, it’s shaky, and it’s basically just people waving at a camera.

The Stooges sighting

The whole thing is pretty dry until you hit the boxing match segment. Suddenly, you see The Three Stooges just sitting there in the crowd, looking like they have no idea why they are being filmed. It’s incredibly bizarre to see them as just random guys in a background shot.

They look bored. I kind of felt bored with them. It’s that weird, detached feeling you get when you realize these icons were just people killing time at a fight.

Bits and bobs

• The birthday party for Gene Raymond feels like it lasted three hours, even though it was probably two minutes.
• The tennis outfits are wild. Why were they wearing sweaters in the middle of a match?
• The camera work is so jerky it makes you feel like you're on a boat. 🤢
• I spent most of the time wondering who half these people were.

It’s a strange little artifact. It reminds me a bit of the pacing issues in Red Hot Rhythm, where you just want the scene to jump to something with a little more life. But hey, it’s 1934. Everything was a little stiff back then, I guess.

There's no grand message here. Just a bunch of famous faces trying to look natural while a guy with a camera hovers way too close to their faces. Classic.