"Dante's Inferno" (1935) is an excellent film, with many stunning scenes. At the beginning of the film, the impoverished Jim Carter (Spencer Tracy) ruthlessly pursues power and money. He joins a carnival, and meets Pop McWade, the owner of Dante's Inferno show. ("Inferno" is an epic poem about Hell, written by Dante in the 14th century.) McWade is a kind, thoughtful man, and hopes that his show will help people stay out of Hell. His morality contrasts with Carter's ruthless and shady business tactics.
Carter's callous strategies work, although others are often harmed. He eventually owns an extravagant carnival and amusement park, and a luxury Art Deco ship. The Dante's Inferno carnival show is a spectacular cavern with devils, fire and notorious beautiful women, including Salome and Cleopatra. The entrance to the cavern is a devil's head with glaring eyes and jagged teeth.
Carter's business practices are deplorable. However, he is a devoted family man. He marries McWade's beautiful blonde niece Betty, and loves their son.
Eventually, a large-scale disaster occurs at the carnival. Dante's Inferno caves in, and chaos ensues.
At one point, Carter has a dream of Hell. The surrealistic dream sequence of Hell is visually powerful and macabre, and is inspired by the engravings of Gustave Dore. There are hundreds of long haired sinners who live in a Hell of fire and smoke. Some struggle under stone slabs. Others wear long chains. Some sinners become half-human trees with gnarled twigs for hands.
The remainder of the film takes place on Carter's luxury Art Deco ship. The ship has a casino, and wild parties are shown through the portholes. The scenes of the epic disaster on the ship are stunning.
Director Harry Lachman was a production manager on the silent film "The Magician" (1926), which also has a surrealistic dream of Hell. The dream of Hell in the 1926 film influenced the Hell sequence in "Dante's Inferno" (1935).
This is an excellent, rare film, and it deserves to be preserved on DVD.
Carter's callous strategies work, although others are often harmed. He eventually owns an extravagant carnival and amusement park, and a luxury Art Deco ship. The Dante's Inferno carnival show is a spectacular cavern with devils, fire and notorious beautiful women, including Salome and Cleopatra. The entrance to the cavern is a devil's head with glaring eyes and jagged teeth.
Carter's business practices are deplorable. However, he is a devoted family man. He marries McWade's beautiful blonde niece Betty, and loves their son.
Eventually, a large-scale disaster occurs at the carnival. Dante's Inferno caves in, and chaos ensues.
At one point, Carter has a dream of Hell. The surrealistic dream sequence of Hell is visually powerful and macabre, and is inspired by the engravings of Gustave Dore. There are hundreds of long haired sinners who live in a Hell of fire and smoke. Some struggle under stone slabs. Others wear long chains. Some sinners become half-human trees with gnarled twigs for hands.
The remainder of the film takes place on Carter's luxury Art Deco ship. The ship has a casino, and wild parties are shown through the portholes. The scenes of the epic disaster on the ship are stunning.
Director Harry Lachman was a production manager on the silent film "The Magician" (1926), which also has a surrealistic dream of Hell. The dream of Hell in the 1926 film influenced the Hell sequence in "Dante's Inferno" (1935).
This is an excellent, rare film, and it deserves to be preserved on DVD.