Vingt-quatre heures

The other reviewers were on the mark on this one. It is an excellent Pre-Code drama. It catches you from the opening credits, superimposed over theatrical-looking models of the New York City skyline. You see the time on a big clock tower, and the 24 hours of the title starts there. All the action fits into that time frame, and the film ends with a shot of the same tower, with the same time as at the beginning. They sure fit a lot of excitement into that one-day period.

Brook and Francis are the stars of the film, but Hopkins really steals the show as the nightclub singer. You often read of Hopkins' difficult side- that she wasn't easy to work with, etc. And she and Bette Davis seem to have had a real hate-fest going (but, of course, Davis was reputed to be difficult, too). Whatever the truth of all that, I have always liked Hopkins a lot. She gave some wonderful performances, especially in that Pre-Code era. Her Ivy in "Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is probably her best, but she was good in everything. "The Story of Temple Drake," this film, and many others. And she was great in comedy films, too. See "The Smiling Lieutenant" and "Trouble in Paradise," for example. The fact that such a master as Ernst Lubitsch put her in a number of his films says something.

Kay Francis was always good in these weepie kinds of roles. She really patented the part of the woman who is unhappy in her marriage, and looks for love elsewhere. This part is along the lines of the many films she made for Paramount and Warners, and she's very effective and believable here. I have mixed feelings about Clive Brook as an actor (as a man, he was reportedly a great guy). In many of his parts, he is the stiffest of stiff-upper lip gentlemen. As in "Shanghai Express." You kind of want to shake him, to get some kind of reaction out of him. But he was very popular at that time, and people seemed to like him. He could be very good, when he broke that frozen mask, and showed some emotion. He has a touching scene here, when he finds Hopkins the morning after his drunken adventures.

Lucille La Verne, one of the all-time great character actresses, is wonderful here, as always. She had such a distinctive face and voice. You can see why Disney used her as the model and voice of the witch in "Snow White." She was good in everything, from the woman who hides, and cheats, the down-and-out Rico in "Little Caesar," to her iconic part as the pal of Madame De Farge in "A Tale of Two Cities." You know, one of the ladies who sits knitting at the base of the guillotine, cackling and jeering as the aristocrats have their heads cut off. That part is probably the one everyone remembers her for. Her bio on IMDb.com is very interesting- a longtime legitimate stage actress, etc.

Director Gering's bio is interesting, too. A member of a Soviet delegation to the States, who stayed, and made a career for himself. He made some interesting films, too. "The Devil and the Deep," "Thirty Day Princess," and some other excellent films.

These early-Talkie films are so interesting, for a myriad of reasons. Aside from having great actors, production values, good directors, etc., they are also interesting for their historical and sociological insights into those times. It really is like peering through a kind of time- machine window, as if you're looking in on people from another era, or almost from another dimension. It really is fascinating. I also think these early sound movies, with their short running times, are like filmed short stories. Most of them run a little over an hour, and they manage to fit so much into that brief time. New movie makers could learn a lot on how to cut to the chase in such a short time, and still make a good film.

Anyway, check it out. This is a fascinating Pre-Code film, almost a blueprint for the late 40s Film Noirs. And it has some great performances.

There are some terrific gems in Paramount's library from 1930-34 that are simply turning to dust. It's a shame they're not on video. 24 Hours qualifies for an unqualified hit on all counts. It's moody, almost "noir" feel is fascinating. It's a visual treasure. Adulterous couple Clive Brook (his stiff, inebriated self) and Kay Francis (captivating here in one of her subtle, effective performances)survive an harrowing 24 Hours in which Brooks' lover (Miriam Hopkins steals the show as a lively chanteuse) manages to get bumped off by her maniacal husband (Regis Toomey). It's tastefully handled, yet gripping in its understatement. The photography is fluid -- this seems more like a 1932 film than a 31 -- it's very mobile, edited nicely. Try to get a copy of this from a collector. You won't be disappointed.

Clive Brooks and Kay Francis have a marriage that's falling apart. She is having an affair. He drinks heavily and is also having an affair with nightclub singer Miriam Hopkins. Hopkins in turn has a failing marriage to small time hood Regis Toomey. Toomey murders Hopkins while Brooks is asleep in the next room. Brooks is blamed. This pre-code crime melodrama fits a labyrinthine plot into just over an hour and still has time for Hopkins to sing two songs. They seriously do not make them like this anymore. This one's a load of fun with a batch of colorful characters all doing nasty stuff to each other. Lucille La Verne stands out as a rugged old battleaxe who does in Toomey. The film's title comes from the fact that the entire plot unfolds in only 24 hours.

Superb precoder that floored me. Very adult and unrelenting story about an adulterous couple (Clive Brook, Kay Francis), a nightclub singer (Miriam Hopkins) and her murderous husband (Regis Toomey).

Set during a 24-hour period and starting during a snowy night in New York City, this film is a wonder. We see the snowy skyline as we enter a posh living room where Brook and stunning Francis are basically calling it quits. He's drunk but proper and she's feeling guilty. He walks out into the night and witnesses a sidewalk murder. He stops off for more drinks before going to see Hopkins--an amazing performance as Rosie the singer (and 2 terrific songs)--and having more drinks. After stalling her bum husband (Toomey) she takes Brook home and puts him to bed. But Toomey breaks in and accidentally kills her in a fit of jealousy.

Next morning Brook wakes up to a dead Hopkins and is arrested for murder. Francis reads about it in the morning papers (fast journalism!) and rushes to him just as the police are finishing grilling him. The film ends as the clock ticks off the 24th hour.....

Brook is subtle and effective (as always); Francis is effective and never looked better in her furs and jewels; Hopkins gives one of her very best performances as hapless Rosie, and Toomey is actually good as well. Co-stars include George Barbier, Adrienne Ames, Charlotte Granville, Wade Boteler, and a great turn by Lucille LaVerne.

What a gem this one is. No Hollywood apologies, no big changes for the better. They are who they are. The camera shots are excellent and the pacing is brisk. This one is a "must see."

Much of the problem with "24 Hours" might be because of when it was made. Many of the films from 1929-31 are a bit stilted and slow compared to ones made just a few years later. And, stilted and slow is definitely the way I'd sum up this film. This is really weird, however, as the film is filled with murders (one is particularly vivid and brutal), adultery and more....but the characters seem unperturbed and behave pretty much like like they are bored or talking about stamp collecting. This is definitely true of the leads, Kay Francis and Clive Brook...a couple who are cheating on each other yet there is no energy at all when they admit this to each other. There are some sparks from Regis Toomey and Miriam Hopkins...but not enough to recommend this rather boring film. And how they could make this plot boring is beyond me! The film could have definitely used an infusion of energy and zip!!