"Condemned" Review

 

by Daniel White

At a time when Hollywood was struggling to make the arduous transition from silent films to "talkers," producer Samuel Goldwyn managed to knock one out of the ballpark with Condemned (1929). Why this flick isn't better known is a mystery to me. Its excellent use of sound alone qualifies for it to be remembered. The list of truly great movies that Tinseltown manufactured between 1929 - 1931 is a scant one. Condemned deserves to be recognized as such.

Ronald Colman stars as Michel, a convicted thief ("second story man") who gets shipped off to Devil's Island to serve his time. There he is chosen by the dyspeptic warden (a villainous Dudley Digges) to attend to his neglected wife as her houseboy. Uh oh, lonely, abused wife spending most of her time alone with handsome, kind convict. I smell trouble!!

The plot may be unoriginal but the way in which Goodwyn and director Wesley Ruggles tell it is innovative and thrilling - both visually and sound wise. This is not a horror film but the opening scene has an Island of Lost Souls feel about it. Set aboard the transport ship bringing the men to Devils Island, it's chilling. The men are encaged and howling below deck while water from the rolling sea pours in on them. Nobody gets a credit for the sound effects but they are used adroitly, and are as effective as the cinematography (attributed to George Barnes and Gregg Toland). Goldwyn and Ruggles manage to surmount the difficulties that often plagued early talkies. The camera work is fluid and the sound rarely static. Bravo, gents, for giving us a boffo flick at a time when so many others were overwhelmed by technical challenges.

Ann Harding plays the warden's wife and she is fine (as fine as her golden hair that, at one point, cascades down to her waist). Harding was one of the biggest names in early sound movies. Like her co-star, Colman, she had extensive stage-training and possessed a voice the public found pleasing. Unfortunately, she quickly became type-cast as the long-suffering heroine and that same public soon grew tired of her. Too bad, she's quite good.

Goldwyn has assembled top-notch talent for this film and it shows - it remains a watchable, engrossing movie almost 100 years after its release. With Sidney Howard handling the screenplay and William Cameron Menzies the sets, the fabled producer has hired the best in the biz and it pays off handsomely. Condemned is convincing, kinetic, and exciting. Distributed by United Artists, Condemned is available on YouTube.