"Fast Workers" Review

 

by Daniel White

I'm pretty sure John Gilbert realized when he signed on to do MGM's Fast Workers (1933), that despite above-the-title billing, his time as a leading man in Hollywood was ending. In completing his contractual agreement to the studio with this film, he may have suspected his days as an actor were coming to a close as well. Sadly, both proved to be true, with only two movies and three years left before his career and life were finished. Who knows why he agreed to tackle the role of Gunner Smith, a callous, womanizing skunk with little appeal to the ticket-buying public? Was he trying to push himself as an artist, or had he just stopped giving a damn? Whatever the reason, he offers up, along with his co-stars, Robert Armstrong and Mae Clarke a very good performance. All three actors are excellent in this brutal Pre-Code eye-opener.

Smith and his pal, Bucker Reilly (Armstrong), play itinerant construction workers building a skyscraper. Both are adept at guzzling beer and chasing broads, with the hardened Lothario, Smith, keeping a watchful eye out for his sappy, marriage-prone pal. Things get sticky when Bucker falls for a gold digger (Clarke), who unknown to him, has an ongoing sexual relationship with his best friend.

Produced by Tod Browning, who directed without giving himself credit (?), the movie is uncompromising, free of sentiment, and harsh, especially in regard to Mary (Clarke). She is a duplicitous dame who "romances" Bucker while screwing Gunner.

Sporting a Norma Shearer bob, Mae Clarke is outstanding, sharp and brittle as an unrepentant skirt whose only hint of vulnerability is her unrequited love for the selfish Gunner (the film has a low opinion of women, but its take on men isn't much better). A principal player for most of the thirties, her career gradually petered out, though never entirely ending. She is a superb leading lady, on par with other Depression era stars.

The flick bombed at the box office, most of the blame targeted at Gilbert. Labeled a "liability", the American public turned on the fading matinee idol, feeling duped by his transformation from Hollywood heartthrob to Pre-Code Cad. With his fans and employer (Louis B Mayer) determined to destroy him, the self-destructive actor didn't stand a chance.

Fast Workers is a smart, tangy movie, with astonishingly good special effects (for its time), a decent screenplay, and a supporting cast that crackles (Sterling Holloway is a stand-out as a screwy co-worker). But it's not very likeable. Anyone looking for a coy, boy-meets-girl romance is advised to stay away. But all those in dire need of a Pre-Code sex romp, check out Fast Workers, it's a satisfying sizzler.

Of special interest to hardcore film buffs, is a surprise appearance by Joan Crawford, who is featured in the moving picture Bucker and Mary go to on their first date (Dance, Fool, Dance or Laughing Sinners?). Fast Workers is available on YouTube.