Night Birds

This is an oddity from a vanished British era directed by the German director Richard Eichberg (in English). The DVD is made from a negative and is crisp and new, like something just minted. However, the film itself is another matter. It starts with some interesting shots of Piccadilly Circus at night as it was in 1929. (I always enjoy seeing the changes of advertisements over the decades in old films showing Piccadilly Circus.) The film is ruined right away by the appalling bad acting of Jack Raine as the lead character, Police Sergeant Harry Cross. (It never Raines but it pours irritating tedium.) The film is more or less a detective film, but not really. And, frankly, who cares. The reason for watching this strange survival from an archaic age is for being shocked at the manners and mores of London in 1930. All those gentleman oafs in white tie! All those false manners! All those social put-downs, all that complacent and self-satisfied idiocy, all those arrogant nonentities, all that empty formality, and all that flaunting of dinner jackets as emblems of superior status! No thanks, I prefer the 21st century.

I'm not going to bother giving a decent synopsis of the story as the characters make it impossible to follow. All the men look the same with their moustaches. It's ridiculous. The main guy is Harry Cross (Jack Raine), a detective who is trying to catch some bloke who throws knives at people. This bad guy is part of a gang of robbers who meet at a club owned by Charlo (Franklyn Bellamy).

It's a whodunnit mystery with an intolerably annoying Jack Raine in the lead role. He is permanently smiling or laughing and it is very irritating. The way he laughs at his wife instead of explaining things to her is unbelievable and he deserves a smack in the mouth. It's a shame that she takes it all and allows him to carry on laughing at her. With a better cast, the film could have been OK but as it stands it's confusing and not very good.

It is a sad fact that whilst a fair number of Hollywood films of the early talking films still remain in public view the same can not be said of British films of this era.For example,All Quiet On The Western Front,Applause,Public Enemy,42nd Street.Apart from a few films directed by Hitch this period is almost unknown.This film is a case in point.It is a thriller set in a nightclub.However the period and the settings add to the charm.It is all very light and engaging and still engages one.It is helped by some of the performances.There is a brilliantine's Hay Petrie playing a convincing villain with a nifty hand with the dagger.There is Jameson Thomas who went to Hollywood and played character parts.One of the leading ladies is Muriel Angelus.She happened to go to the States where she was in a lot of Broadway shows and Hollywood films.In fact believe it or not her last film credit is as The Great Mcgintys wife.A really touching performance in that great film.There is also a very young Garry Marsh.So there is a lot to commend this unknown film.Not a classic but still worth a view.