DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Stowaway remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have seventy minutes to spare and love messy pre-code movies, Stowaway is absolutely worth a watch. People who love fast-talking 1930s dialogue and Fay Wray looking incredibly stressed will have a blast. But if you hate silly plot setups where a single conversation could solve everything, you will probably throw your shoe at the screen. 🥿
The whole thing starts because the police are completely incompetent. They raid a street and assume Fay Wray’s character is a "street walker" just because she’s standing outside. Like, she didn't even do anything! So she panics and runs onto this big freighter ship to hide.
Honestly, the cargo hold looks like it hasn't been swept since 1910. There are all these weirdly shaped crates that look like they are made of cheap cardboard. I kept waiting for one of them to bend when she leaned on it.
Leon Ames is the main guy on the ship and he is *so* young here. He has this pencil-thin mustache that makes him look like a sneaky magician. But he’s actually the nice guy, sort of. It’s hard to tell because the audio on these old prints is so scratchy.
I noticed this one extra in the background of the ship deck scene who just keeps staring directly at the camera. He does it for like three whole minutes. Nobody told him to look away? It is hilarious.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Luring Lights, though that one had a bit more theatrical flair. Or even the sweaty, humid vibe of Tropic Madness, though this one stays mostly on the cold water.
There is a scene where they discover her and everyone acts like she brought a plague onto the ship. Sailors back then were apparently very superstitious about women on boats. One guy actually spits on the floor when he sees her. Talk about dramatic.
The romance develops way too fast. One minute they are arguing about law and order, and the next they are looking at each other like they want to get married. I guess when you're stuck on a boat with limited options, you make do.
Fay Wray is just great at looking terrified. Even before she met King Kong, she had the "oh no, everything is going wrong" face down to a science. Her hair somehow stays perfectly curled even after sleeping on a pile of dirty sacks.
There’s this weird sub-plot with a dog that doesn’t go anywhere. The dog just barks at a bucket and then we never see him again. I hope the dog got paid.
Anyway, it’s a quick watch. It doesn't try to be art, it just wants to give you some quick thrills and some nice ocean breeze vibes. Definitely put it on some lazy Sunday afternoon when you don't want to think too hard. 🚢
IMDb 5.7
1928
Community
Log in to comment.
