Outward Bound

After seeing "Between Two Worlds" the 1944 remake of this movie, it is safe to say that both have their own merits. This film, made early in the talkie era reflects the effects of transitioning to sound from silents. The acting is stagey, overdone and very overdramatic. The players seems ill at ease probably due to the presence of the microphone and also from the fact that some were stage actors where the exaggerated gesture was appropriate. The story, adapted from the stage play, looks like what it is....a stage play. But the cinematography is wonderful, light and dark clearly deliniated; shadows which give it a very eerie look. It has such a great story line....passengers on a ship going to Heaven or Hell without their knowledge....that it holds interest in spite of some of the emoting that takes place. Leslie Howard goes over the edge in the scene where he realizes what is happening and it borders on comedic. Frankly, he is just not very good in this part. John Garfield plays in much more realistically in the 1944 film. Montagu Love, as the business man of shady reputation can't hold a candle to the wonderful George Colouris who played that part in the remake. The less said about Doug Jr. and Helen Chandler as the young lovers the better. One has to remember that this is a very early movie and those of us who love early cinema are prepared for the mannered acting that was often seen during this time in movie history. It is worth seeing; in fact, see this one and then see the remake. You might like the remake better but give the original a chance. You may like it.

A group of assorted persons find themselves on a ship bound for no conceivable destination. Little do they know, that they are all dead and sailing towards judgment in this evocative and moving psychological drama about life and death.

The script-which was based off a broadway play-is very well done. The final results are still stagey and the whole movie seems to take place in one room, but because of the brisk pace and timeless themes of life, death, and what happens after you die there is never a dull or slow moment in the movie. It's dramatization of life after death is mesmerizing and still holds up after all these years. This is Leslie Howard's (Gone with the Wind) first American film, he acted in the stage version of this film, so his acting tends to be on the melodramatic side. Of the young couple, Helen Chandler (Dracula) gives the better performance. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. brings down Chandler's tragic intensity and the young couple story line with his over-the-top performance. As for the rest of the cast, some performances are better than others, but no performance gets too melodramatic to the point where it's distracting from the great story or the eerie, almost scary, atmosphere. I saw this movie on TCM recently and I noticed that it is not available on DVD or VHS and I think that's a real shame. Overall: a very thought-provoking, atmospheric, early-talkie drama. Would be great for rainy days. Beryl Mercer (Public Enemy), Lyonal Watts, Alison Akipworth, and Slec B. Francis also star.

*** out of ****

The story of the man who wrote Outward Bound is probably more interesting than the play itself if that's possible. Sutton Vane was an actor who joined the army at the outbreak of World War I and was invalided out due to a bad case of shell-shock. The horrible memory of the war stayed with him even though he tried to go back to performing.

The play Outward Bound was written by Vane as a catharsis, his own message about how differently people view life at the moment of judgment. Vane could not interest any of the mainstream producers in London to back his play, he raised the money and produced it himself. It struck a chord with post World War I audiences in first the United Kingdom and then in America.

When Warner Brothers got the rights to the play they were lucky indeed to get several of the original cast from Broadway to repeat their roles for the screen. Leslie Howard, Lyonel Watts, Dudley Digges and Beryl Mercer did these parts on Broadway in 1924 when the play ran for 144 performances.

Several people find themselves on board a most mysterious ship which seems to be continually traveling in fog and only one crewman, a steward is on duty. It turns out that only a young couple, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Helen Chandler, seem to know what's happening. They're all dead and the ship is heading towards a meeting with the Great Examiner who will determine their fates.

Why they and steward Alec B. Francis are the only ones of the passengers that knows what's happening and what happens to each one you'll have to see the film for. Outward Bound with a message that's less Christian centered might very well find an audience today. Unless you believe that their are similar ships carrying people from an Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, etc. cultures to their fates which the author by no means excludes.

Though melodramatic in spots, Outward Bound is still a haunting film about people on the brink of eternity.

Massive stage hit was an early talkie starring Leslie Howard as a man who finds himself on a ship that is "outward bound." Stunning dialog and beautiful cinematography help this allegorical tale of passengers stranded onboard a mysterious ship. A huge stage hit in London and New York, Outward Bound was am ambitious talkie for 1930 and features some wonderful performances (a bit stagy, but wonderful) from Howard as well as the great and underrated Alison Skipworth. Also good are Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Beryl Mercer, Helen Chandler, Alec P. Francis, Dudley Digges, and Montagu Love. Lyonel Watts is a bit much as the vicar. This was remade in the late 40s as Between Two Worlds, starring John Garfield and Eleanor Parker.

Leslie Howard always seemed to be wasted in blah film roles and its nice to see him here in a worthy role. And Skipworth is a total delight in any film you can catch her in...... Here she plays a most unusual part, and plays it beautifully. All her little hmmms and gutteral sounds add fathoms to the dialog. And note her first name is misspelled in the opening credits.

Outward Bound (1930)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Helen Chandler play lovers who commit suicide and then find themselves on an ocean liner with various other characters. None of them are quite sure where the boat is going but soon they learn that they're all dead and heading to Heaven or Hell. This film was based on a well known play, which was suppose to have been very good but it doesn't translate to the screen very well. The film opens up with over a minute of notes from the studio asking people not to laugh at the story and to take it seriously so you have to wonder if the studio itself was worried about the movie. The film is all dialogue, which naturally could kill the film and it partially does. The dialogue whenever the characters are just sitting around talking about typical things is quite boring and doesn't contain anything interesting. Whenever the people are talking about life and death then it comes to life somewhat but the film eventually goes on way too long. There are a few nice twists at the end but the actual ending is a letdown but I'm not sure if it was changed from the original play. Fairbanks Jr., and Chandler deliver fine performances as does the rest of the cast including Leslie Howard as a drunk. The film was later remade as Between Two Worlds with John Garfield.