Brothers

With the best will in the world, it's impossible to award more than four stars to this firmly-set-in-Poverty-Row crime drama. Cornelius Keefe is Tom Conroy, the handsome leader of a gang of "hi-jackers" (sic). The lovely but none-too-flatteringly-photographed-here Barbara Bedford is his mistress, Doris La Rue. His goodie-goodie but none too bright younger brother, Tom, is played by Arthur Rankin. His lawyer, Thomas Blackwood, mostly along for comic relief, is enacted by well-known character player, Richard Carle. Listed fifth in the cast, George Chesebro is Randy, a member of Tom's gang who seems to have a minor role but really comes into his own in the last reel or so. I loved Blackwood's secretary, but her role is small and she, alas, is not credited. Almost all the action occurs off-camera, giving the effect of a strictly minor, poorly produced, statically directed and slowly paced stage play. If you're not a fan of Barbara Bedford and/or George Chesebro give this Trem Carr production a miss! (P.S. Although the credits list a song, "I'm Dreaming" by Dan Dougherty, this is a silent film from start to finish. Presumably the song sheets were rented out with the movie and played by the theater pianist or orchestra).