A Holy Terror

I have never heard of this little film, from director Irving Cummings, about whom the best and most known film will forever remain BELLE STARR, starring Gene Tierney and Randolph Scott. Except this film, the rest of Cumminngs' filmography is purely very hard to purchase; most is from the silent era. This one is just a rare and curious film, pre Code period, and that's why it is interesting to watch. But you can live without it, it is only destined to gem diggers. I am not even sure it was aired on TCM. I don't understand the title...Terror, i thought of a horror thriller. However, because it is from Irving Cummings - the director of BELLE STARR - I wanted to watch it, at least once in my life.

Bogart is a running a ranch for a wealthy gentleman in Texas. He is pursuing one lady while another is pursuing him. His job is to bring another man to the ranch to meet his boss. He doesn't carry out his instructions exactly as he should. Somewhat interesting to watch but neither the acting nor the plot are great. There is one good scene involving a plane crashing into a house and catching a woman in the shower.

The only reason that most people will track down this minor Western is the presence of Humphrey Bogart in one of his earliest roles.

The Old West was never really looked right on Bogie and this performance, his first with Stetson and Six-gun, could be seen just as a dry run for his appearance as Whip McCord in the James Cagney vehicle 'The Oklahoma Kid'. In fact it was the first time Bogart ever appeared on the wrong side of the law and his depiction of a violent, shiftless man with no moral centre shows that he had this kind of role down pat five years before his breakthrough in 'The Petrified Forest'. He even manages to engage a little audience sympathy when constantly rejected by the virtuous heroine, a fact that also provides a little character motivation, unusual in a picture of this type. It almost goes without saying that he is really the only reason to watch.

Elsewhere George O'Brien tries hard to be handsome and charming in the lead role but is merely stiff and wooden, whilst Sally Eilers does a little better as the heroine. The story holds few surprises, and very little in the way of action or thrills, but the resolution is more original than expected. Technically, it's a little basic but some location work and the use of a few crane shots help a little.

If it weren't for Bogart this picture would probably be long forgotten and it really won't hold much appeal outside of his loyal fanbase.

I saw this movie in 1977 at London's NFT paired with A DEVIL WITH WOMEN (1930) and introduced by William K Everson. The copy presented was nice and clear, and much better than ones I have encountered on YouTube, which look horrible. Hopefully good copies of this film exist as it is quite possible that some of the negative views have been affected by these frightful uploads.

When the film begins, a rich man, Thomas Woodbury, dies. His son, Tony (George O'Brien), soon learns that for decades his father has been having a man named William Drew watched by private detectives. And, he learns that his father actually had a previous identity and lived originally in Wyoming. So, he decides to head to Wyoming and learn from Mr. Drew himself what the connection is between them. However, a few hiccups occur during his investigation. First, his plane crashes right into a pretty lady's bathroom while she's taking a shower. She's unhurt and Tony is DEFINITELY interested in seeing more of her. Second, one of Drew's employees, Steve Nash (Humphrey Bogart), is REALLY curious about Tony and why he wants to see Drew...and so he takes it upon himself to rough up the young man. But Tony soon escapes. What's really going on here? Who is Drew really and why would Nash act this way?

This is an early film of Bogart and that's the reason I decided to watch the movie. The print is pretty lousy but considering how hard it is to find Bogart's early films, I watched it on YouTube despite its shortcomings. While most folks today recognize Bogart as a top- tier star, he acted in a bunch of films in mostly minor roles for nearly a decade before his talents were recognized. Films like "A Holy Terror" might explain why, as Bogart was oddly cast as a guy from Wyoming...despite his strong New York accent and manners.

So is it any good? Well, since it's a cheap B-movie from Fox, it had a relatively small budget and certainly was NOT one of their premier productions back in 1931. And, I must admit that the secret that Tony discovers is a real DOOZY...making it worth your time waiting for this. But, on the other hand...the film just inexplicably ends...no fade out, no incidental music...almost like the just ran out of film! Odd...but still watchable.