Earlier this morning I was watching a movie on TCM from 1931 - "Gentleman's Fate". It was the first "talkie" that John Gilbert did after reigning as the matinée idol of the "silents", and the fateful movie that revealed his nasally throated voice, sadly. Yet, it was a great teaching on how movies struggled with sound after being quiet for many years.
The awkward moves and scene flows of each actor, and no music rising or lowering under scenes, made for an interesting movie.
In my opinion though, the best part in the whole flick was when a character was coming down the stairs obviously intoxicated.
The "dame" who sees him is cracking and eating walnuts and asks,
"Hey. Are you plastered?" In which he replies, "Plastered? Sistah ... I'm Stuccoed!" Another character enters the scene as the drunkard leaves. The "dame" reaches out her hand to offer the cracked walnuts and says, "...nuts?"
He looks at the drunk struggling to climb back up the stairs, looks back at her and just nods..."...yes".
Ya just can't get dialog like that anymore! Loved it.
The awkward moves and scene flows of each actor, and no music rising or lowering under scenes, made for an interesting movie.
In my opinion though, the best part in the whole flick was when a character was coming down the stairs obviously intoxicated.
The "dame" who sees him is cracking and eating walnuts and asks,
"Hey. Are you plastered?" In which he replies, "Plastered? Sistah ... I'm Stuccoed!" Another character enters the scene as the drunkard leaves. The "dame" reaches out her hand to offer the cracked walnuts and says, "...nuts?"
He looks at the drunk struggling to climb back up the stairs, looks back at her and just nods..."...yes".
Ya just can't get dialog like that anymore! Loved it.