A Thrill for Thelma (1935) User Reviews

her red hair gave her away

[kidboots · 5/10 · 14 November 2007]

An early entry (No. 4) in the MGM series "Crime Does Not Pay".

Irene Hervey ( who was a lovely leading lady in many MGM films) played Thelma - a girl who yearns for excitement and unfortunately finds it.

Robert Livingston had appeared in a few early musicals but found success as a Western star in the series "The Three Mesquiteers". He plays Steve who is an evil influence on the innocent Thelma.

After initially wanting to go to the police (after their first robbery, they run a car off the road and the driver is killed) - she soon learns to live for thrills.

A lot of the short involves how the police captured this "Bonnie and Clyde" duo - after all "Crime Does Not Pay". The two stars went on to bigger and better things.

Watch out for the good time girl.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 17 October 2015]

Already in prison, Bonnie Parker like bandit Irene Hervey tells her story. having gotten into crime at the wind of a gangster boyfriend, Hervey was upset by this at first, but the thrill of the challenge made like a drug for her. While the outcome of what happened with her is known from the start, what is intriguing is the details that go into how she was caught and what had let her into his life in the first place. Definitely, and what the consequences are when they break the law. Excellent production values make this an exciting entry in the crime does not pay series with her v showing the various emotions throughout the character's background.a scene involving a car accident is pretty gruesome, as well as a hit buy another gangster. This definitely seems to be influenced by the story of Bonnie and Clyde, although much of the details have been altered to make these characters appear to be either fictional or based on less known people involved in a life of crime.

I wanted thrills and was getting them

[Paularoc · 7/10 · 24 March 2013]

Crime Does Not Pay Series No. 4. We first meet Thelma Black when she is in prison. The Women's prison Warden has made arrangements for the MGM reporter to meet and interview her. Although a high school and beauty school graduate and has a job but Thelma wanted ore - a lot more: money, clothes, luxuries. Then she meets Steve Black. While they're at a nightclub, Steve sees a man put a wad of money in his pocket. He tells Thelma they're leaving and they follow the man and his date to where they park. Steve tells Thelma he's going to give "those front street wrestlers a scare." At gun point he robs the man. At first, Thelma is appalled and tries to turn the car back but runs into another car and kills the driver. But she soon succumbs to the thrill (and the money) that robbing gives her. There follows robbery after robbery and the police are initially stymied (says one: we're up against some clever yeggs). But good, meticulous police work allows them to crack the case. There's a sad twist at the end of the story. It's an entertains story with Iene Hervey as Thelma and Robert Livingston as Steve giving strong performances. Both of these actors later went on to steady work in B films. Recommended.

"Those women are living out their hopeless empty lives..."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 9 April 2011]

IN PRISON! Irene Hervey portrays a would be socialite under the spell of man about town Steve Black. You know, I can't tell you how many Westerns I've seen Robert Livingston in, but he was unrecognizable to me here in a suit and tie and without a horse. After a string of successful roadside robberies, the law figures out a way to nail Thelma and Steve based on their standard M.O., hanging out at local night clubs just before they shake down unsuspecting victims on the make in parked cars in secluded places. I've seen a couple of these 'Crime Does Not Pay' subjects, and this one is pretty par for the course. A life of lawlessness is bound to catch up with you in the end, just as true today as in 1935. Just ask the Thelma that hooked up with Louise.

good cautionary tale

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 October 2021]

It's MGM Crime Does Not Pay Series #4. Thelma starts out with all the promise in the world but ends up as one of the woman inmates in the opening scene. She wanted to enjoy herself and becomes entangled by her husband Steve Black. He pulls her further and further into his crimes.

A lot of these Crime Don't Pay shorts are a little silly but this one is actually a good cautionary tale. Most women in prison are there due to their partners' crimes. That doesn't make this good cinema but most of these aren't.

Crime Does Not Pay

[Michael_Elliott · 21 July 2010]

Thrill for Thelma, A (1935)

*** (out of 4)

Fourth entry in MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series has Thelma (Irene Hervey) graduating high school and hoping for a thrilling life, which she gets when she meets a man (Robert Livingston) who just happens to be a criminal. Soon the two are running a scheme of robbing people who have pulled their cars over to do various things when the duo sneak up on them and take whatever they have. Everything is going good for Thelma and her boyfriend but soon the cops have a plan. This certainly isn't the best film in the series but there are enough interesting scenes to make it worth viewing. I think the best thing this film has going for it is the performance from Hervey who would go onto have a pretty good career. She's certainly very believable in the part and I thought she came off very natural in her scenes whether they were her freaking out over what's going on or her enjoying all the money it's bringing. Livingston is also very good and gets a scene which seemed to have been influenced by some films of Bela Lugosi as we get a close up of his menacing eyes. The story itself is probably the weakest thing here as there really aren't any surprises as everything that happens is so easy to see coming that no one will be fooled.

Not quite as good as the usual "Crime Does Not Pay" film.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 4 July 2013]

The "Crime Does Not Pay" series from MGM is an excellent series of short films that illustrate crime stories and ALWAYS result in the criminals receiving justice. It's actually amazing how high the quality and how entertaining these films are even today. However, of all the films in the series I've seen so far, "A Thrill for Thelma" is among my least favorite. Now I am NOT saying it's bad, but it does suffer from an ending which just seemed a bit too preachy.

The story begins at a women's prison. The warden is talking with another law enforcement official and begins to talk about Thelma--a woman who just wanted too much. Then, they ask Thelma to tell them her story and what follows is the story of a good time girl who didn't initially mean to break the law. But, she was an idiot and when her boyfriend began committing robberies, she liked the money and thrill so much she agreed to help him. Her lack of conscience and foolishness, not surprisingly, result in her eventual capture. Overall, decent but not among the best--mostly because of the heavy-handed ending.

The criminal lifestyle

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 September 2019]

This 'Crime Does Not Pay' short subject from MGM examines the case of a woman who got caught up in criminality because of who she married and because she found herself enjoying the thrill.

Irene Hervey is our protagonist and she's looking like she's on the straight and narrow even marrying a good looking chap Robert Livingston. But when Livingston has her along on a robbery, she really likes the thrill.

As in all the MGM 'Crime Does Not Pay' shorts, they slip up as criminals do in real life too.

I'm agreeing with the other reviewer, a bit heavy handed but effective.

It's Fun While It Lasts

[boblipton · 5/10 · 14 September 2019]

As we learn in the fourth episode of MGM's long-running series, crime may not pay, but it's fun while it lasts. Red-headed Irene Hervey wants everything while she's young, so she and her husband, Robert Livingstone, take up heading over to lover's lane and robbing canoodling couples. She has second thoughts, of course, when their first robbery winds up killing someone, but eventually she decides there's a downside to everything, and it can be fun and games even after someone gets hurt. Besides, it's all Livingstone's fault for talking her into it.

Anyway, that's the story she tells to police captain Robert Warwick -- you may remember that he was Raffles The Amateur Cracksman about twenty years earlier, cricketer by day but jewel thief by night, so I have my doubts, especially with MGM Crime Reporter popping up from behind a desk to remind us that CRIME DOES NOT PAY. So don't do that, and don't go 'round breaking ladies' tambourines.

Car Crimes

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 1 November 2004]

An MGM CRIME DOES NOT PAY Short Subject.

Living in the luxury provided by robbing parked motorists provides A THRILL FOR THELMA--until the Law starts to close in...

This was the fourth entrant in MGM's series illustrating the futility of crime. Some of the acting is reasonably good and the production values are competent, making the brief film an enjoyable time filler. All of the players are unbilled--William Tannen appears as the MGM Reporter; sturdy Robert Warwick plays the police captain; and Irene Hervey is the luckless Thelma. A fine bit of acting is provided by Robert Livingston as Thelma's violent lover.

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Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.