Torchy's Loud Spooker: A noisy mess or just loud fun?

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s slapstick and don't mind a headache, maybe. It’s perfect for people who like their horror served with a side of overacting. If you want a movie that actually makes sense, you should probably look elsewhere.

I went into Torchy's Loud Spooker expecting a ghost story. What I got was a whole lot of people running through doors.

The whole premise is just a classic excuse for chaos. You’ve got the tired radio engineer, the daughter, and a bunch of friends who all seem to have forgotten how to walk without tripping over something. It’s loud. Like, genuinely, uncomfortably loud at times.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Torchy's Loud Spooker (1933) through its definitive frames.

The Haunted House Vibe

The house itself looks like it was decorated by someone who had never seen a house before. There are these weird, jagged shadows everywhere, and every time someone steps on a floorboard, it makes a sound like a gunshot. It’s very dramatic.

Franklin Pangborn is in this, and honestly, he’s the only one who seems to know what movie he’s in. He just does his thing—the nervous fluttering, the wide eyes—and it stands out so much against everyone else just shouting lines.

• The radio equipment scenes are surprisingly detailed for a movie this silly.
• I swear one of the extras in the background is just reading a newspaper during a 'frightening' scene.
• The pacing is frantic, kind of like Western Whoopee but with more cobwebs.

There’s a moment where a door swings open on its own and everyone just freezes. They don't run. They don't investigate. They just stand there, mid-yell, for what feels like a full minute. It’s bizarre.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Torchy's Loud Spooker (1933) through its definitive frames.

It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in It's a Bird, though maybe a bit less focused. This movie doesn't care if you're confused. It just wants to keep the noise level at a solid ten.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it better than sitting in silence? Maybe. Sometimes you just need to watch a group of people lose their minds in a fake spooky house for forty minutes. 👻

I keep thinking about the sound design. It’s almost aggressive. Every creak and groan of the house is cranked up to the max. It’s not atmospheric; it’s just loud.

It’s the kind of flick that feels like it was filmed in one long, exhausting weekend. You can practically see the fatigue on the actors' faces by the third act. I don't blame them.