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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you love old Hollywood or just like seeing how people used to dress when they went outside, then yes. You should watch this. If you need a plot or characters that actually go somewhere, you will absolutely hate it.
It’s not really a movie, anyway. It’s more like a home movie that someone accidentally spent a lot of money on.
Ralph Staub was the guy behind these things. He basically invented the 'celebrity sighting' genre before it got all mean and loud.
This specific one, Series 9 No. 12, feels like a time machine that’s a little bit broken. The film is grainy and the sound has that hissing noise that makes you feel like you're standing in a rainstorm.
I found myself squinting at the screen trying to recognize faces. Some of these people were huge stars, and now they’re just... people in weird hats.
There’s a scene at a golf tournament, I think? Or maybe just a park. Everyone is wearing suits, even though it looks like it’s about 90 degrees out. Why did they wear so many layers back then?
One lady waves at the camera for a really long time. Like, three seconds too long. It gets awkward. You can tell she doesn't know if the camera is still rolling or if she can stop smiling yet.
That’s the stuff I love about these shorts. It’s the stuff that wasn’t supposed to be 'art.'
It reminds me of the pacing in something like Jolly Tars where things just sort of happen because the camera was there. There isn't a big 'why' to any of it.
There is a guy in the background of one shot who is just staring at a tree. He isn't a star. He’s probably a grip or a brother-in-law. But I couldn't stop watching him.
The narration is a bit much. Ralph Staub sounds like he’s trying to sell you a used car and a diamond ring at the same time.
He talks about the stars like they are gods, but the footage shows them tripping over grass or fixing their ties. The disconnect is hilarious.
It makes you think about The Honor of Mary Blake and how serious movies tried to be back then. Then you see this and realize everyone was just goofing around between takes.
I noticed a dog in one shot. A little terrier. It looked more professional than half the actors.
The film stock is so old it almost looks like a ghost story. Faces blur into white circles if the sun hits them too hard.
It’s bursty. One second they are at a pool, then suddenly they are at a premiere. No transitions. Just BAM, new location.
It’s way less polished than Mid-Channel, which feels like a luxury cruise compared to this handheld chaos.
We spend so much time watching perfectly edited stuff now. This feels like a mistake. A beautiful, 1930s mistake.
I wonder if they knew people would be watching this on glowing rectangles a hundred years later. Probably not.
If they did, they probably would have checked their hair more.
There is a moment where a famous actor (I won't say who, see if you spot him) looks directly into the lens and looks bored out of his mind. It’s the most honest thing I’ve seen all week.
It's much better than some of the stuff from that era, like Tony America, because it doesn't try to teach you a lesson. It just shows you a hat. A really big, stupid hat.
I’ve seen a lot of these Screen Snapshots, and this one is pretty middle-of-the-road. It doesn't have the big 'event' feel of some others.
But it has that one shot of the girl laughing while she drops her purse. That felt real.
You can tell the cameraman didn't know whether to keep filming or help her. He kept filming. Good man.
It’s definitely more interesting than The Great Mistake, mostly because it’s over before you can get annoyed by it.
Final thought: Hollywood hasn't changed. We still just want to see famous people doing nothing. 🎥
Check it out if you're bored. Or if you like hats. Seriously, the hats are incredible.
IMDb 5.8
1930
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