I watched one I'd been meaning to watch for quite some time:
Peacock Alley (1930), starring "the girl with the bee-stung lips," Mae Murray. This is actually one that the Coming of Sound Episode from the
Hollywood series used as a prime example of early creaky talkies.
That's what had originally piqued my interest in seeing it.
And indeed: this is a fine example of SETS (stilted early talkie syndrome). The plot is very slow moving: the entire 53 minutes basically revolves around one situation. And the empty space between lines is incredibly long in some places. (Things pick up somewhat in the hotel office scene, but then slow back down again toward the end.)
One thing that makes this one interesting to watch is the look and feel it conveys of an upscale (
incredibly upscale) New York hotel in the late '20s—lots of good interior decor and clothing shots. The musical performances in the opening credits and later near the beginning are quite interesting and quaint-sounding, also.
I'm undecided what I think about Mae Murray's performance. If you watch it, I'd be interested in an opinion on this. The reviews were apparently not good. Actually, according to Wikipedia, "Murray alleged that Tiffany Pictures' crew had damaged her career by way of their technical incompetence displayed throughout the film. Because of this, she attempted to sue the company for $1,750,000, but was unsuccessful."
Wow. I didn't think it was quite
that bad, though I'd be interested in an opinion on that, as well.
I enjoyed hearing George Barraud's elegant RP diction. And having admired the acting of Jason Robards, Jr., it was interesting to see his father, Jason Robards, Sr. as Jim. Speaking of Jim,
► Show Spoiler
I felt very sorry for him, as he really got a raw deal here.
The whole incident was caused by Claire's indecision and ill-conceived visit to Clayton
on the night before her wedding.
Well, Dugan had a little something to do with it, too.
All of the prints are quite noisy, but below is one I found that is a little better than the one I watched; I really had to strain to make out some of the dialogue in that one. (By the way, I wonder where this noise comes from and how much of it, if any, might have been in the original print.)
Another little note: they got very enthusiastic with the circular "cigarette burns" to indicate the reel changes. They really wanted to make
sure the projectionist was prepared.
https://youtu.be/y6TlmQaeo9M