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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Young Man of Manhattan remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, Young Man of Manhattan. Is it worth tracking down today? Well, if you’re big into early talkies, especially the ones from that wild period just after sound hit, absolutely. For anyone looking for a brisk, modern story, probably skip it. This one’s a quirky peek into a specific era, perfect for folks who enjoy seeing stars like Ginger Rogers and Claudette Colbert before they were *Ginger Rogers* and *Claudette Colbert*. 🧐
The whole thing kicks off with Toby McLean (Norman Foster), a sportswriter who’s, let’s just say, *full of himself*. He’s supposed to be covering this huge Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey fight in Philadelphia. Instead, he spends most of it bumping into Ann Vaughn (Claudette Colbert), a feature writer from another paper. Sparks fly, real fast. Like, seriously fast. They get married in what feels like five minutes of screen time. 💑
That whirlwind romance is the core, but it sours almost as quickly as it started. It’s not really a slow burn, more like a flash fire that fizzles out. You see them fall for each other, then suddenly they’re bickering over silly things, like who gets to dictate the newspaper article. It gives you this feeling that maybe they didn't really know each other at all, which, to be fair, is probably the point. But it still feels a little abrupt, like the movie is rushing through the “falling out” part to get to the “getting back together” bit.
Now, about the cast. Claudette Colbert is just luminous, even in these early roles. She brings a certain *spark* to Ann, even when Ann is justifiably annoyed with Toby. Her expressions really sell the frustration, the hurt. You kinda root for her to just ditch Toby sometimes. 🤷♀️ She carries a lot of the emotional weight, making Ann feel like a real person stuck in this whirlwind.
But the real scene-stealer, for me, is Ginger Rogers as "Puff" Randolph. She's a ditsy socialite, always saying the wrong thing, but with such charm. Every time she’s on screen, the energy just shifts. She’s got this incredible timing, even this early in her career. There's this one moment where she tries to give advice, and it just lands so perfectly wrong, you can’t help but chuckle. It's a tiny part, but she makes it *such* an impression. It makes you think about how she just **had** "it" from the start.
The newspaper office scenes are pretty fun, too. Lots of clatter, typewriters going, people yelling. It feels busy, even if some of the extras look a bit lost. It captures that bustling vibe of old newsrooms pretty well. There’s a constant buzz, phones ringing off the hook. Toby’s pal, "Shorty" Ross (Charles Ruggles), is your typical loyal, slightly exasperated friend. He’s the one trying to knock some sense into Toby when things go south. He’s that grounding force, always there with a dry comment or a well-meaning shove. You appreciate Shorty’s quiet wisdom against Toby’s bluster.
And speaking of specific bits, the film actually uses **archival footage** of the real Tunney-Dempsey fight! 🥊 It's just spliced in there, a little grainy, a little out of place with the studio shots, but it's a cool touch. It grounds the story in something real, makes you feel like you're actually *in* that historical moment. You don't see that every day in these old films. It’s almost a jump scare when you suddenly see the real fight amidst the dramatized scenes.
The pacing sometimes feels a little… uneven. Like many early talkies, it has these moments where the camera just sits and watches people talk. It’s not bad, but it does mean some scenes go on longer than they probably need to. You can almost feel the movie figuring out how to use sound and movement at the same time. It’s part of its charm, really, seeing that early cinematic struggle. One scene, where Toby is just brooding by himself, really stretches out. It almost becomes funny how long he just stares into the middle distance. There’s a quiet moment where Ann is just typing, and the sound of the typewriter fills the space for what feels like an age. It’s not boring, exactly, but it does make you wonder if they were trying to fill time.
The story itself, the whole on-again, off-again romance, it’s pretty standard fare for the era. But it’s the performances, especially from Colbert and Rogers, that make it click. They elevate what could’ve been a forgettable little drama into something more engaging. You might find yourself wanting to yell at Toby for being such a goofball, but then you remember it’s all part of the early Hollywood charm. ✨ The ending, it ties things up a bit too neatly perhaps, but you don't really expect complex ambiguity from these kinds of pictures. It’s a pleasant wrap-up.
If you're into the history of film, or just curious about how these stars started out, give Young Man of Manhattan a look. It’s not a masterpiece,
IMDb 5.7
1926
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