Way for a Sailor

John Gilbert has been hammered for the alleged quality of his voice since his first sound film HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT (1929). Which was a disaster in MANY ways. This film shows this for the lie that it is. There is nothing wrong with his voice. He had regular speaking voice with good intonations at the correct time. Nor does he 'ham it up' with silent film pantomime. His acting style is natural and suited for the sound medium.

The film features a strong supporting cast which includes Wallace Beery and the attractive Leila Hymans. In a minor role as a 'Brothel Manager' is character actor, Sojin. There is plenty of action and romance. This film has a gritty early 1930's realism very much in the style of WARNER BROTHERS, enhanced by the M.G.M. special effects department who used the Williams 'Traveling Matte Process' too good effect. Something they had been familiar with since BEN-HUR (1925). This integrated live action plates with com-posited filmed action sequences. Occasionally though you can pick up where the 'matte' bled through and the composite failed.

The film is of good quality and a solid 'B' film. These were important in filling out the Studio's schedule of fifty (50+) plus features a year. In the early years of the 'Great Depression' even major stars made such films. ANNA Christie (1930) was of no better quality. The difference, Louis B. Mayer backed Greta Garbo, unlike Gilbert whose career he wished to destroy. The plot of this film would be recycled just one (1) year later with Mr. Mayer's new 'fair haired boy' Clark Gable. Seemed the material worked for you when the Studio backed you up.

Looking at a list of actors who failed to make the transition from silent to "talkies," John Gilbert is one of the names on top of the lineup. There was no bigger movie star in the mid-1920's than Gilbert, most notably in his films with Greta Garbo. But Gilbert's problem was his employer, Louis B. Mayer, who headed the MGM studio. The two constantly bickered about his salary, the type of roles he was given, and other disagreements that escalated into shouting matches between them heard throughout the hallways. One particularly nasty incident encapsulates their tension. Gilbert and long time live-in girlfriend Greta Garbo planned to hold a dual wedding with director King Vidor and his fiancee, actress Eleanor Boardman. At the appointed time to exchange vows, Garbo failed to show up. More than a few witnesses swear that Mayer said something not complimentary about Garbo to the despondent Gilbert just outside the restroom. The actor smacked the MGM president so hard it sent him sprawling onto the floor of the bathroom. According to some Mayer swore he was going to get even with his star, "Even if it costs me one million dollars."

Gilbert had just signed a very lucrative six-picture deal with MGM for $250,000 per movie, with his name above anyone else's-a deal Mayer had opposed. Gilbert was given a string of weak roles in a series of bad movies in 1929 and 1930. Typical of the quality of films he had to appear in was November 1930 "Way for a Sailor." Although the part was strong on masculinity than his previous talking roles, the movie was so bad its director, Sam Wood, didn't want his name listed in the credits. The motion picture did have one of MGM's biggest star, Wallace Berry, as well as a whopping $900,000 budget. Gilbert plays a wise-cracking womanizer, Jack, who lands in jail in almost every port his ship docks. In one foreign port, Jack falls in love with London-native Joan (Leila Hyams), who doesn't reciprocate his many overtures.

Legend has it that Mayer ordered his audio technicians to speed up the film in the scenes where Gilbert speaks to make his voice sound pitchy. But film analysts insist the actor's voice was somewhat light and thin, but not unlike other silent movie actors who made the successful transition to talkies. Another account has Mayer ordering his sound men to turn off the base while recording "Way for a Sailor" so his voice would register higher than normal. The technique wouldn't have affected the women voices nor would it do much to Wallace Berry's ultra-low, gravely voice.

What probably hurt Gilbert more than his less than assertive voice were the types of roles he found himself. Also, Hollywood's major studios had an underground network called 'greylisting' that had them avoid hiring any actor Mayer called troublesome, placing a damper on any film opportunities. MGM tried several times to cancel his contract, but the actor was determined to see the deal through, even though there were long stretches between each picture. Gilbert began to drink heavily, he became mentally exhausted and his physical health began to show a decline during his personal bouts with the studio. That is, until his former girlfriend, Greta Garbo, in 1933 gave him a new chance at resurrecting his stardom in "Queen Christina."

Seafaring John Gilbert (as Jack) enjoys the rollicking "love 'em and leave 'em" lifestyle shared with merchant marine buddies like accordion-playing Wallace Beery (as Tripod) and brawling Jim Tully (as Ginger). The trio of rum-swilling womanizers look for saloons and girls in every port. But, when Mr. Gilbert meets blonde Leila Hyams (as Joan), the sailor must choose between manning restless ocean waves, or settling down with Ms. Hyams' shore-bound curves...

The delayed, poorly-edited "Way for a Sailor" was the first of several attempts to restore Gilbert's damaged movie stardom...

Beery essays a typically hammy performance; though second-billed, he was, by now, the bigger box office star. Undoubtedly Beery was present to attract more cinema patrons, who would hopefully give Gilbert a second look. Unfortunately, most viewers had their misgivings about Gilbert reinforced. The picture simply does not serve him well. In their scenes together, re-takes seem to have been inserted to enhance Ms. Hyams' performance, while Gilbert is left looking soppish.

**** Way for a Sailor (11/1/30) Sam Wood ~ John Gilbert, Wallace Beery, Leila Hyams, Jim Tully

Oddly likable film even though it's badly directed, edited, and under-lit. There are several "inserts" of closeups that don't come close to matching the rest of the scene, and the rear projections are badly done as well.

Still, this fourth talkie of John Gilbert's is fascinating because of the solid performances by Gilbert (no voice problems at all), Wallace Beery, and Leila Hyams.

A story of carousing sailors (merchant marine) and their beer brawls is very pre-Code with saloons, whores, and raw language. But Jack (Gilbert) is smitten with Hyams and does everything to win her. Unfortunately he steals money from Beery to buy a suit and pretends he has left the sea for an office job so Hyams will marry him. He ends up going back to sea on the boat she is sailing on for Canada (after she learns of his lies). But then another ship is sinking in a storm.....

Several interesting scenes, including one by the sea where Gilbert and Hyams are talking and arguing. The rescue is interesting but under-lit.

Gilbert tries so hard here after a series of lousy MGM flops (thanks to Mayer) and is so likable that you forget the story is standard issue. Hyams is beautiful and has a few good dramatic scenes. Beery is his usual self. Supporting cast includes Polly Moran, Doris Lloyd, Ray Milland, Jim Tully, Tiny Jones, etc.

This was Gilbert's best talkie to date after the disastrous HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT and REDEMPTION. Whatever the problems were with this film, they were not Gilbert's fault. He looks fit and trim and his voice is just fine. Despite the "B" film qualities of this and most of Gilbert's MGM films (thanks to Mayer), Gilbert always comes off as a solid actor and likable man.

John Gilbert should have had a major career in talkies and proved that his acting style and voice were just fine in film after film, but he had lost his audience with the first few rotten sound films MGM gave him.

This film is worth seeing just to see how valiant Gilbert was even with Mayer working against him.

...but let me warn you that the first half hour of this 85 minute film is a long hard slog. Gilbert plays "Jack", a sailor on a commercial line, who seems to have some kind of beef with fellow sailor "Tripod" (Wallace Beery), although the origin of this rift is never revealed. The boat lands, the sailors are on leave, and there is drunken brawl after drunken brawl for no reason. Someone will just insult someone else or break a bottle over someone's head for apparently no reason. Then everybody starts fighting. This got repetitive, plus the dawn of sound soundtrack is so bad that trying to hear these players speak, during storms, out of doors, in crowded bars, is nearly impossible. I had to rewind several times to get what was even going on. The bright spot in this part of the film - Polly Moran showing up all disheveled in a bar carrying a mallet of all things. Considering how rowdy things got and how quickly they got rowdy, maybe she was smart to be carrying a mallet after all.

During the next hour things improve considerably as the ship lands in London and we meet the object of Jack's affection, Joan (Leila Hyams), a clerk in the shipping company office. She wants nothing to do with him because he is a sailor. Hyams could have come off as snooty in this role, but she doesn't, even without an exact explanation of her rejection. I felt that she might have been hurt or lied to by a sailor before, or she might have seen that happen, enough that she is simply not going to consider a sailor as a suitor. The point is, she plays the part vulnerable and it works. Likewise, Gilbert's character, though rough around the edges, is actually likable. He wants to marry the girl, so his intentions are honorable. He just thinks that lying is OK in the pursuit of this honorable intention. It's at this point the first half hour of the film - which has seemed pointless up to now - begins to make sense. It shows the rough and tumble kind of temporary port to port life Jack is accustomed to and helps explain his actions. He borrows money from the other sailors, buys a suit, and gives Joan a total lie of a story about him quitting the sea and getting a job in the shipping office. Now on the surface this seems despicable, but then you think back to the first half hour and remember in Jack's world the end justifies the means. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

I'd say it is worth it to see that John Gilbert did understand how to act and project a character in the talkies, and also this film gives a supporting role to Wallace Beery that he was just made to play before MGM pretty much promoted him to leading man status after Min and Bill came out later in 1930.