Saturday, April 18, 2020

Movie review - "Tall Timbers" (1937) ***

Enjoyably silly melodrama which benefits from vigorous handling and excellent technical quality. There's always something going on, whether it's Shirley Ann Richards being plucked out of the ocean by Frank Leighton, Joe Valli's comic flirting with Letty Craydno and antics with George Lloyd, Frank Harvey and Campbell Copelin teaming up to be dastardly for Ron Whelan, Harvey's sister Aileen Britten sleeping with Copelin, union agitators, a timber drive.

I saw the shortened version - 74 minutes - which flies along. Ken G Hall's handing was very sure. Impressive special effects though it doesn't always mesh well with the back projection. Likeable leads - two fisted Leighton probably should have gone to Hollywood rather than Britain, and made Westerns; I wish Richards had more to do, but I love how she and Britten became friends. The reunion between Leighton and Harvey Adams feels undercooked. Harvey and Britten are excellent and Copelin is wonderful fun.

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