Daily Archives: January 31, 2022

Nothing But the Truth (1929)

Nothing But the Truth
Directed by Victor Schertzinger
Written by John McGowan from a play by James Montgomery and a novel by Frederic H. Isham
1929/US
Paramount Pictures
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube

E.M. Burke: Oh, you’re a smart little fellow, aren’t you?
Robert Bennett: My mother thinks I am.
E.M. Burke: You wouldn’t want to buy any of this stock yourself, would you?
Robert Bennett: Oh, I… I don’t want to change my mother’s opinion.

I saw this two weeks ago and can remember nothing about it but the barest plot outline.  The definition of not essential.

Robert Bennett (Richard Dix) invests his fiancee’s money on a bet that he will not tell a lie for 24 hours.  His friends are eager betters on the other side.  Robert is not quite prepared for the spots his friends maneuver him into that require him to avoid the little white lies that polite society relies on.

Stills from this are few and far between. Here is Helen Kane (the voice of Betty Boop) performing.

I remember thinking this was OK but little else.  Richard Dix, who I absolutely hated in Cimarron (1931), is growing on me.  His “big” persona is perfect for this type of comedy.

Clip

The Great Gabbo (1929)

The Great Gabbo
Directed by James Cruze
Written by Hugh Herbert adapted from the story by Ben Hecht
1929/US
James Cruze Productions
IMDb Page
Repeat viewing/YouTube

Gabbo: [Otto won’t “shut up”] Otto, if you don’t keep quiet I’ll smash you! I’ll destroy so that you won’t make another sound! Do I want to listen to you? No!

Worth watching for Erich von Stroheim.  Not so much for the musical numbers.

The Great Gabbo (von Stroheim) is a cold, egotistical, but brilliant ventriloquist.  His dummy’s name is Otto.  Gabbo is in love with Mary (Betty Compson), a dancer in the vaudeville show he appears in.  Mary is interested in someone else.  But she gets along well with the kind and playful Otto.  Otto is ever ready with advice to the lovelorn in the frequent conversations he has with his master.

If they could have focused the movie on von Stroheim and the love triangle, this might have been a superior movie.  Unfortunately, it is marred by several musical numbers and homely chorus girls that seem to be a requirement to lure audiences in for early talkies. This film was on my 10 Favorites list for its year but will surely be knocked off the list on the next iteration, if there is one.

Glad to be back.