Screen Snapshots Series 9 No 24 Review: A Weird Little Time Capsule

If you want to see what famous people looked like before they had huge PR teams and Instagram filters, this is the place to look. You should watch this if you like old hats, giant cars, and seeing actors look slightly uncomfortable when they aren't reading from a script. History buffs will love it, but if you need a plot with explosions, you are going to be very bored. 🍿

It’s number 24 in the ninth series, which is honestly a lot of snapshots for one studio to produce. Ralph Staub is the guy running the show here, and he mostly just walks around being the 'friend to the stars'.

The sound is a bit crackly throughout the whole thing. It sounds like someone is frying bacon in the room next door while they were filming, but that’s just how 1930 sounds I guess.

I noticed a few actors looking directly at the camera like they weren't sure what to do with their hands. It reminds me of the vibe in Mammy but without all the singing and stage makeup.

The Awkwardness of Being Real

There is a shot of a dog in one scene that looks completely confused by the whole process. I liked the dog more than some of the humans to be honest. 🐕

The fashion is what really gets me. Everyone is wearing these heavy suits and dresses even though they are standing out in what looks like a very hot California sun.

It’s a bit more casual than something like Don't, which feels much more pointed. Here, it’s just... stuff happening.

The editing is really jumpy and fast. One second you are at a pool, and the next you are looking at someone holding a golf club like they’ve never seen one before in their life.

One lady is holding a tennis racket and I am pretty sure she has never played a game of tennis. Her grip is all wrong and she looks worried the ball might actually come her way.

It is these little, unimportant things that make these old shorts fun to dig up. The film quality is messy, with scratches that look like rain falling on the actors' heads even when the sky is clear.

Sometimes the screen goes totally white for a second like the camera just blinked. I wonder if the people filming this knew we would be watching it on glass screens 90 years later.

They probably thought this would be thrown in a bin by 1932. It feels much more relaxed than the heavy drama you get in Shirley Kaye.

• The cars look like giant metal boxes with wheels.
• The hats are aggressively large.
• Everyone seems to be smoking or holding a drink.

Why These Shorts Matter (Sort Of)

The way the sun hits the black and white film makes everything look like it is made of silver. It’s kind of pretty in a messy way, like an old photo you find in the back of a drawer.

There is a guy in the background of one shot who looks like he is trying to hide from the camera. I spent five minutes wondering who he was or why he was so nervous.

He is probably just a grip or someone’s cousin who wasn't supposed to be on set that day. This is a much better way to spend ten minutes than watching something like Retribution if you just want to turn your brain off.

I think I saw the shadow of the boom mic at least twice. Or maybe it was a very large bird, but let's be real, it was definitely a mic. 🎤

Early sound films like this always have that low hum in the background. It’s like a beehive is living inside the projector and it never quite goes away.

You get used to it after a while though. It’s like white noise for people who spend too much time watching old movies.

I really like how short this is. It doesn't overstay its welcome like those three-hour epics that are popular now.

It just says 'hey, look at these famous people' and then it ends. I wish more things were that simple.

If you enjoy seeing the 'real' side of the studio system, even if it is clearly staged, you'll get a kick out of this. It's like a ghost story where everyone is smiling and having a good time.

It isn't nearly as intense as Children of Fate, but it doesn't try to be. It’s just a snapshot, literally.

I’ll probably forget most of the names in this by tomorrow morning. But I’ll remember the way the light looked on those old cars.

Anyway, if you find this in a digital archive somewhere, give it a look. It’s like looking through a dusty window into a room that doesn't exist anymore.