Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

THE CRASH

THE CRASH
(1932). Director: William Dieterle. 

Linda Gault (Ruth Chatterton) grew up very poor and is determined that she'll never be poverty-stricken again. Her husband Geoffrey (George Brent) drinks and importunes her to get stock tips from a man (Henry Kolker) who's smitten with her. When Geoffrey goes broke after the Wall Street crash of 1929, Linda takes what money she can gather and goes off to a sun and fun retreat where she meets millionaire Ronald Sanderson (Paul Cavanagh). Should she go for the loot or settle for love? Who cares? This is a minor film with Chatterton giving a surprisingly stiff and obvious performance. A secondary love story concerns Linda's French maid Celeste (Barbara Leonard) and her lover Arthur (Hardie Albright). 

Verdict: Watch Dodsworth [with Chatterton in fine form] instead. **.

2 comments:

angelman66 said...

I do need to finally see Dodsworth--have been hearing about from many classic film fans lately.
Didn't Ruth Chatterton do an early Vitaphone talking version of Madame X? I may have seen that one...but need to see more of her.
-Chris

William said...

She did do "Madame X" in 1929. She only had 32 credits and was never rediscovered or went the horror movie route (of course she died in 1961) so like the rediscovered Kay Francis it was mostly serious older film buffs who knew of her. In my youth I never even heard of her as she, like Francis, was mot on TV until TCM. .