The Yellow Mask (1930) is a total mess but I couldn't stop watching

You should probably only watch The Yellow Mask if you have a high tolerance for early sound movies that feel like they were made by two different people who weren't talking to each other. It is a very strange experience.

If you like Edgar Wallace stories or weird historical curiosities, you will probably get a kick out of this. If you want a movie that actually makes sense or has good pacing, you will definitely hate it.

I watched this late last night and I am still trying to figure out if it was a comedy or a serious thriller. The movie starts off like a standard mystery but then people just start singing for no reason.

The plot is about a guy named Li-San who wants this famous yellow mask jewel. Warwick Ward plays the villain and he spends most of the time looking very intense and staring at people like he's trying to hypnotize them through the screen.

He kidnaps the hero's girl and takes her to his secret palace in China. It feels like a stage play that someone decided to film at the last minute.

The sets are actually pretty big, but they feel empty. Like they built this giant room and then only had three people to put in it.

One thing I noticed is how much the actors move their arms when they talk. It is very theatrical, probably because they were still used to silent films or the stage.

Speaking of the stage, the musical numbers are just... there. One minute a guy is worried about a kidnapping, and the next minute he is doing a dance routine.

Lupino Lane is the funny guy in this one. He does these little acrobatic moves that are actually pretty impressive, even if the jokes are a bit dated.

The sound quality is pretty rough too. There is a constant hiss in the background that sounds like someone is frying bacon in the next room.

It reminded me a bit of the technical struggles in New York Nights, which came out around the same time. You can tell they were still figuring out where to hide the microphones.

Odd things I noticed while watching:

• The yellow mask itself isn't even that yellow. It just looks like a dusty prop.
• There is a scene in the Tower of London that goes on for way too long.
• One of the guards just stands there with a blank face while a crime is literally happening three feet away.
• The villain's makeup is... a lot. It is very much of its time, and not in a good way.

I think the movie gets slightly better once they leave London and head to the villain's palace. The atmosphere gets a bit creepier, even if the logic stays bad.

There is this one shot where the camera just lingers on a door for about ten seconds after everyone has left the room. I think they forgot to yell cut.

The pacing is very uneven. It goes from 0 to 100 and then back to 0 in about five minutes.

If you've seen The Climbers, you know how these early talkies can feel a bit stiff. This one is even stiffer because of the singing.

I did like the part where Lupino Lane tries to sneak around the palace. He has a way of moving that is actually fun to watch.

The ending is very abrupt. It just kind of finishes and you're left wondering why the villain didn't just use his guards earlier.

It’s not a "good" movie by modern standards. But it is a fascinating one if you want to see how movies were struggling to find their feet in 1930.

I found myself laughing at things that were supposed to be scary. The villain's laugh is especially funny because it sounds so forced.

Is it better than Lightnin' Strikes? Probably not, but it has more personality in its weirdness.

I kept thinking about how much work it must have been to build those sets just for a movie that feels so flimsy. It’s like they spent all the money on the palace and none on the script.

The girl, played by Dorothy Seacombe, doesn't have much to do except look worried. She does a lot of clutching her pearls and looking off into the distance.

I think I liked it more than I should have. Not because it’s a masterpiece, but because it’s so sincere in its messiness.

"It is a crime story! No, it is a romance! Wait, it is a comedy routine!"

That seems to be the philosophy behind the whole thing. It tries to be everything at once and fails at most of it.

If you decide to watch it, maybe have some coffee ready. The slow parts really do drag, especially when they stop for a song you won't remember ten minutes later.

The costumes are cool though. The guards in the palace have these elaborate outfits that actually look like they cost some money.

I noticed one extra in the background of the palace scene who looked like he was completely lost. He just wanders into the frame and then slowly backs out.

It’s those little human mistakes that make these old movies worth watching for me. You can see the strings, and you can see the people trying to make it work.

Overall, it's a clunky, weird, slightly offensive, and totally unique piece of film history. Just don't expect it to be a polished thriller.

I’m glad I saw it, but I don’t think I’ll be watching it again anytime soon. Once is definitely enough for this mask.