Strictly Dishonorable (1931) is a weirdly charming late-night watch

If you have a rainy afternoon and you don't mind movies that feel like a filmed stage play, you should probably give Strictly Dishonorable a look. It is definitely for people who enjoy that specific 1930s vibe where everyone is trying to be very sophisticated while drinking illegal liquor in tuxedos. If you need explosions or fast editing, you will absolutely hate this.

I watched this late last night and I am still thinking about how tiny Sidney Fox is. She plays Isabelle, this Southern girl who wanders into a speakeasy with her fiancé, Henry. Henry is played by George Meeker, and he is just the worst. He is whiny and controlling and has zero personality.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Strictly Dishonorable (1931) through its definitive frames.

You can tell right away that Isabelle is bored out of her mind. Then she meets Tino, the famous singer played by Paul Lukas. Lukas has this heavy accent and a way of looking at her that is supposed to be predatory but ends up feeling kind of sweet? Maybe that is just me.

The whole movie basically happens in one night. Most of it is just people talking in a very large, very fancy apartment. It reminds me a bit of the pacing in The Love Piker, where the plot just kind of sits there and lets you look at the furniture. The apartment has these high ceilings and a lot of random stuff that looks very expensive.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Strictly Dishonorable (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is this long sequence where Isabelle ends up staying the night. She puts on Tino's pajamas and they are way too big for her. It is a classic Pre-Code moment because you know exactly what they are implying, even if they stay polite about it. She looks like a kid playing dress-up, which makes the whole "seduction" thing feel a bit awkward.

I noticed that the sound quality is a bit rough in some spots. You can hear the hiss of the old microphones whenever the characters stop talking. It actually adds to the atmosphere, like you are listening to a secret conversation through a wall. Some of the reaction shots stay on the faces for way too long, though.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Strictly Dishonorable (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is this one moment where Tino is trying to be noble and it feels very forced. He goes from being a guy who wants a quick fling to a guy who wants to get married in about five minutes. It is a bit hard to believe, even for a movie from 1931. I guess people moved faster back then?

• The cop who is always hanging around the speakeasy is actually the best part.
• He just wants to have a drink and mind his own business.
• The judge, played by Lewis Stone, is very dry and funny.
• The fiancé Henry is so annoying I wanted someone to throw a shoe at him.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Strictly Dishonorable (1931) through its definitive frames.

The dialogue was written by Preston Sturges, and you can hear the start of his style. It is not quite as fast or crazy as his later stuff, but it has these flashes of wit. It is definitely more intersting than Some Tomboy which I saw last week. There is a specific rhythm to how they talk that feels very human despite the fancy setting.

I keep thinking about the ending. It happens so fast. One minute they are arguing and the next minute everything is solved. It is a bit messy, to be honest. But I didn't mind because I liked being in that room with them. It felt cozy.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Strictly Dishonorable (1931) through its definitive frames.

If you like seeing how people used to imagine "romance" before everything got so cynical, this is a good one. It is not a masterpiece, but it has a lot of heart. It is much better than White Pants Willie, which felt like it was trying too hard to be funny. This one just lets the characters breathe, even if they are a bit silly.

One weird thing—the way they talk about the South is so stereotypical. Isabelle says things that no person from Mississippi has ever said. But Sidney Fox is so charming that you kind of just let it go. She has this high-pitched voice that sounds like a bird, and it works for the character.

I noticed a stuffed fish on the wall in the background of one scene. I spent about three minutes just looking at the fish instead of listening to Tino talk. The set design is really detailed for a movie this old. It feels like a real lived-in space, not just a stage.

Anyway, it's a short movie. It doesn't overstay its welcome. If you want something that feels like a time capsule, give it a shot. Just don't expect it to make a whole lot of sense by modern standards. It’s just a nice, slightly scandalous little story about two people who probably shouldn't be together but are anyway.