Dynamite Dan (1924) User Reviews

Silent Film and Boris Karloff Buffs May Enjoy It

[jayraskin1 · 6/10 · 17 February 2011]

I agree with the other reviewers that the print quality is not very good. There are lots of projector lines and the black and white is faded. However, I disagree about the quality of the film. It is a good adventure story with a lot of cute comedy that silent film fans can enjoy.

The plot has Dynamite Dan (Kenneth MacDonald)as a workman accused of a robbery actually committed by the Foreman (Boris Karloff). Dan escapes, but is hunted by a comical detective, Sherlock Jones (Eddie Harris) who has just gotten his detective's license from a correspondence school. Dan visits his girlfriend Helen Havens (Diana Alden) at her girl's college. He gets a job as a physical education instructor. There are a comical scenes involving the co-eds in this part of the film. He gets fired and ends up as a professional boxer. While building his boxing career, he sends his girlfriend Helen to get a job near his old workplace so she can find out who actually did the robbery. In the last reel, Dan has to fight a gangster, Brute Lacy, for the championship and save his gal from the clutches of Boris Karloff.

Kenneth MacDonald makes for a handsome and athletic looking nice guy hero. He does beat up on little Eddie Harris, the silly detective, a few times, almost bullying him, but the detective is annoying and probably deserves some of it. MacDonald starred in over two dozen films from 1923 to 1927 and then disappeared. This is the only film of his to be released on DVD, I believe, and we should thank Alpha Video for that. It would be nice to have more of his movies out to see how he does in other pictures. He is appealing in this film.

This movie was on a 20 film box set of Boris Karloff films released by Alpha. I found it for $2.99 at a video store. On the one hand, Karloff fans may be disappointed that he is basically only in the first and last 10 minutes of the 60 minute film. On the other hand, I think they will be happy to see Karloff so young, age 33, and acting with the same sinister, but charming, style that we are used to.

While not a classic, the film is nicely written, acted and edited. If you like the magic of silent films and want to see Karloff eight years before he played Frankenstein, you should enjoy the hour.

For Karloff & Silent Film Fans

[Rainey-Dawn · 5/10 · 12 June 2016]

The real attraction to a film like this is Boris Karloff - his name still holds clout! Anyone that gets intrigued by him and his films will want to see Karloff in more film roles - that is the reason I watched this film. Sadly, Karloff's part is small in this one.

The only other reason to watch this film is to view another silent comedy film. Boris Karloff and Silent Films - that it. The story is so-so. It's all that great and the comedy is not all that funny - even for it's time era. With all that said, I'm not completely disappointed making the decision to watch this film. It's a refreshing change.

It's a sports (boxing) comedy film - good for a couple of giggles here and there but that's about it. It's a movie that's easily passed up by Karloff's fan (due to his small role) and silent film buffs alike.

5/10

Poor movie, DISMAL DVD

[ancientnut · 1/10 · 7 February 2007]

Dynamite Dan is a poorly-acted, unfunny comedy. The only attraction is a very young Boris Karloff, but his role is small. The plot is unbelievably stupid and trite. There is a wimpy amateur detective known as Sherlock Jones (groan!) who spends the entire movie being kicked, beaten, thrown around, locked in a gym locker, and having his hat pulled down over his eyes. There is an ugly woman who elicits the same horrified, exaggerated reaction from every man who sees her and this gag is used about a dozen times! There is a bit about a ladder being moved to a different window which is also used multiple times. The movie is only 57 minutes in length, but I couldn't wait for it to get over!

I watched an Alpha Video DVD of this movie. Alpha Video isn't known for high quality DVDs, but this one is really atrocious. The quality of the picture is so poor as to be barely discernible during some scenes. I only paid $5 for the DVD, but it was still a complete waste of money! Avoid this DVD at any cost!

For Karloff Fans Only

[Michael_Elliott · 26 February 2008]

Dynamite Dan (1924)

** (out of 4)

Dan (Kenneth MacDonald) knocks out the foreman (Boris Karloff) at his workplace so the foreman accuses him of stealing money from the company safe. Dan takes off to visit his girlfriend when they're attacked by a man who Dan eventually knocks out with a single punch. A boxing manager see this and signs him up. This is an extremely dull silent that seems to run way too long even at 61-minutes. MacDonald is rather bland as the hero and Diana Alden isn't any more interesting as his lover. Karloff is only in a few scenes but it was rather funny seeing him look so young.

An early Karloff New York outing in a nice print with original tinted sequences

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 9 January 2014]

I can't understand the negativity this film has received from many critics. Even Denis Gifford in his otherwise excellent book on Karloff gives it a negative review. First off, the movie seems to have survived only in its 16mm Kodascope version which does make the plot just a wee bit difficult to follow at times. But it's easy to catch up and, as usual, the important thing is that Kodak preserved the original tinted sequences. True, the print has survived with a few piffling lines in the top left hand corner now and again, maybe for a total of ten minutes at most. The remaining 56 minutes are in nearly excellent condition. The next point I'd make is that although this an independent production made in New York, not Hollywood, production values are actually quite high. Bruce Mitchell's direction is highly competent and his script both amusing and exciting. I'll admit that it does concentrate on comedy. I'll also admit that Eddie Harris is not half as comical as both he and the director obviously think he is. But Diana Alden, despite her woeful picture on the DVD jacket is actually quite pretty. Charming as well. Kenneth MacDonald has the title role, which he plays with considerable panache. I can't say the same for Karloff who tends to overact the villain to the point where his performance is almost laughable. Fortunately, he disappears from the plot for a long stretch. We see him only at the beginning and at the finale. And although he is not in her scenes, Emily Gerdes takes her cue from Karloff. Her Toodles would be twice as funny if played with a little less gusto. All in all, however, this is an enjoyable and fascinating movie with very good production values. The close-to-excellent Grapevine DVD runs 66 minutes.