Flicker Alley’s latest offering is called IN THE SHADOW OF HOLLYWOOD: HIGHLIGHTS FROM POVERTY ROW. Of the four movies in the set, I was familiar with only one, 1935’s THE CRIME OF DR CRESPI, which I purchased back in the early 1990s in a terrible public domain VHS copy. The other three are MIDNIGHT (CALL IT MURDER), BACK PAGE, and WOMAN IN THE DARK (all 1934). I didn’t know these films which was surprising as I’m a big fan of 1930s movies and especially of Poverty Row films. As soon as I heard of this set’s imminent release, I was eagerly awaiting it.
The restoration work is truly remarkable as all four movies probably didn’t look this good when they were first released. A big tip of the hat to Blackhawk Films & the estate of the late David Shepard, Lobster Films, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) for taking on this project and to Flicker Alley for releasing it on home video. Having said that, I wish I could say that these movies were better than they are. One is really good, one has some really good moments, but the other two are not very good at all
Let’s start with the best of the lot and that’s BACK PAGE from Pyramid Productions who only made 2 movies. A reworking of the better known THE FRONT PAGE, this film tells the story of an ace female reporter, fired from her big city job, who goes to a small town newspaper and makes it a success while battling local corruption, a big cover up, and the usual sexism. Unlike the other movies in this set, there are no big Hollywood names in this film and the no name but familiar face cast give solid believable performances led by Peggy Shannon in the lead role. This is Poverty Row at its best.
From first to worst. Up next is CALL IT MURDER, originally released under the title of MIDNIGHT which was the name of the stage play that it was taken from. The stage origins are painfully evident in the nature of the dialogue which is very stilted and the settings which are mostly stage bound. Director Chester Erskine overcompensates for this fact by using stylistic lighting and overly busy camerawork which instead of making things more interesting, proves to be a distraction. Originally released by Universal in 1934, this is the 1947 re-titled Guaranteed Pictures reissue which gives 8th billed Humphrey Bogart top billing.
Running a close second to the above for last place is WOMAN IN THE DARK which features not one but three well known performers (Ralph Bellamy, Fay Wray, & Melvyn Douglas) as well as best selling author Dashiell Hammett. Surprisingly the story is very dull while the performances are inconsistent and the pace is glacial which is unusual for a film that clocks in at only 69 minutes. Of the three principals, Douglas comes off best but doesn’t have enough screen time. The best performances are provided by supporting players Roscoe Ates and Ruth Gillette as a bickering but loving couple. Originally released by RKO.
Finally there is THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI which is the best known of the four thanks to Erich von Stroheim and the fact that it was based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe (misspelled Allen in the credits). An unstable doctor develops a serum that can simulate death for 24 hours. He then uses this on a colleague his sweetheart left him for in the hopes of having him buried alive. Elements of THE CABINET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI and VAMPYR are utilized by the director John H. Auer. Those along with a scene where von Stroheim describes being buried alive remain chilling to this day. One of Republic’s first releases.
Each movie comes with its own commentary which is a good thing as two of the films (CALL IT MURDER, WOMAN IN THE DARK) are tedious without them. The other two (BACK PAGE, CRIME OF DR. CRESPI) can be enjoyed on their own but are enhanced by what the commentators have to say. The set also comes with a 23 page booklet explaining the origins of Poverty Row. Hopefully some restored films from Poverty Row mainstays Monogram and PRC are planned for the near future. Yet another first class job from Flicker Alley, IN THE SHADOW OF HOLLYWOOD will be of great interest to old movie enthusiasts everywhere.
The Capsule Critic 