The Hole in the Wall (1929 film)
The Hole in the Wall is a 1929 mystery drama film directed by Robert Florey, and starring Claudette Colbert and Edward G. Robinson. This early talking picture marks the first appearance of Edward G. Robinson as a gangster, and "can be viewed as a dry run for his eventual success (in 1931 in Little Caesar)". It was also one of Claudette Colbert's first appearances in motion pictures.[1][2][3]
| The Hole in the Wall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Florey |
| Written by | Pierre Collings Frederick J. Jackson (play) |
| Starring | Claudette Colbert Edward G. Robinson David Newell |
| Music by | Gerard Carbonara W. Franke Harling |
| Cinematography | George J. Folsey |
| Edited by | Mort Blumenstock |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 63 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was shot at the Astoria Studios in New York. The film is a remake of an earlier 1921 silent The Hole in the Wall.
Plot
A con man called The Fox teams up with a fake fortune teller named Madame Mystera to bilk naive people out of their money. When Madame Mystera dies in a car accident, The Fox hires a woman named Jean Oliver to replace her. But as time goes on, he comes to believe that Jean actually does have real supernatural powers.
Cast
- Claudette Colbert as Jean Oliver
- Edward G. Robinson as The Fox
- David Newell as Gordon Grant
- Nellie Savage as Madame Mystera
- Donald Meek as Goofy
- Alan Brooks as Jim
- Louise Closser Hale as Mrs. Ramsay
- Katherine Emmet as Mrs. Carlake
- Marcia Kagno as Marcia
- Barry Macollum as Dogface
- George MacQuarrie as Inspector
- Helen Crane as Mrs. Lyons
Criticism
According to critic Troy Howarth, "(It) 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 classic 1919 film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.[1]
References
- Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 339. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- The Hole in the Wall at silentera.com
- The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:The Hole in the Wall
External links
- The Hole in the Wall at the TCM Movie Database
- The Hole in the Wall at IMDb
- The Hole in the Wall at AllMovie