...that makes a sharp turn in the first 30 minutes or so that takes it in a completely different direction from where it was headed when it started.
The film starts with four con artists played by Chester Morris, Sylvia Sydney, Ned Sparks, and John Wray, on the make for some extra money in the big city with some well choreographed scams. What causes all of the trouble is that a tavern owner, Nikko, who is in on one of the scams - played by Boris Karloff of all people - has eyes for the girl in the group, Helen. Rather than send flowers, Nikko shows his affection by looking through a keyhole when Helen undresses. This naturally upsets her boyfriend and fellow grifter, Doc Madison (Chester Morris). Doc is given to extreme reactions and shows his displeasure with Nikko by dropping him several stories from the banister of the boarding house where the grifters live.
Doc beats it out of town to avoid the police until the heat is off, and while he is on the lam in a rural town he discovers that the town has a faith healer known only as "the Patriarch" (Hobart Bosworth). The Patriarch is so reliable at healing that the town doesn't even have a doctor. Doc, always the entrepreneur, sees in this set up an opportunity for a profitable scam. Doc summons his gang to the small seaside town to help him. Just to make sure that the Patriarch is known far and wide as a faith healer, Doc decides to stage a miracle with the most visual of results - someone being healed of tuberculosis won't do. He decides to have fellow grifter "The Frog" (John Wray) "unwind" as a result of the Patriarch's power. The Frog has the ability to contort his body such that he looks like a hopeless cripple, which was a useful part of the group's scams back in the city. Likewise at the end of a hard day of scamming, he does the process in reverse by "unwinding". This trick is what made Lon Chaney famous in the lost 1919 film.
Everything works out as Doc planned up to a point, but an extra miracle occurs at the time the Frog unwinds - one that rivals the Frog's unwinding in visual strength - that makes it clear to the grifters that the Patriarch indeed has real power. How will this effect the grifters' plan to cash in? Watch and find out.
This film has some beautful seascape scenes, particularly those of the Patriarch as he goes off to meditate. It also has some interesting things to say about the ability of people to change, although I thought the transitions in some of the characters was somewhat abrupt. Hobart Bosworth is very good as the Patriarch and he is very effective at conveying deep faith and tranquility although he has few lines. Bosworth was probably quite good at this role because he had been a star of the silent screen and thus knew how to convey emotion without dialogue. Of course, Morris is always good as the angry bad guy and Ned Sparks is always good with the smart remarks.
At the time of its release this film was a failure at the box office, probably because it starts out like a gangster film and turns into something quite different very quickly. I found it rather uplifting with good performances by some of my favorite pre code performers.
The film starts with four con artists played by Chester Morris, Sylvia Sydney, Ned Sparks, and John Wray, on the make for some extra money in the big city with some well choreographed scams. What causes all of the trouble is that a tavern owner, Nikko, who is in on one of the scams - played by Boris Karloff of all people - has eyes for the girl in the group, Helen. Rather than send flowers, Nikko shows his affection by looking through a keyhole when Helen undresses. This naturally upsets her boyfriend and fellow grifter, Doc Madison (Chester Morris). Doc is given to extreme reactions and shows his displeasure with Nikko by dropping him several stories from the banister of the boarding house where the grifters live.
Doc beats it out of town to avoid the police until the heat is off, and while he is on the lam in a rural town he discovers that the town has a faith healer known only as "the Patriarch" (Hobart Bosworth). The Patriarch is so reliable at healing that the town doesn't even have a doctor. Doc, always the entrepreneur, sees in this set up an opportunity for a profitable scam. Doc summons his gang to the small seaside town to help him. Just to make sure that the Patriarch is known far and wide as a faith healer, Doc decides to stage a miracle with the most visual of results - someone being healed of tuberculosis won't do. He decides to have fellow grifter "The Frog" (John Wray) "unwind" as a result of the Patriarch's power. The Frog has the ability to contort his body such that he looks like a hopeless cripple, which was a useful part of the group's scams back in the city. Likewise at the end of a hard day of scamming, he does the process in reverse by "unwinding". This trick is what made Lon Chaney famous in the lost 1919 film.
Everything works out as Doc planned up to a point, but an extra miracle occurs at the time the Frog unwinds - one that rivals the Frog's unwinding in visual strength - that makes it clear to the grifters that the Patriarch indeed has real power. How will this effect the grifters' plan to cash in? Watch and find out.
This film has some beautful seascape scenes, particularly those of the Patriarch as he goes off to meditate. It also has some interesting things to say about the ability of people to change, although I thought the transitions in some of the characters was somewhat abrupt. Hobart Bosworth is very good as the Patriarch and he is very effective at conveying deep faith and tranquility although he has few lines. Bosworth was probably quite good at this role because he had been a star of the silent screen and thus knew how to convey emotion without dialogue. Of course, Morris is always good as the angry bad guy and Ned Sparks is always good with the smart remarks.
At the time of its release this film was a failure at the box office, probably because it starts out like a gangster film and turns into something quite different very quickly. I found it rather uplifting with good performances by some of my favorite pre code performers.