Absolutely Fantastic

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Don't be taken in by the rollicking opening sequence full of sweeping pans and tracks and hard-boiled dialogue set in an offshore speakeasy; the remaining hour (with one exception, which I shall come to) is strictly canned theatre. Based on Channing Pollock's 1919 Broadway play 'The Sign on the Door', already filmed with Norma Talmadge under its original title in 1921 (a print of which happily survives in the Library of Congress), there are actually two locked doors in this production, both of them central to the plot.Locked door number one is on board the boat when slimy lounge lizard Frank Devereaux (Rod la Rocque) pockets the key to the door of the cabin he has taken Ann Carter (Barbara Stanwyck) downstairs to for lunch all the better to force his attentions upon her when it's time for desert. Locked door number two prevents Ann from making a discreet exit from the hotel room where she sees Devereaux deservedly shot 18 months later; and it's at this point that the need on her part to improvise a plausible explanation for her presence there alone with Devereaux's body brings the film briefly to life.The settings are handsomely designed by William Cameron Menzies, but after the opening sequence cameraman Ray June's only other opportunity to add a little atmosphere to the proceedings comes with the noirish lighting of the darkened apartment after Devereaux's shooting. And when the lights go back on and the talk resumes, the interest dissipates again.This film is only remembered today as the talkie debut of the great Barbara Stanwyck; but for devotees of silent cinema there is also the bonus of Mack Swain and Zazu Pitts as the manager and telephonist of the hotel where the final leg of the film takes place. Harry Stubbs' amusing turn as the obtrusive waiter on the boat, however, has been surprisingly little remarked upon by previous reviewers, particularly considering the revelation about his character that comes late in the film, which probably worked better on stage than here under director George Fitzmaurice's pedestrian guidance.

Someone referred to this as "stagy," and was more correct than perhaps he knew: "The Locked Door" was originally a stage play, and this movie was an adaptation, a good one in my opinion.C. Gardner Sullivan had been writing scenarios and inter-titles since at least 1912, and is honored among aficionados who know his work from those earliest years of motion pictures. The four top-billed players were also veterans, except for Barbara Stanwyck who has only one previous credit.Rod La Rocque had been in movies since at least 1914, and put in 12 more years.Betty Bronson became a huge star with her seventh role, Peter Pan in the movie of that name, and reportedly was chosen for the part by James M. Barrie, the author, himself.William Boyd, known here at IMDb as "William 'Stage' Boyd," is the primary reason the Screen Actors Guild usually forbids a member having the same name as another, Harrison Ford being the only exception that comes immediately to my mind.This particular Boyd was busted on something shameful and the picture of "the other" William Boyd, who later became very famous as Hopalong Cassidy, was published in a newspaper, almost destroying his career.In this cast there are lots of "withs" who help make this a very good movie, including Mack Swain and Zasu Pitts.The story is not really a mystery, at least not to us, because we see everything that happens, but it is a drama, with conflict and character change.I'm reminded of the aphorism that people in small towns buy their local paper not to see who did what, because everyone knows, but to see who gets blamed.That's the premise of this story, and it's well done, plausible by the standards of its time.There is also a good point for modern society: Laws against consensual acts, such as gambling or ingestion of certain substances, in this case, alcohol, cause more problems than they solve."The Locked Door" is good cinema, especially for anyone who wants to watch the evolution of the art.

Locked Door, The (1929) ** (out of 4) Dry crime melodrama about a woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who gets herself arrested while on a rum boat with the lavish Frank Devereaux (Rod La Rocque). Eighteen months later she is married to another man (William Boyd) but she soon learns that his sister is now involved with Frank. This early talkie from United Artist has pretty much been forgotten with the exception that it will stand the test of time as being Stanwyck's first major role as her previous film had her in a bit role. As with many early talkies, the technology leaves a lot to be desired and I can't help but think that the director wasn't too worried with what was happening on the screen as he was making sure everyone could hear what was going on. The film is incredibly dry of any humor, suspense or drama and that's a real shame because the story is actually pretty good as all four characters get involved with a possible murder towards the end of the film. This murder happens an hour into a 74-minute film so the payoff comes rather quickly but the ending is certainly the best thing about the movie. Stanwyck comes off fairly good in her role but there's no doubt she still had some rust around the edges. La Rocque comes off incredibly over the top as if he was playing in some sort of strange comedy and I can only compare him to what people would see decades later in John Waters. Boyd is pretty good in his role and actually steals the film, although Zasu Pitts has a few good scenes as a telephone operator.

Stagy but clever murder mystery with Barbara Stanwyck in her talkie debut and the center of attention.The copy I have has a missing scene but this is still an effective if stagy and slightly hammy film.Stanwyck is a secretary who goes to a boat party with the boss's son and maybe gets raped (that scene is missing) and raided by the police. She and the son skip bail and disappear. 18 months later we find Stanwyck happily married to a wealthy man (William Boyd) when his sister's new boy friend shows up. Yup it's the sleazy son (Rod LaRocque) with a new name. The sister (Betty Bronson) is gaga over him but Stanwyck is horrified.Stanwyck overhears their plans to run off to Honolulu so she decides to pay LaRocque a visit. But unbeknown to her, her husband is also planning a visit because he has been warned about the boy friend.Stanwyck arrives at LaRocque's apartment and starts a fight but is interrupted when the husband arrives. The guys scuffle and a gun goes off. Husband leaves and locks the door, trapping Stanwyck (hiding in a bedroom) in the apartment with the corpse. She thinks fast, rips her dress and calls the operator, pretending to fend off an attacker and firing the gun.Both Stanwyck and Boyd eventually admit to the killing but then Bronson shows up.....Supporting cast includes Zasu Pitts as the operator, Mack Swain as the manager, George Bunny as the valet, Purnell Pratt is a police man, and Harry Stubbs is the surprising waiter.Neat little film apparently lost for decades.