Up for Murder (1931) - A sweaty little pre-code gem

A reporter, a girl, and a very bad day

If you have seventy minutes to spare and like movies where people wear hats indoors, Up for Murder is worth a look. It is perfect for fans of those gritty, pre-code dramas where nobody is truly innocent.

If you hate movies where the main character makes terrible decisions, you will probably want to scream at the screen. Lew Ayres plays Robert, a kid reporter who looks way too young to be dealing with the stuff he gets into.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Up for Murder (1931) through its definitive frames.

He is obsessed with Alice, the society editor. Genevieve Tobin plays her with this sort of heavy-lidded boredom that makes you wonder what she sees in the kid.

The problem is she is also the publisher's mistress. It is a classic setup for a total disaster.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Up for Murder (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is this one scene in the office where Robert confronts the editor. It is not a choreographed fight like you see today.

They just sort of... scuffle. Robert pushes him, the guy hits his head on something sharp, and that is it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Up for Murder (1931) through its definitive frames.

The silence right after the guy hits the floor is the best part of the movie. You can almost feel the air leave the room in that moment.

Ayres has this way of looking absolutely terrified that makes the whole movie work. He doesn't look like a killer, just a boy who broke a lamp and realized he can't fix it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Up for Murder (1931) through its definitive frames.

Small things I noticed:

• The way the newspaper office always feels like five people are talking at once.
• Frank McHugh doing his usual laugh, which is always a win in my book.
• A very young, very brief appearance by Bing Crosby.
• The weirdly dramatic shadows in Robert's apartment that feel like a different movie.

The plot reminds me a bit of the tension in Bad Sister, though this one feels more like a crime story. It isn't quite as artistic as Strike, but it doesn't really need to be.

The movie gets a bit slow during the trial scenes. I found myself looking at the background actors more than the actual lawyers.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Up for Murder (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is a guy in the back of the courtroom who looks like he is falling asleep for real. I don't blame him, the legal talk gets a bit dry after a while.

The ending is... well, it is a 1931 ending. It happens fast and feels a bit like the director had a bus to catch.

But for a movie about a "accidental" murder, it has a lot of soul. It's better than those generic talkies like Let Us Be Gay which just feel like filmed plays.

Go watch it if you like seeing Lew Ayres look stressed out. 📽️