Fast Life

As much as I love comedies of this era, formulae and all, I struggle with them when there is no character for which to root and the punchline is missing. William Haynes as the "hero," Sandy, is a schemer, and you never know when he's on the level. Cliff Edwards as the his stereotypical sidekick is at least interesting, but Madge Evans as "the girl" is not. Kenneth Thomson as her father ads some light moments, even as he's being swindled by Haynes. In fact, truth be told, Haynes wants to swindle the daughter, as well, but I won't spoil that one. Suffice it to say that she's the "love interest" and you know how these pictures work.

It won't hurt to watch this if you have a few minutes. It would have been much better as an hour long film, but at 82 minutes, it is still watchable. If you're a William Haynes fan, you ought to like it.

And I agree with Ron Oliver's review in this space.

Navy buddies, Sanderson 'Sandy' Burton (William Haines) and Franz 'Bumpy' Jurgens, leave the service after blowing up a boat. Sandy had invented a revolutionary carburetor and befriends boat builder John D. Jameson who is eager to race the fastest boat. The daughter Shirley Jameson (Madge Evans) is weary of her father racing, but falls for the rogue inventor.

This is a bit of dumb fun. It is maybe too dumb for some people. I would like it to get even dumber and do it more often. They set up some gags. They just need to push them over the top and I would get rid of the gunplay. This is sometimes fun.

Ex-sailors William Haines and Cliff Edwards have developed a new kind of engine for motor boats and have come to Catalina Island where apparently everyone has a motor boat to sell it to folks who make a living at racing. Haines manages to blow it with Madge Evans, but with her father Arthur Byron who owns a boat yard and races he scores a big success.

But this is both the Depression and Prohibition and no one including Byron has money to splurge on new inventions. On the romantic front banker Conrad Nagel is cutting in on Evans at Haines's expense. Nagel does however have some secrets that he has to be most discreet about.

This was Billy Haines last film with MGM. He did two more for minor studios and then left acting for the more gay friendly atmosphere in the interior decorating business. It was hard enough to keep Haines closeted when he truly hated the idea of a closet. Fast Life however gives you a good sampling of the kind of smart aleck character that Haines made his specialty. He gets good support from Cliff Edwards as well in the sidekick part.

Conrad Nagel who was a big name in the silent screen era is playing the heavy for a change. A sophisticated heavy to be sure, but a heavy and he scores well in the part.

Over 80 years old and Fast Life is still a pretty funny item.

Well first off, William Haines was NOT "given the shove" by MGM as noted in another comment here. Haines quit MGM rather than submit to the maniacal hypocrite, L.B. Mayer. Haines had been among MGM's top stars from 1926 til he quit in 1932.

All of Haines' talkies for MGM have that cheap, second-feature look, partly because of Mayer's dislike for the openly gay Haines. But most of his film were hits anyway.

Here Haines plays his usual brassy, smart-ass self as an ex-navy man who has invented a swell motor. After being scuttled by a yacht, Haines and sidekick (the always funny Cliff Edwards) get taken to Catalina where they wheedle their way into the girl's father's boat business. Haines is also sweet on the girl--Madge Evans--but her sour boyfriend--Conrad Nagel--has other plans.

Lots of snappy lines here and an exciting boat-race finish make Haines' last MGM film a bittersweet event. He could have had another decade of film stardom. The chemistry between Haines and Evans is a joy.

As noted elsewhere Karl Dane and Pete Smith make appearances but it's Arthur Byron who plays the father, not Kenneth Thomson.

It seems from some of the other reviews that some people just don't like William Haines or his movies. However, if you do like his films this is one of his best sound comedies, and his last for MGM. However he wasn't alone as Conrad Nagel and Cliff Edwards are also making their last contract appearances for MGM as that studio did some housecleaning of their early sound stars to make room for the new faces coming on board. Haines was alone in the sense that he chose to leave rather than submit to a fake "lavender marriage" to provide cover for his gay lifestyle as ordered by studio head Louis B. Mayer.

The film is quite amusing and fast-paced. It has the elements you normally find in a Haines comedy as far as his character's brashness outpacing his brains somewhat. Here Haines' character Sandy has an idea for a maritime engine that has the possibility of greatly increasing the speed of a boat. He's been getting no takers until the boat he's in is accidentally hit by the yacht of Shirley, the beautiful daughter (Madge Evans) of the owner of a boat building business. The girl's father, Mr. Jamison, takes a shine to Sandy from the start and agrees to build the boat partially as a business proposition but mainly because he wants to enter it into an international speedboat race and win the trophy for the U.S. out of patriotic pride. The initial prototype burns up on trial, bankrupts Jamison - who does not hold a grudge, and ruins his budding romance with Jamison's daughter - who does hold a grudge. Sandy knows how to fix the design, but everyone involved is broke with the exception of Sandy's competitor for Shirley's affections, banker Burton (Conrad Nagel). How can Sandy redeem himself with thousands of dollars for needed repairs that he doesn't have standing in the way? I'll let you watch and find out.

It was interesting to see Conrad Nagel play a bad guy for a change when his pleasant voice and appearance normally had him playing the hero. This is also a departure from Haines' normal part. Usually he starts out as a proud guy with the world at his feet when some fall from grace teaches him a lesson in teamwork, humility, or the value of hard work. Here, Haines' character starts out penniless and industrious, he's just looking for a break. It's an unusual and somewhat subtle endeavor for MGM into the championing of the working class over the banking class - Nagel plays a banker - that was probably popular with Depression audiences in 1932.

Also note Pete Smith, who made many shorts for MGM, as an announcer in the final scene of the film. Here you get to see Pete rather than just hear him as was the case in his many amusing short films of the era.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the early talkies and enjoys the silly brash style of William Haines.