Absolute Quiet

The top billed stars in Absolute Quiet are Lionel Atwill as Gerald Axton (Atwill appeared in many murder mysteries and horror films) and Irene Hervey as Laura Tait (Destry Rides Again), but the real stars here are reporter Oscar Rudd (played by Stuart Erwin) and a political bigshot played by Raymond Walburn. Two crooks on the run interfere with an airplane trying to land, but things are complicated because there are political bigshots and reporters on that airplane. Viewers will also see character actor Edwin Maxwell from His Girl Friday, Shop around the Corner, and Cecil DeMille's Cleopatra. Director George Seitz had been writing and directing in Hollywood since 1914, for the silent films. Original story by George Worts. Fun suspense thriller; most of it takes place in one room on the ground, or in the air, so it has the feel of a talkie play, but it's an entertaining film. Lionel Atwill was born in England, and Louis Hayward was was born in S. Africa and raised in England, so there are some accents going on here. Screenplay is pretty whitewashed, but it only costs about an hour and a half to watch it. I get the feeling the original script was a little more naughty...

Absolute Quiet (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Semi-rip of The Petrified Forest has a plane full of people crash landing on the field of a man (Lionel Atwill) being held captive by a couple robbers. There are a few good laughs here but the direction is so strange that it's hard to really get caught up in the film. There's very little suspense in the movie but there are a couple nice laughs, which help the movie move along. Wallace Ford playing the tough guy was a bit hard to believe and led to several unintentional laughs. J. Carroll Naish and Irene Harvey turn in good performances as does Atwill.

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.

Energetic, Claustrophobic, Character Driven Talk-A-Thon, this B-Movie is Fun to Watch with its Overblown Stereotypes and its Depression Era Sensibility. The Completely Inept and Decidedly Dumb Politician seems to be the Sounding Board for the Woes of the Time and the Jack and Judy (Bonnie and Clyde) Characters are also Straight out of the Headlines of the Day.

It has a lot of Slang and Snappy Appeal and is rather Entertaining and Never Lulls in its Short Running Time. An Artifact of its Day to be sure, it Holds Up because of its Cynical Nature and some Fine Character Actors.

Lionel Atwill as Always is Deliciously Diabolical, even as a Lecherous Non Villain, and Manipulates the Proceeding as the "Big Shot" and along with the other Pulpy Characters make this just Off Kilter enough to be Apart from the Usual Assembly Line Pictures that were Churned Out by the Hundreds for Entertainment Starved Depression Dwellers.

There's a lot going on in this one so I doubt I'll do it justice with a brief summary but I'll try. Lionel Atwill plays a businessman with a heart problem who is told to spend time at his ranch for "absolute quiet." He takes along his secretary (Irene Hervey), who is one of two women he is unsuccessfully trying to get with in the movie. While at the ranch they are taken hostage by two criminals named Jack and Judy (Wallace Ford and Bernadene Hayes). Then a plane crashes onto the ranch! The plane is carrying several people who have ties to Atwill, including ineffectual Governor Pruden (a terrific Raymond Walburn) and Atwill's former mistress (Ann Loring) with her actor boyfriend (Louis Hayward). There's also the obligatory wise-cracking reporter (Stuart Erwin). From here it becomes a variation on The Petrified Forest, where all the plane crash survivors join Atwill and Hervey as hostages of the criminal duo and the rest of the film takes places mostly in one room.

What an interesting movie. Completely far-fetched and melodramatic but fascinating nonetheless. It's helped by a great cast and ample doses of humor, intentional and unintentional. In addition to those I mentioned above, J. Carrol Naish also appears briefly as a handyman, using his trademark "is it Italian or is it Spanish" accent. Definitely an unknown treat for classic movie fans so check it out.