The Great Gabbo
Directed by James Cruze
While vacationing in the Alps, a husband ensnares his wife in a web of infidelity, testing her loyalty and ultimately challenging his own manhood.
A roguish officer ensnares his wife in a web of infidelity, testing her loyalty and ultimately challenging the manhood of her husband.
Cast: Erich von Stroheim, Donald Douglas, Betty Compson
Member Reviews
Come for the creepy ventriloquism, stay for the creepy musical numbers.
Love it! Not really horror though, more like awkwardly creepy.
This movie is a great work of early cinematic art. There is no over acting in this movie, which makes the story more believable. The set pieces look really nice. The dance sequences are impressive to say the least. However, there is one little problem: the audio is not consistent. in example: in a scene a car pulls up in front of the camera and you dont even hear it. i understand this movie was released in 1929, but the audio must remain consistent.
I suppose this is entertaining if you like the 1920s or are heavily into the "creepy dolls" sub-genre of horror. It's just not scary though. There are movies from the 1920s I find scarier that aren't even on Shudder or classified as horror. Unless you count the amateurish ballet number in what appears to be a superbowl halftime show from 100 years ago.
There are movies from the 1920s that are characterized as dramas or comedies that are scarier than this. Unless you count the pretty young woman acting like a doormat to the overbearing verbally abusive old ventriloquist, or that weird interlude about an hour in with the terrible high school ballet dancing in what looks to be a superbowl halftime show from 100 years ago.