Remote Control (1930) User Reviews

Haines Past His Prime

[dglink · 7/10 · 21 August 2012]

William Haines made an easy transition to sound, and his voice provided added dimension to his wisecracking on-screen character. In 1930's "Remote Control," Haines plays Bill Brennan, the brash over-confident manager of a radio station in need of a bailout. In what would today be regarded as sexual harassment, Brennan ardently pursues a female station employee, played by Mary Doran. The Haines-Doran match is an unlikely affair, either on or off screen, and, in any case, Doran is infatuated with a suave phony psychic, played by the greasy John Miljan. Hired by Brennan to provide on-air advice from the great beyond, Miljan instead broadcasts instructions to his gang of thieves thinly disguised as messages from the spirits.

Although still handsome, youthful, and full of energy, Haines was nearing the end of his career with "Remote Control," and he would retire only four years later. Haines fans will delight in his often-childish facial expressions and campy performance; non-fans may be less enthusiastic. However, neither fans nor non-fans will find this to be his best work or his best film. After a light breezy start, the plot veers into a grade-B crime flick, while Haines ignores the turn and sticks his tongue out at gangsters. Despite the efforts of three credited directors, this early talkie is typically stiff and stagy; the camera fluidity that reached a zenith in the late silent era has been lost to the demands of sound recording. While "Remote Control" is essential viewing for admirers of William Haines, the film may be a tough slog for others.

A William Haines Comedy Crime Caper Film

[Ron Oliver · 7/10 · 10 February 2000]

A fast-talking radio announcer discovers that a fake on-air clairvoyant is using code to communicate with his criminal gang by REMOTE CONTROL.

It was 1930. Talking pictures were here to stay and William Haines was the first box office champion of the new era, albeit briefly. He starred in three films for MGM that year. This is one of them.

Haines is his typical boyish, bouncy self - silly, but always watchable. Mary Doran is his romantic interest, while singer Charles King is her brother, the station owner. John Miljan is suavely evil as the phony psychic and the ubiquitous Polly Moran scores as a beauty expert. Unbilled appearances by Benny Rubin (hilarious as "Dangerous Dan the Jew") and champion stutterer Roscoe Ates give Haines the rare opportunity to act as straight man to someone else's jokes for a few moments.

I heard it on the radio

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 July 2018]

William Haines's breezy smart aleck personality carries Remote Control to the upward reaches of the laugh meter. Haines manages to sell himself to brother and sister Charles King and Mary Doran who own a local radio station as just the kind of announcer they need. Given some of the acts they have as regulars Haines is more like a ringmaster of the air.

One of them however is phony psychic John Miljan who along with his predictions from the beyond is giving out instructions to his gang of bank robbers. I think you can figure out where this one is going.

Remote Control takes full advantage of the Wlliam Haines persona and is a must for his fans. Too bad that within 5 years Haines would be gone from the screen.

William Haines Takes to the Air!

[drednm · 12 September 2007]

This William Haines talkie is a fast-moving comedy that features the MGM star as a brash fast-talker trying to break into radio. He meets an old school chum (Charles King) who has a failing radio station. There is also a sister (Mary Doran) Haines is interested in. Haines holds open auditions to bolster the station's stable of talent. Unfortunately, a fake occultist (John Miljan) gets hired and uses the airwaves to pass coded information to his gang about burglaries and bank robberies.

Haines is breezy and very funny as Brennan. He was a unique talent in that he had the looks of a leading man but usually resorted to his "Silly Billy" antics, most of which look ad-libbed. He's a big goof having a ball making movies. In this one, we get the feeling that most of the scenes are "one-take" wonders. Haines mugs and ad-libs outlandishly as the other actors try to say their lines. Haines also breaks up twice in this film as other actors do their thing.

Among the auditioners is Benny Rubin, who likes to recite poetry ("Dangerous Dan McGrew") while wearing a cowboy suit (very effective on radio). But Rubin's schtick is a thick and comic Yiddish accent, so the poem comes out as "Dangerous Dan a Jew." Haines breaks up as Rubin does his routine. Later in the film, another auditioner, Roscoe Ates (a stuttering flute player) breaks up Haines as he pops up in a car window. It's like watching outtakes from "The Carol Burnett Show."

King has little to do after he sings his song, "Just a Little Closer." Doran seems an odd choice for a leading-lady role; she usually played hard-boiled types (as in "The Broadway Melody"). Miljan is solid as the crook. Polly Moran (hideously made up) has a few good scenes as the radio beauty expert. And Cliff Edwards, without his ukulele or a song, gets to do a hog-calling act.

Hard to like.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 11 April 2020]

When this story begins, Bill (William Haines) is misbehaving at work as well as sexually harassing one of the customers. Soon he's fired...and he goes to work for the brother of the woman he's been harassing (and will continue to harass throughout the picture). Soon he's the station manager of a struggling radio station...and he hires all sorts of weirdos to be on the air...including a phony psychic (John Miljean). Soon, he is caught up in the world of crime, as the psychic is the leader of a local crime gang. Can Bill manage to escape with his life and/or get the girl to like him?

In nearly all of William Haines' movies, he plays an extremely cocky and self-assured guy. However, here in "Remote Control" he goes much further and his behaviors towards the poor lady are positively boorish and gross...even by 1930's standards. Why MGM usually pushed this image and why the public loved it is beyond me...all I know is that he was tough to take here. What's also tough is the psychic...a broadly written character that is hard to believe. Overall, a very disappointing picture...and Haines is nearly impossible to like!

Wm Haines makes the jump to talkies....

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 23 January 2017]

William Haines is "Brennan", flirting with "Marion (Mary Doran). Turns out Brennan went to school with her brother Sam (Charles King). Might be a chance meeting for Brennan and Sam, as they partner up in radio. The playwrights get credit, but thar ain't no credited director. John Miljan is in this one too, as Kruger, a mind-reader and fortune teller. He isn't really what he seems to be. Miljan and Haines had worked together on six films over the years. They start interviewing acts for the radio station, but its just an excuse to show us their vaudeville acts. Haines carries the film, in an awkward kind of way. Guess he wasn't quite used to the talkies yet. He hams it up, and really over-acts. About halfway through, it turns into a crime thriller. it's Polly Moran who steals the show. She had done vaudeville for years (with Marie Dressler, no less !) She plays a dour, goofy girl, and is the gem here. Picture and sound quality are actually pretty good. This DVD is from Warner Archives. The film is missing a chemistry between the actors.. they each seem to be doing their own show. It gets better towards the end, if you hang in there. This is another film that I had been hoping would come on TCM, but found it available on their web site, pretty cheap!

Say, how do you turn this guy off?

[mark.waltz · 1/10 · 23 December 2023]

There has to be a switch somewhere to mute the most obnoxious, unfunny, highly caffeinated William Haines whom I've begrudgingly liked in a few movies, but this is not one of them. It isn't just the fact that he never shuts up, nor is it the disrespectful way he talks to young women, and nor is it the very dated attempts at humor he utilizes on his obviously second rate radio station. It's the audacity of the writers to think that even depression era audiences would like the character that he is playing, horribly narcissistic in every way and certain that he's the biggest ladies man since Valentino.

Old friend Charles King should have slammed him with a restraining order to stay away from sister Mary Doran whom Haines won't leave alone. The script insists that breaking your way into a young ladies life is to pester her with silly jokes. After a while, he's painful to watch. Comic support by Roscoe Ates (the stutterer) and Polly Moran (as a beauty expert who looks like "Auntie Mame's" Agnes Gooch) get a few giggles, although it could have been a cough or a hiccup that made me think that I was laughing. It took three directors to get this 65 minute film pulled together, and it was the most painful 65 minutes of my life. A total bore and complete disaster.

Not a Bad Comedy Pseudo-Genre

[gengar843 · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

THE STORY & (Pseudo)GENRE -- Cocky radio wannabe gets his chance as station manager, but ends up hiring a gaggle of crazies, including a phony spiritualist bank-robbery leader.

THE VERDICT -- Unlike some, I thought this was cute and not offensive in the least. Bill's behavior is part of the package, and sure, he's arrogant, but also you can sympathize with his plight, which he did not instigate. In a way, it's kind of an early UHF (1989), although it doesn't have that kind of cult appeal. I give it 6.5.

FREE ONLINE -- Foreign websites sporadically. You might have to download.

yuck

[HandsomeBen · 1/10 · 31 May 2022]

I know this is a product of it's time but i couldn't help but feel creeped out by the man who wouldn't take no for an answer. He stalked this woman even after it was clear, several times, that she was revolted by him. And then she suddenly cares about him in the end? Makes no sense, i would have been like good riddance.

Interesting piece of m.g.m. History

[cynthiahost · 10/10 · 14 April 2013]

I had mistaken that this was William Haines first talkie.I Don't understand why Time Warner has not put on home video.The Adventures of Jimmy Valentine.Just as I'm critical about them not putting out the trial of Mary Dugan.But they are greedy ,I believe. It still very interesting.I got interest in this film when I saw the advertisement on you tube accompanied by a 78 r.p.m music based on the movie. Once upon a time a long time ago, when radio was young, it was easy for any one to open up a radio station.there were a lot of radio stations.But one day greedy big business invaded it and kicked all the little stations out.Sound familiar? This movie was made at the time when big business was eliminating all the small radio station ,but, there where still some.William Hains portrays a frustrated radio and song sheet salesman ,who gets fired and chases customer Marion,played by Mary Doran only to fined out she is a brother and sister team of a struggling radio station,her brother Sam .played by Charles King.Well Sam and Bill being friends, hires bill to help him out of the radio station.This brings trouble when a bunch of crooks take advantage of the radio station when the leader played by John Miljan, portrays a fake psychic for the radio to help his gang rob the banks.The m.g.m contract played make a short appearance for character auditioning as radio entertainers ,that William put an ad on.Cliff Edwards makes an appearance as a hog caller. Polly Moran wins an audition for being a beauty expert, but is never used.Jewish comedian makes an appearance as a cowboy name Dangerous Dan the Jew! you even have an all girl dance band that plays the movies theme. Charles king does a song number Now this isn't the best movie in the world,but, it good.I got this from amazon.com.04/14/13

Decent Time Killer

[Michael_Elliott · 26 March 2016]

Remote Control (1930)

** (out of 4)

William Brennan (William Haines) works his way into a job as a radio announcer and must try and save a radio station that isn't making money. He brings in some new talent including a psychic (John Miljan) who is actually a criminal boss who uses the radio to send out messages to his goons.

REMOTE CONTROL is the typical of comedy one would expect from Haines as he was starting his sound career. He's loud, obnoxious and in your face the entire time as he acts like a five-year-old inside of a candy store who is going to aggravate his mother until she agrees to buy him some candy. This might sound like an insult to Haines but it's not meant to be. This is just his style of comedy and sometimes it's funny but the majority of the time it isn't.

This film here is innocent enough for a good time killer since it lasts just 65 minutes and there's really nothing too awful going on. I think the screenplay is without question the weakest thing because it really doesn't know where it wants to go and this actually makes the running time seem longer. Haines is decent enough in his part but I'm one who will always prefer him in his silent roles. Charles King and Mary Doran and both decent in their supporting parts and it's Miljan who steals the picture. Roscoe Ates appears throughout the film in his stuttering skit.

Live Wire Haines at His Breeziest Best!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 14 May 2019]

For some reason even though 1930 saw William Haines crowned King of the Box Office and with a new contract, by the end of the year he was slipping. "Way Out West" was a gamble on changing his winning formula that didn't pay off. "Remote Control" brought about the topical issues of radio and gangsters - again a bit of a diversion but movie returns were still down on Haines' movies of the year before. And how nice to see his leading lady is Mary Doran. She didn't get many parts where she could say "hey everybody, look at me" but her interesting role as "the other woman" in "Party Husband" proved that with a few choice roles she may not have been just a pre-code footnote!!

This is a very fun, jokey movie - Haines is not trying for dramatics just laughs and at just over an hour there's no wasted time. Haines plays fresh Bill Brennan whose cheekiness finds him fired from a sheet music store (whatever happened to them??) but right in his element trying to put an ailing radio station, run by his boyhood chum Sam, back on it's feet. Sam is played by Charles King, a singer/actor who L.B. Mayer thought would be the discovery of the year - he scored a hit in "The Broadway Melody" but that was it. In this movie he stays around long enough to sing "Just a Little Closer" which is also performed later on by an all girl band (Mary Carlisle is on a violin) amid dazzling Art Deco sets and surroundings - but then he disappears!!

Even live wire Bill is up against it - there's just no talent out there, in spite of a guest appearance by Ukelele Ike as a cow caller and homely Polly Moran who gives beauty talks (her skit would have been funny but it was obviously cut out of the finished movie). Her co-star billing made you wonder where her part went to. But it can't be all fun and games and someone else has their eyes on the station's growing popularity. They are the "Ghost Gang", a gang of crooks led by John Miljan of course!! who sees a way for them to infiltrate the station with coded messages. Posing as a clairvoyant, his polish and class is welcomed at the station and he is even given his own spot!! His cryptic messages give the gang directions for the "jobs" they have to pull. Also falling for Miljan's oily charms is Marion who was never fond of Brennan's pratfalls. There is a kidnapping - not Marion but Bill who the gang think that by abducting will lead the police up a false trail but they don't reckon with Roscoe Ates and a string of paper dolls!!

Also watch for Benny Rubin as an audition hopeful and Russell Hopton at the start of his career!!