The Inventors is a weird little relic of a movie

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are the kind of person who digs through the bargain bin of history just to see how strange things used to be, maybe give The Inventors a spin. If you prefer your comedies to actually, you know, have jokes that land or a plot that makes sense, skip it. You will probably hate it if you have zero patience for vaudeville-era antics that feel like they belong on a scratchy wax cylinder.

The premise is honestly kind of great: a bunch of college girls decide to troll the administration by picking two clowns over Albert Einstein. It’s a bold move for 1930s cinema, even if the movie doesn't really know what to do with that energy once the guys show up.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Inventors (1934) through its definitive frames.

Colonel Stoopnagle and Budd are… something else. They have this frantic, radio-brained energy that feels like they’re constantly waiting for a laugh track that isn't there. It’s twitchy. It’s loud. It’s a little bit like watching a live broadcast of a nervous breakdown.

There is a scene in the library that goes on for way too long. The two of them are just stumbling around shelves, knocking over books, and trying to act smart. I’m pretty sure one of the extras in the background is trying not to crack up, or maybe she’s just confused. Honestly, I’m with her.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Inventors (1934) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels like a collection of radio skits held together by tape and hope. Sometimes the logic just completely abandons ship. You’ll be watching a scene and suddenly, poof, everyone is somewhere else and a prop is missing. It’s endearing in a messy, 'who let them make this' kind of way.

I found myself thinking about Whispering Whoopee while watching this. Both films have that weird, manic rhythm where nobody stops talking long enough to let a moment breathe. It’s exhausting, but in a weirdly fascinating way. It’s like they’re terrified that if they stop for five seconds, the audience will realize they’re watching a complete disaster.

Is it a good movie? Probably not by any standard definition. Is it a real movie? That’s debatable, too. But there is a specific look in the eyes of the actors when they’re interacting with the leads—it’s a mix of 'please pay me' and 'what am I doing here?' 😅

Random notes from my notebook:

• The sound quality is rough. It sounds like they recorded it in a wind tunnel.
• The girls in the college scenes are all acting like they’re in a different movie entirely.
• I’m still not sure if the 'inventions' are meant to be funny or just weird.
• One of the transition shots is just blurry for like three seconds. Nobody bothered to fix it.

If you want a polished experience, go watch The Circus instead. At least you know what you’re getting there. But if you want to see what happens when radio stars try to conquer the big screen and mostly fail? Well, you’ve found your match. It’s not smart, it’s not profound, but it’s definitely something.