Mr. Yankee Doodle Dandy himself, George M. Cohan stars in an early version of this oft-filmed tale of intrigue, murder and writer’s block. It’s a mixed bag all around but there is some unintentional hilarity as one of the side characters reenacts Weekend at Bernie’s with Hedda Hopper’s corpse.
Anna Q. Nilsson offers her usual polished performance but Cohan isn’t much without his famous voice. A definite historical curiosity but no masterpiece.
How does it end? Hover or tap below for a spoiler.
All of the strange happenings are really Cohan’s ideas for his new novel. So a variation on the old “it was all a dream” trope.
If it were a dessert it would be:
Double Pear Salad. It has ingredients that are timeless (pears) and ingredients that are hopelessly dated (in lime jello and cream cheese?) and so the result is a mixed bag that shows its age.
Availability: Released on DVD.
Read my full-length review here. (I also cover the 1983 remake House of the Long Shadows, starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and John Carradine.)
Movies Silently 