Master of the macabre in silent days, Tod Browning sleepwalked thru the Talkies, never waking to the emerging rhythms of dialogue before dropping out in 1939. (Living till 1962, he couldn’t even be bothered to correct a premature report of his death.) Here, in the second of a three-pic deal @ Universal, he follows DRACULA/’31, where sleepwalking was at least apt for the material, with this little boxing story where it ain’t. Looking fit, but fragile, Lew Ayres is a lightweight in every way, fighting up to champion under manager/trainer Robert Armstrong only to fall under the spell of sexy opportunist Jean Harlow*, busy two-timing with John Miljan. Still fond of the boy, Armstrong knows the only way to save him is to let him fail. A promising setup, but Browning’s direction has become downright odd, especially in boxing matches largely shown in static shots from afar. The big boxing film of ‘31, King Vidor’s THE CHAMP, has risible fight sequences with flabby Wallace Beery flailing away, but much of that film still feels remarkably fluid, almost caught on the wing. In comparison, Browning seems unwilling to take a step in any direction.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT/LINK: You can see why so many film lovers despaired of the Talkies by having a look at William Wyler’s little known, late silent THE SHAKEDOWN/’29, which has some of the best on screen boxing before BODY AND SOUL/’47. And, in leading man James Murray, a fighter who looks like he could take care of himself. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-shakedown-1929.html
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *Lord!, what a dreadful actress Harlow was before screenwriter Anita Loos figured out what to do with her next year at M-G-M; suddenly a first-rate comedienne was born.
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