Absolute Quiet

Absolute Quiet seems a strange side assignment for the director of the Andy Hardy series, George B. Seitz and his sometime cinematographer Lester White. The actors were probably B-movie favorites to moviegoers in the 30s, but aside from Atwill and Stu Erwin most are long forgotten now. Familiar faces everywhere, nonetheless, in this odd little MGM picture with Atwill in the lead, supported by Lewis Hayward in a minor and atypical role. One can almost imagine an A-picture cast instead: if MGM had gotten Bette Davis for the Irene Hervey role and Cagney for Wallace Ford.

Atwill is great as always, one of the most underrated actors of the Golden Era, and Bernadene Hayes steals the film half way through as the Vaudeville hoofer turned gun moll.

I'll bet it was fun to make this one.

There are some first-rate performances packed into this surprisingly entertaining "B" movie. Taking it from the top, there's Lionel Atwill as a high-powered tycoon whose doctor orders him to rest his nerves at his ranch out west. That's not easy when Wallace Ford and Bernadene Hayes turn up as a vaudeville act wanted for murder. And when a fog-bound plane crashes, they're joined by Louis Hayward as a fading movie idol whose face is scarred in the accident, Stu Erwin as a wise-guy newspaperman and Raymond Walburn as a blustering politico. Throw in Irene Hervey as the secretary Atwill is trying to bed and J. Carroll Naish as a sly Mexican ranch hand and it's fun watching "Absolute Quiet" just to see who'll try to steal the spotlight from who. My bet goes to Hayes and Ford as the serial killer love birds who insist that they really slayed 'em in vaudeville.

... because it really is a suspenseful and busy little film. It's like Petrified Forest meets Airport meets A Star Is Born meets Bonnie and Clyde meets The Senator is Indiscreet and I don't think I'm spoiling anything to tell you that.

Gerald Axton (Lionel Atwill), a wealthy industrialist, is told by his doctor that he'll have a fatal heart attack if he doesn't rest awhile, so he decides to retreat to his ranch. Axton has sent an actress he has romantically tired of away to Hollywood for a screen test, and she is scheduled to fly there the next day with an actor she is in love with (Louis Hayward), The fact that she chose another man and has bruised his ego is why Axton wants her out of his sight. On the same plane is the windbag governor of the state, with whom Axton is currently having a feud. A cynical world-weary reporter is also onboard.

Axton is currently in love with his assistant, Laura, and has convinced her to come to his ranch with him. He has sent her husband on a rather dangerous aerial mission given the weather, and hopes to seduce Laura while her husband is otherwise occupied in the air. At the same time, murderers Jack and Judy escape from the sheriff near the Axton ranch and are looking for a place to temporarily hole up.

All of these people - and their planes - end up at the Axton ranch. Since Axton doesn't particularly like any of these people he plays psychological games with them, with unclear motives, although it's safe to say he'd be OK with all of them winding up dead with the exception of Laura. Complications ensue.

This is a rare B movie for MGM, with none of their familiar contract players, not even their supporting ones. The role of the hardened and hard drinking reporter would have probably gone to Lee Tracy in better days, but is well played by Stuart Erwin. The fact that he and Atwill are the most recognizable members of the cast just burnishes the film's B credentials.

It has a seemingly code busting ending that is oddly sympathetic to the escaped criminals. I'd recommend it as an entertaining B that looks like nothing else MGM did during the 30s.

This minor movie is worth watching but a bit corny by modern standards. It has a funny scipt and it is well acted by its little known cast. It is kind of hard boiled and cynical. It is a send up of American politics and society of the time when the film was made, and it gives some perspective for the present day.

It's a little like "Grand Hotel." Today "Grand Hotel" seems stagy and really creaks. "Absolute Quiet" is wife awake and crackles.

It's a little like "The Petrified Forest." That holds up pretty well but is very stagy. And it's a little like "Key Largo," which no one is going to fault.

Lionel Atwill is a manipulator who tries to have the husband of a woman he's attracted to crash his plane. At the same time, he will be taking care of an ex-girlfriend, an actress he has ostensibly sent to Hollywood in that same plane. Her boyfriend, Louis Hayward, a fading movie star, is also on the plane, as is the governor of the state. Atwill has it in for him.

The plane crashes at his house in the country, where he is ostensibly taking in the eponymous rest.

Add t to this mix a reporter who wants the story. (A rather pudgy looking Stuart Erwin is good in this role.) And a Bonnie and Clyde duo on the lam. Their names are Jack and Judy. Or, their name (as they were originally a vaudeville team) IS Jack and Judy.

All this, as well as a couple minor players, in one house! This doesn't come across as a formulaic programmer. It has plenty of tension. The only aspect that bothered me was Jack's slang: Over and over, instead of saying "OK," he says "Oke." Slang can really date a movie. But this one holds up very well indeed, in spite of that one small annoyance.