Laughing at Life (1933)

Director:

Ford Beebe

Writers:

Ford Beebe (story)
Prescott Chaplin (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 July 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

Easter, a soldier of fortune and gunrunner, leaves his family behind escaping from the authorities and an American detective named Mason...

Plot Keywords:

Gunrunner | Escape | Soldier Of Fortune | Gun | USA

Cast

Victor McLaglen	...	Dennis P. McHale / Burke / Captain Hale
Conchita Montenegro	...	Panchita
William 'Stage' Boyd	...	Inspector Mason (as William Boyd)
Lois Wilson	...	Mrs. McHale
Henry B. Walthall	...	President Valenzuela
Regis Toomey	...	Pat Collins / Mc Hale
Ruth Hall	...	Alice Lawton
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Jones
Dewey Robinson	...	Smith
Ivan Lebedeff	...	Don Flavio Montenegro
Mathilde Comont	...	Mamacita
Noah Beery	...	Hauseman
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	The Warden
Tully Marshall	...	Stone
Henry Armetta	...	Fruit Vendor

Also Known As:

The Gringo (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mascot Pictures

Quotes:

Dennis P. McHale: The final shipment of guns will arrive in a couple of days, then we'll all have some fun!

VictorMcLaglen -- Gunrunner, Coup Plotter, Hero, Man of Good Cheer

Victor McLaglen, a promising engineer working on the Panama Canal, mixes himself up in gun running and other dubious activities and is separated from his family. So, when he shows up in an imaginary banana republic, working to overthrow decent presidente Henry B. Walthall, why is he LAUGHING AT LIFE?

This is the just exactly the sort of movie you expect a rootin, tootin he-man like Victor McLaglen to be in (Clark Gable or John Wayne would have been even better). It's just that this one, instead of being made at a large studio that could have afforded exotic sets and stylized direction, was made at Mascot Studios. Which means, except for McLaglen and Walthall, the supporting roles are filled with mediocre actors, or downright lousy ones. (The woman playing the requisite Spanish vixen is horrible.) Additionaly, the musical score is badly recorded, drones on and on, and does not always seem particularly related to the goings on on screen. But, if you can withstand these flaws -- which would apply to ALL of Mascot's product in 1933-34 -- you've got a pretty good plot, and a perfectly respectable leading man performance out of McLaglen. You also have the strengths of Mascot -- good stunt work, and a plot that moves quickly. You also have one unexpected strength -- a nicely done story and script, which makes McLaglen a far more well-rounded character than you'd ordinarily expect. (Also, the credit sequence that introduces him is, perhaps, one of the best of this early 30s mini-genre. It establishes his character before the movie even starts.) In other words -- this is worth seeing if you have any affection to 30s cinema, and can live without big studio production values. But, since it is public domain, be prepared for a lousy print.