Penthouse

Penthouse (1933)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: W.S. Van Dyke

Starring: Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Mae Clarke, C. Henry Gordon, Nat Pendleton

From: “Metro Golwyn Mayer”, according to the film's title card

This may look like a random movie but I actually picked it out for a reason, which I'll get to in a bit. I watched it via (site redacted), a place I've used for a long while now and considering it's not 100% ethical I shouldn't complain that as of late some of the videos don't work; it's still annoying, though. Onto the Letterboxd review:

This is indeed a movie I decided to watch as someone I follow on Letterboxd (and he also follows me) recently watched it and enjoyed the film. I had heard of it before and it was no problem finding a copy to watch, but his review was the impetus for me to check it out, and it was a wise decision on my part. It's not a must-see but it was a pretty amusing hour and a half.

This is a Pre-Code movie (it certainly has some dialogue and visuals you could never do once the Code came in, blood being the most obvious, but also a leading lady who implies she wants s-e-x in a more than subtle fashion) dealing with the world of gangsters, racketeers, and other reprobates, and it's centered on defense attorney Jackson Durant who unwittingly becomes buddies with a gangster who really enjoys the acquittal he gave him; his new friendship actually proves beneficial although at first it causes conflict as some people really don't care for Durant and who he defends. He is another party in a love triangle and he has to free a man set up for murder, and his biggest assist is a “lady of the night” played by Myrna Loy.

Warner Baxter (w/ trademark pencil-thin mustache) is Jackson Durant and he was fine as a lead, along with the rest of the cast (including some people I recognized from other gangster films of the era), it was unsurprisingly Loy who gave the best most nuanced performance, playing a very charming lady despite her being a call girl that works for a notorious gangster. There are many colorful characters and between that and the story that's never dull, it's an entertaining motion picture filled with comedic moments and lines.

The biggest impact of the film is that the director W.S. Van Dyke first met Myrna Loy and recognized her talent and from there they worked together often, including many of The Thin Man movies, and that launched her career.

I'll return tomorrow night and for the day it will be horror-themed.