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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Syncopated City remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so you've stumbled onto Syncopated City. If you're wondering if this old thing is worth your time in, say, 2024, the answer is a big, resounding maybe. It's certainly not for everyone. You'll probably dig it if you're a real film history buff, someone who gets a kick out of seeing how movies used to just... *be*. But if you're looking for, you know, a story that makes sense or anything resembling modern pacing, you'll probably spend most of it just staring blankly. Don't say I didn't warn ya. 😉
The whole premise of Syncopated City feels like a doodle on a napkin that somehow got turned into a movie. Hal Le Roy, who plays Hal, and a theater manager, they’re just watching people. Not a show, not a parade. They're watching a building excavation. Folks are just *transfixed* by a hole in the ground. It’s a little odd, really.
This observation then sparks a brilliant idea: what if city employees became entertainers? Like, instead of just doing their jobs, they put on a show for the citizens. It sounds like something from a fever dream, but here we are. It is quite the concept to consider.
And then, it just happens. The movie doesn't waste much time debating the logistics. Suddenly, you have city workers singing and dancing for their 'customers.' There's a particular bit with a singing tax collector that’s pretty memorable. I mean, imagine that, right? You're getting audited, and the guy starts belting out a tune. You almost expect him to tap-dance too. It's so utterly bizarre it loops back around to charming.
Hal, after this whole scheme gets going, somehow becomes the Mayor's assistant. It's a quick jump, very 'only in the movies' kind of stuff. One minute he's observing construction, the next he’s in city hall. You don’t really see the *how* so much as just the *what*.
The energy is very much of its time, sort of a vaudeville-meets-early-film vibe. The O'Connor Sisters pop up, and they're quite the act. You can tell they knew how to work a stage. It’s a very different kind of screen presence than what we're used to these days, more direct.
Bernard Gorcey is in it too, you know, the father of Leo Gorcey from the Bowery Boys films. He’s always got that distinctive look. Here, he’s part of the ensemble, adding to that classic era feel. George Watts and Tina Rigart also make appearances, adding to the cast of characters embracing this musical city idea.
It's not a movie that tries to be deep or anything. It's just a simple, silly idea played out. The humor comes from the sheer novelty of it all, not from sharp dialogue or intricate plotting. Don’t go in expecting a cohesive narrative thread, think more like a series of interconnected skits.
There are these moments where you can almost feel the film itself enjoying its own absurdity. Like it knows it's a bit wild, but it just rolls with it. That’s actually a big part of its charm, for me. It’s unpretentious. It doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what it is.
Ultimately, Syncopated City is a curiosity. It’s a snapshot of a particular style of entertainment from a bygone era. It's not going to change your life, or even redefine cinema. But it might make you smile, or at least scratch your head in a good way. If you like old, quirky things, give it a shot. Otherwise, there’s plenty of Vanity Fair out there for you. 😉
IMDb 4.4
1923
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