South of Panama (1928) Poster

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5/10
Average
silentmoviefan12 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This was an average comedy at best. I had really never heard of any of the actors in it prior to viewing it and I think I may understand why. It does have a happy ending, which is a good thing. It's just a little bit hard to follow some of the gang members. The print I viewed was from Nostalgia Video and it was above average. However, the copy I viewed also had no background music, which made it seem longer than it actually was. I can see where somethings might have been funny back in 1928, but I really didn't laugh very much. One of the actors had "Harold-Lloyd"-type glasses, which I thought was sort of a rip off, but then again, I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
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6/10
Handsome Edward Raquello in a So-So Flirtation South of the Border
JohnHowardReid3 May 2008
One of the best definitions of a "B" movie that I ever heard, came from a theater manager: "It's a picture that's good to come late for!" However, this comparatively well-produced little "B" does have something to offer in its opening sequence which is one of the funniest in the movie. Indeed, once the plot rears its all-too-familiar head, fun takes a distinct back seat to mild thrills and even milder romance.

True, Lewis Sargent clowns around and falls on his face continually, mostly to little purpose; but Edward Raquello makes such a handsome, charismatic lead, we are surprised to learn that nothing much came of his career. He is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the cast, although Philo McCullough and Henry Arras characterize suitably menacing heavies (who are of course suitably routed once the ho-hum plot springs its final "surprise").

Top-billed Carmelita Geraghty has not only little to do, but seems poorly photographed to boot (even in Grapevine's nice, tinted copy). Marie Messinger looks much more attractive.

Although production values are well above Mr Batcheller's customary abysmal level, Mr Hunt's direction is at best routine, at worst, dull. A little more skill could have enlivened the script no end.
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