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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Soilers remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have twenty minutes to spare today and want to see two comedy queens of the 1930s being absolute disasters, yes, watch this. It is perfect for anyone who loves fast-paced vintage slapstick, but modern viewers who need high-stakes plots will probably get bored instantly. 🤷♀️
The whole setup of The Soilers is pretty simple. Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd are trying to pay for college by selling magazine subsriptions door-to-door.
Naturally, they are terrible at it. Nobody wants whatever they are selling, probably because Zasu looks like she is constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
So they decide to use "charm" on men at their offices. This goes about as well as you would expect, which is to say, total chaos.
I love how Thelma Todd just uses her sheer energy to bulldoze through scenes. She has this face she makes when she is trying to be flirty but looks like she wants to punch someone.
And Zasu? Her hands have a life of their own. She does this little fluttery thing with her fingers that makes me laugh every single time.
There is a scene in an office building where they try to corner some business guys. The physical comedy here is so fast, if you blink you miss three jokes.
It reminds me a bit of the chaotic energy in Wedding Bill$, though that one had a bit more of a budget. Or even some of the older silent gags in The Head Waiter.
One guy they try to sell to looks so incredibly confused by Zasu's rambling. I swear the actor wasn't even acting, he just genuinely did not know what to do with her.
The ending sort of just... happens. It doesn't really wrap up, it just stops when the jokes run out.
But honestly, who cares? It is just pure, silly fun from a time when movies did not need to explain themselves.