User Reviews

This short from Vitaphone is very, very different from their usual experimental sound film from the era. Most of these shorts were musical numbers or vaudeville skits starring a variety of stage performers. However, here with "Retribution", the film is more like a short movie-- with nice skits AND a big-name star. While Henry Walthall is not a household name today, he appeared in over 300 films--including a starring role in "Birth of a Nation" and quite a few other movies. In the 1930s, during the latter portion of his career, he made a nice mark playing supporting roles--and was a very distinguished actor.

This film finds Walthall playing a guy who is down on his luck. Although he was once rich and successful, he is now broke. He approaches his old nemesis, John, and John revels in the man's misfortune and refuses to help him--saying his misery is retribution for all of his ill-deeds. A lifetime of conniving, using drugs and using people has finally come back to haunt him. However, instead of just accepting all this, he returns the favor--and mentions all of John's evil deeds as well, as apparently he knows John's secrets.

Soon, the scene ends and you see the pair again. This was all part of some play--and the two actors are now talking about the routine they just finished performing.

So is this any good? Well, not particularly. The acting style is the problem--as it's pretty dated. However, I guess they deliberately overdid it so they could act as if they were acting...I dunno. All I know is that unless you are a Walthall groupie, it's an easy one to skip.

Henry B. Walthall was a respected member of D.W. Griffith's stock company, best remembered now for his bravura performance in Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION. According to legend, his career collapsed with the coming of sound, but like most of Griffith's company, he was a stage actor, and he flourished in the sound era as a supporting actor.

In this, his first sound film, he plays in a little vaudeville skit which concerns itself with a man, once powerful, who has fallen on hard times and, now desperate, comes to an old acquaintance who is a senator for help. But turn about is fair play.... especially with the kicker in this short subject.

The piece is very stagy, but the conceit that ends the piece is amusing. Worthwhile as a piece of film history, many thanks to the Vitaphone Project -- check their website for their good work -- for restoring it.

Retribution (1928)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Henry B. Walthall made his talkie debut in this 10-minute short from Vitaphone. In the film he plays a once rich man who has found himself in the dumps due to drug abuse and other issues. He goes to see a former friend (Tom McGuire), now a Senator, and he's not too open to giving the man a second chance. RETRIBUTION is certainly one of the best shorts I've seen from Vitaphone and it works on many levels including the excellent performances from the two leads. Walthall was clearly an actor who could go from silent cinema to the sound pictures as his voice is just perfect. It's interesting to see how well he does in his first talkie because many people struggle but the actor pulls it off perfectly. I was also impressed with McGuire and there's no question that the two men work well together and deliver the story. What really makes this film interesting is a twist that happens in the final minutes. I'm not going to ruin what this twist is but it's just so clever that you can't help but smile and really enjoy it.