The Marines Are Coming: A Messy, Old-School Fever Dream

Is this worth a watch?

If you like movies where men shout at each other while wearing very tight uniforms, sure. It’s perfect for someone who enjoys the frantic pacing of early talkies, but if you need a story that actually makes sense for more than ten minutes, you should probably skip it. It’s a bit of a relic, honestly.

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

"Wild Bill" Traynor is exactly the kind of character you’d expect from a 1934 flick. He’s impulsive, he’s got a smirk that probably drives half the audience crazy, and he manages to get into a gambling brawl in Tia Juana like it’s a Tuesday morning hobby.

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

The pacing is… well, it’s not really pacing. It’s more like a series of events happening until the credits roll. One minute we are dealing with high-society wedding drama, and the next we are in a jungle being hunted by a guy called The Torch. Who names their villain The Torch? It’s kind of great, though.

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

I found myself zoning out during the romantic subplot. Esther Ralston tries her best, but the script gives her almost nothing to do except look disappointed in men. I kept wondering if this had the same weird energy as Any Woman, just with more machine guns and less interior decorating.

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

Oddly specific observations:

• There is a scene where a machine gun gets fixed that takes up way too much screen time, but I couldn't look away. It’s the most "MacGyver" thing I’ve ever seen in black and white.
• The extras in the background of the base look like they were told to just walk in circles until someone yelled cut.
• Armida’s performance as the dancer feels like it belongs in a totally different, much more fun movie.

The whole thing feels a bit like A Captain's Courage in terms of its obsession with rank and honor, but it lacks the weight. It’s just fluff, really. A bit of noise to fill an hour.

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

The climax in the bandit camp is absolute chaos. It’s almost impressive how much happens without anyone actually having a coherent plan. It’s not quite as bleak as Die Geächteten, obviously, but it’s definitely not a lighthearted comedy either.

If you watch it, pay attention to the way the camera just kind of sits there during the big dramatic realizations. It’s almost awkward. Like the director forgot to say 'action' again and everyone just stood there waiting for a cue. It’s charming in a 'we’re making this up as we go' kind of way. 🤷‍♂️