Review of The Big Shakedown

I am sure it was not just Miss Bette Davis who was appalled at having to try and breathe life into poor screenplays like this, for the appropriately titled "The Big Shakedown" (1934). Here with her were two major stars of the silent era, Charles Farrell and Ricardo Cortez, who had some of the most successful silent film credits to their names, and they were forced by the studio to endure mediocre, uninspiring roles in talkies like these, with implausible plots which border on the ludicrous. Perhaps this film might have had more bite to it if it had been a precode, perhaps not. However it isn't fair to blame the actors for a bad script. It's just horrible, folks. If Einstein were an actor even he couldn't have figured out how to breathe life into this one.

They all try to do the best they can under the circumstances. Bette brings some sympathy to her good girl role; Charles Farrell is still unbelievably handsome, but his character makes some bad decisions out of greed for quick wealth, therefore his position is tenuous at best, and Ricardo Cortez tries to bring some taut dimension to a thankless role of yet another gangster type. I'm used to seeing him die at the end of talkies, however this ending takes the cake: he's shot AND falls into a tub of acid. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! Watch Ricardo fry! Creepy!

Silent film fans and Bette fans should give it a wink, just don't be surprised if your winks turn into a complete shut-eye. Snore...........

5 out of 10.