The Working Man (1933) :
Brief Review -
A corporate crossover like never before. One good thing about pre-code era movies was that they were forming a new genre and cinema for future generations. Things were getting new sub-genres and treatments, and even the audience was enjoying it. The Working Man is for sure one of them, even though it's not a classic film. The film shows a corporate crossover like never before, and I am afraid if there are any films made later. It is a corporate comedy, again a new concept for its time. The amount of comedy is low, though. However, the drama and light tone keep it going smoothly, and the runtime is short too. The Working Man is about an old man, the head of a successful shoe company, who joins his opponent's firm to prove his worth. As he says, "I wanted to know how Old I have become," the film gives the message that talent never gets old. With enough experience, a man can do wonders at a late age too. That's all there is to it. The film fails to generate a high level of repeat value. I have many rom-coms and dramedies in my favourites list from the same period which have immense repeat viewing features. The romance here is too rushed and unnoticeable. George Arliss owns this film with his effortless dialogues. You kind of enjoy an old man talking so much, and those tiring pauses are there as well. Betty Davis looked so cute in her early days. She was being used as a "powder nose girl," but did they know that this pretty girl would turn out to be the greatest actress of all time in the next 6-7 years? Davis' innocence and childish nature suit the tone but add no essential values to the narrative. Theodore Newton was better than her. I don't think I have seen any films by John G. Adolfi before, so I won't be too judgmental about him. Overall, a healthy comedy with some brainstorming ideas engulfed by the corporate world. And let me remind you, it came in a depression era.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A corporate crossover like never before. One good thing about pre-code era movies was that they were forming a new genre and cinema for future generations. Things were getting new sub-genres and treatments, and even the audience was enjoying it. The Working Man is for sure one of them, even though it's not a classic film. The film shows a corporate crossover like never before, and I am afraid if there are any films made later. It is a corporate comedy, again a new concept for its time. The amount of comedy is low, though. However, the drama and light tone keep it going smoothly, and the runtime is short too. The Working Man is about an old man, the head of a successful shoe company, who joins his opponent's firm to prove his worth. As he says, "I wanted to know how Old I have become," the film gives the message that talent never gets old. With enough experience, a man can do wonders at a late age too. That's all there is to it. The film fails to generate a high level of repeat value. I have many rom-coms and dramedies in my favourites list from the same period which have immense repeat viewing features. The romance here is too rushed and unnoticeable. George Arliss owns this film with his effortless dialogues. You kind of enjoy an old man talking so much, and those tiring pauses are there as well. Betty Davis looked so cute in her early days. She was being used as a "powder nose girl," but did they know that this pretty girl would turn out to be the greatest actress of all time in the next 6-7 years? Davis' innocence and childish nature suit the tone but add no essential values to the narrative. Theodore Newton was better than her. I don't think I have seen any films by John G. Adolfi before, so I won't be too judgmental about him. Overall, a healthy comedy with some brainstorming ideas engulfed by the corporate world. And let me remind you, it came in a depression era.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.