Everyone has at some point his fault (s) pay (review of the film)

He seems fortunate naturally to fall into your lap, maybe he is called therefore "Natural" Davis (William Powell). Gentleman gamers with dual existence as a stockbroker, or vice versa, or that's even a difference? Anyway, his success in gambling he owes not so much happiness, but "mathemathics" and iron principles. Games never wrong and will not let you around the straining that it does one with which you are playing. Everything could be fine if Naturals wife Alma (Kay Francis) not duly fed up would of his nightly absence in society with partly really lousy and dangerous types. So he wants to quit, and now this film is from 1930 as a "big caper movie", which actually did not arrive until the 1950s: There is about a spectacular raid, often to "the one last big thing" that someone necessarily still must traverse in order but then really definitely promised, promised to put to rest. The protagonist must then often separate from their principles, what is happening is no longer controlled, but is controlled by the most dramatic consequences. It's the same here. Natural does not need to play poker for financial reasons or for the pleasure of kick, but for very personal reasons. It provides common ground that his little brother even would like to become a professional gambler who should take care of but rather to the joint existence with the newly wed Judith (Jean Arthur). After this is not to discourage, Natural provides only the possibility of him so thoroughly to exclude (him but the start-up capital, which was a wedding gift, to leave) that he switched from gambling for all the nose was full. This must also provide against time Natural, because if he does not show up by midnight at the station, Alma is not with him, but alone and go away forever

One can imagine that everything will go horribly wrong, but how wrong that then maybe not. Although at this early sound film already knows what cuts and what pans are (given the then heavy equipment is not self-evident), acts that but one way or another a little artificial and dialogue-heavy (an upward outliers are back projections in a moving train, the better than anything Hitchcock has ever made in this respect). Nevertheless, without prejudice to the story because it is rotated in a very consistent and not betraying turn against the grain. And then very "cinematic": There are two murders related fatefully like a circle is closing. Both times is omitted the actual fact, we only see the before and after, one time even the sacrifice that "the last things regulates" and does not let it. Who was degree pick at this point a beer, the film does not get it, and that's quite an achievement, especially for 1930, where you came to the movies, went and probably babbling as you wanted. But it fits, what you have from the strip! Also violent, unexpected moments are ultimately integrated into the dramatic events very consistent. Not in spectacular action, but on the behavior of the people you see stringently what happens between the images or has what next happened almost inevitably. Therefore, a poignant, almost merciless film. Although not a comedy, it is expected that in which as always casually elegant, urbane William Powell barely, but with him turned the Paramount so some strips that begin rather loose and then drill like a punch to the gut. After Powell first went to Warner and from 1934 to MGM. Even though I want the local, often very funny, charming and cinematically sophisticated works anything but miss: Some of these still somewhat uncouth Paramount Strip until 1931 are in their authenticity and unexpected but consistent rudeness superb and break really with Hollywood conventions.

You can therefore decide for yourself whether you want to see a somewhat bumpy, very early sound film, or in its mercilessness quite fresh drama, has in the pay everyone at some point of his guilt (s). In addition, presents itself at second glance a very clever, consistent indirectly-elliptical narrative style. Tip! Unfortunately, even if Jean Arthur still challenged only drive things like "New Yooork it's so biiiig" may say in their inimitable Nasalstimme. Kay Francis as his wife Alma is quite nice, but was then considered Pops, so Powell / Francis briefly a "screen couple" were. Here it must be said in fairness that was nothing against the sparks are flying between Powell and Myrna Loy in the later MGM-time.