Not exactly the song sung in "Finian's Rainbow" but appropriate nonetheless, this creaky and stagy early talkie (with no music) is an interesting comedy, focusing on a wealthy man (Conrad Nagel) who marries his secretary (Leila Hyams) and moves in with her wacky family. They certainly are an eclectic bunch, with Bessie Love (who was receiving Oscar nomination the same year for "The Broadway Melody") standing out as the younger sister even though she was older than Hyams, and the long suffering older sister in 1929's best picture choice. They seem to be getting along even though there are some minor disagreements and hectic moments, but everything turns upside down when Nagel announces that he's giving away his money to fund a hospital.
The editing in this indeed is rather weak, with the camera holding on a door for at least 15 seconds before anyone walks through it. But it begins to really work when the conflict ensues, and everyone begins yelling and talking over each other, acting like a real family. This is indeed like a stage play filmed, and I've seen much worse from the early days of sound motion pictures. Both Hyams and Nagel are really good, but then again, under the direction of William B. DeMille, the whole ensemble is.
The editing in this indeed is rather weak, with the camera holding on a door for at least 15 seconds before anyone walks through it. But it begins to really work when the conflict ensues, and everyone begins yelling and talking over each other, acting like a real family. This is indeed like a stage play filmed, and I've seen much worse from the early days of sound motion pictures. Both Hyams and Nagel are really good, but then again, under the direction of William B. DeMille, the whole ensemble is.