A behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and how it’s the lovey-bestest place to work in the whole, wide world and no one has any skeletons in their closet, nosirree, they work so gosh-darn hard that they haven’t time! Industry propaganda from a time when scandal threatened the very foundation of American motion pictures. The schizophrenic plot also involves a serial killer, so there’s that. Excellent cast (Richard Dix, Mae Busch, Billy Haines) can’t save this picture from its own wild inconsistencies.
How does it end? Hover or tap below for a spoiler.
Our serial killer attacks the film crew with a wind machine but ends up dying himself. Richard Dix wins the heroine’s love by virtue of not being a serial killer.
If it were a dessert it would be: Tuna Lemon Jello. Are you a dessert or a salad? Make up your mind, you loon!
You can read my full-length review here.
Availability: Released on DVD by Warner Archive.
I have not heard of this but 10 to 1 it was speedily done since they were dealing with the Arbuckle case, Taylor murder and Wallace Reid etc…. Where do you get to see all these great silent films?
I’m in North America (DVD region 1) so most of what I see has been released by Warner Archive, Flicker Alley, Kino Lorber, the Criterion Collection or Grapevine.
I liked Souls for Sale You get a small look at 1920’s Hollywood You also get to see short peeks of other Silent movies like greed and other Stars like Chaplin
Fortunately, behind-the-scenes films were extremely popular in the silent era. Ella Cinders and Show People are both far superior to Souls for Sale and there is still Chaplin.