Two Seconds

The movie, itself, may not be the finest available for viewing entertainment. However, the outstanding acting skills of Edward G. Robinson are fulling exploited and beautifully captured. And, that talent, that genius, makes "Two Seconds" a must see.

Robinson shows the depth of his talents and the emotions he is capable of demonstrating. Ah, that contemporary actors could act so well. Watch the expressions on his face, watch his hands, watch his walk, watch the pain -- this is not melodrama, this is a thespian par excellence showing the world how it is done.

Alas, the movies does not appear to be available for purchase, but this is one outstanding film that should be in any collection of those who are serious about studying drama and acting skills.

There's no chance a movie like this is coming out of Hollywood this decade or the previous decade or in the nineties or eighties. Two Seconds is the story of an unhappy steel worker and his squalid little life. At times, Edward G. Robinson is very over the top, but when it matters, his performance is crackling with authenticity and passion and it is clear why this small and unattractive man became a huge Hollywood icon. His fire is undeniable.

Unpredictably plotted in the way many pre-code B pictures were, this piece is always engaging and alive and perhaps a bit too short. It contains an absolutely searing monologue that you will never forget and overall the work is a dirty window through which the desperation of life for the lower class in 1930 American can be gleaned.

A good film and a rich portrait.

(I saw 35mm prints of the movie at Film Forum, N.Y. on two occasions.)

"Two Seconds" is a relatively minor film by "Warner Bros." The story is fairly basic and low key. The cast is quite small and the entire film was made on soundstages. It is the performance of Edward G. Robinson that makes "Two Seconds" so memorable. He gives a truly in-depth performance that is a mixture of humour, tension and then despair. The film's plot is mainly a flashback, with Robinson looking back on the circumstances that led to his being incarcerated in the first place. He is unfortunate enough to be in the hands of a callous and vindictive woman and he can only tolerate her for so long..... I particularly enjoyed the scene where Robinson talks to the camera, to give the impression that he is addressing a person. His monologue lasts for a few minutes as the camera slowly draws closer to Robinson and the set goes dark apart from one light that is focused upon him. It is a powerful scene and captivating. The film isn't a long one and the time races by.

Interesting pre-Code programmer, though actor Robinson's eventual hysteria is more distracting than affecting. Told through flashback from Allen's (Robinson) execution chamber, we know how things turn out for him. But what's the story leading up to the electric chair. The smallish, homely Allen starts out as a repressed skyscraper worker whose out-going pal, Bud (Foster), wants to get the little guy into a social life. Soon, Allen meets blonde taxi-dancer Shirley (Osborne) at a seedy night spot. He's polite to her and the lonely girl soon hooks on to him and his good job. The pairing looks like it might work since each is lonely, even though she appears calculating at times.

The story plays out on the hard times of the Great Depression, when jobs and money are in short supply, to say the least. The fact that Allen's got a good job places him somewhat on a pedestal, and except for lack of a social life he's pretty well insulated from what millions of others are experiencing. Thus his story stands as something a tragedy, brought about indirectly by that same Depression that now seems inescapable.

The premise of a two-second flashback's an imaginative one. Another reviewer suggests the movie's too short for its threads, and I agree. The screenplay has some unexpected twists, so daring to think outside the box is not a problem, especially in that pre-Code year (1932). Happily, there's plenty bouncy music from that era along with dancing couples. Times may be tough, still folks need relief. For fans of Robinson, Allen is totally unlike any role I've seen him in. At first the character's poignantly reserved, but soon wobbles into a directionless paranoia and finally into florid hysterics. I suspect it's not a role the actor fondly remembered.

Anyway, the 60+ minutes remains an interesting oddity of the time, mainly for its twisty and revealing development.

Here's a short but interesting pre-Code thriller about lonely riveter John Allen (Edward G Robinson) who lives with his pal Bud. John doesn't have much luck with the ladies; all his blind dates turn out to be duds. While escaping one particularly bad date, John ends up in a dance hall and meets the charming 10-cents-a-dance girl Shirley Day (Vivienne Osborne). She knows how to take care of herself (she slaps one groping guy, saying "you payed 10 cents for your feet, not your hands"), but when John helps her escape from another pesky patron she treats him like her knight in shining armor.

Well, a guy who looks like Edward G should know that the cutest girl in the room is not REALLY going to fall for him, but he takes the bait, and life goes downhill from there.

The film is told in an interesting fashion. It begins at the electric chair, and the events of the next hour are supposedly John Allen's flashbacks during the two seconds it takes to "fry."

Robinson does a nice job in the film, showing a lot of range from his usual swagger, to vulnerability, to sheer insanity. TWO SECONDS is fairly edgy in terms of content, coming two years before the Hays code cracked down on such things. It's worth a look to see Robinson doing something in the 30s besides playing gangsters.