The Voice of the City

1929
Passed
1h 21m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Robert Ames in The Voice of the City (1929)

An escaped convict and the detective tasked with hunting him down end up working in parallel to clear the convict's name and nab the gangsters that framed him.An escaped convict and the detective tasked with hunting him down end up working in parallel to clear the convict's name and nab the gangsters that framed him.An escaped convict and the detective tasked with hunting him down end up working in parallel to clear the convict's name and nab the gangsters that framed him.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

112

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews9

Featured review

5/10

Good for 1929...but when seen today, it's slow...very, very slow.

In the early days of talking pictures, the films often had one big problem...they were too talky. Part of it was because the studios really wanted to show off the fact that movies now talked...and the writers included a LOT of dialog. Another part was that sound equipment was crude and usually necessitated actors standing very close to hidden microphones...and outdoor action scenes were difficult, if not impossible, until the technology improved. This is clearly the case with "The Voice of the City", as it's a very talky sort of film with little action. I can't blame the movie for this...it was just a product of its times and it was about the best they could do in 1929.

Bobby has been in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Eventually, he manages to escape and spends most of the movie in hiding. At the same time, a mob boss SAYS he's trying to help Bobby...but also passes on information to the police about Bobby's whereabouts! The same goes with one of his weak-willed friends. What gives? What's really going on here?!

As I mentioned above, for a 1929 film it's good...and deserves a 7 compared to other films of the era. But when seen today, it's a bit slow and static. Worth seeing but not a great movie by today's standards.