The Hole in the Wall (1929 film)

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The Hole in the Wall
The Hole in the Wall dvd cover.jpg
Directed by Robert Florey
Written by Pierre Collings
Based onThe Hole in the Wall
by Frederick J. Jackson
Starring Claudette Colbert
Edward G. Robinson
David Newell
Cinematography George J. Folsey
Edited by Mort Blumenstock
Music by Gerard Carbonara
W. Franke Harling
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • April 27, 1929 (1929-04-27)
Running time
63 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
Language English

The Hole in the Wall is a 1929 pre-Code mystery drama film directed by Robert Florey, and starring Claudette Colbert and Edward G. Robinson. This early talking picture was the first appearance of Edward G. Robinson in the role of a gangster, and "can be viewed as a dry run for his eventual success (in 1931 in Little Caesar)". It was also one of Colbert's first film appearances. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The film was shot at Paramount's Astoria Studios in New York. The film is a remake of an earlier 1921 silent The Hole in the Wall .

Plot

The Fox, a con man, teams up with Madame Mystera, a fake fortune teller, to bilk naive people of their money. When Madame Mystera dies in an elevated train derailment, the Fox hires Jean Oliver to replace her. However, over time, he comes to believe that Jean actually does have supernatural powers.

Cast

Criticism

According to critic Troy Howarth, the film "is an interesting amalgam of gangster melodrama and horror, one in which Edward G. Robinson steals the show." Colbert's "character becomes more complex as the picture unfolds, and the actress keeps up just fine." [1] He commented that Florey's bizarre set designs for the medium's den looked as if they were inspired by the German film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari . [1]

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(for a 1929 early talkie remake starring Edward G. Robinson and Claudette Colbert see --The Hole in the Wall.)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 339. ISBN   978-1936168-68-2.
  2. The Hole in the Wall at silentera.com
  3. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:The Hole in the Wall