Wise Girls (1929) is a loud, messy family dinner of a movie

You should probably watch Wise Girls if you have a soft spot for those early talkies where everyone sounds like they are shouting into a tin can. It is great for people who like family bickering but honestly, if you hate stagey movies where the camera never moves, you will probably want to turn this off after ten minutes.

The whole thing is based on a play, and boy, can you tell. Most of the action happens in a living room that looks like it was decorated by someone who really, really loved floral wallpaper.

The plot is pretty simple: Dad (James Donlan) has three daughters who are all a handful in their own way. But the middle one, Joan, is the "wild" one because she goes off and marries a plumber. In 1929, apparently, marrying a guy who fixes sinks was the ultimate act of rebellion. 🛠️

James Donlan plays the dad like he’s permanently about five seconds away from a massive headache. I actually felt for the guy. He has this way of rubbing his temples that feels too real, like the actor was actually tired of the other cast members.

The middle daughter is supposed to be free-spirited, but mostly she just seems loud. The way she defends her plumber husband is sweet, I guess, but they talk over each other so much it’s hard to keep up. It’s got that high-speed energy you see in stuff like Heart to Heart, but maybe a bit more frantic.

There is this one specific moment where the plumber shows up at the house and everyone just freezes. The silence lasts a few beats too long. It’s one of those early sound movie mistakes where you can tell they were waiting for a cue or maybe the microphone was being moved.

I noticed the sisters’ outfits are actually pretty interesting. They have these incredibly detailed hats that look like they weigh about five pounds each. How did anyone walk around in those without getting a neck cramp?

Elliott Nugent shows up too, and he has this very earnest, wide-eyed look. He’s one of those actors who feels like he’s always performing for the back row of a theater, even when the camera is right in his face. It makes some of the emotional scenes feel a bit silly instead of serious.

The movie is a lot lighter than something like The Winding Stair. It doesn’t try to be deep. It’s just about a guy who wants his kids to be normal and they absolutely refuse to cooperate.

There’s a weird bit involving a character talking about a sick aunt that goes nowhere. I kept waiting for the aunt to show up or be important, but she’s just a random excuse for someone to leave the room. Real life is kind of like that, I suppose.

The dialogue is the main attraction here, if you can call it that. It’s snappy, but some of the jokes are so old they’ve got whiskers. I did laugh when the dad complained about the cost of weddings, though. Some things really never change. 💸

The plumber himself is surprisingly the most grounded person in the movie. He just wants to do his job and love his wife, while the rest of the family treats it like the end of the world. He has this calm way of holding his hat that makes him seem like the only adult in the room.

It’s not as gritty or weird as Hard-Boiled Haggerty. It’s very much a domestic comedy that stays within the lines. Sometimes the lines are a bit blurry because the film quality is grainy, but you get the idea.

I wish the ending didn't feel so rushed. It’s like they realized they were hitting the 90-minute mark and just decided to forgive everyone and start the credits. One minute Dad is screaming, the next he’s basically fine with everything. It’s a bit of a whiplash moment.

Also, there is a secondary character who keeps popping in and out of the background. I think he’s supposed to be a neighbor? He never says anything important, but he’s always there, hovering near the snacks. I spent more time wondering about his backstory than the main romance.

Is it a masterpiece? No way. But it’s a weird little window into what people thought was funny right before the 1930s really kicked in. It’s charmingly clunky.

If you enjoy seeing how movies struggled to figure out sound in the beginning, give it a go. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It’s just a story about a dad, a plumber, and some very loud girls. 👧👧👧