NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

GManfred That was how the cast of 'Seinfeld' described their show. But they were beaten to the punch in 1934 by Warner Bros. with the release of "Heat Lightning", a static and unfunny comedy/drama taken from the Broadway show of the same name.The beginning was the best part, with Edgar Kennedy and Jane Darwell as a bickering married couple. It made you think that the best was yet to come, but no. The rest of the film is loaded with unnecessary, awkward situations and with the actors seeming ill at ease and mouthing stilted and clumsy dialogue which often falls flat. I cannot believe George Abbott had a hand in the movie script and must have been credited since he wrote the play, because this script is poorly written and lacking humor in humorous situations.This was a shame because Warners had assembled a great cast but saddled them with a boring story which lacks action and energy. Ann Dvorak, an excellent actress, comes off as whiny and annoying and Ruth Donnelly could have sued the script writer, her comic lines were so prosaic. And a contributor mentioned 'Key Largo'?! There is no similarity at all. "Heat Lightning" ran only 44 performances on Broadway for a reason, and I'll bet it wasn't the depression. The four rating points are for the cast despite the fact they were mistreated.

Michael_Elliott Heat Lightning (1934)** 1/2 (out of 4) Sisters Olga (Aline MacMahon) and Myra (Ann Dvorak) run a small gas station in the Arizona desert where they fight about the youngest sisters wants when it comes to a different life. Throughout the day a wide range of people stop by the shop including a couple thugs (Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot) who are wanted for killing a couple men and one of them has a past relationship with Olga. This crime picture from Warner certainly isn't among their best but the nice cast and short 64-minute running time makes it a nice little gem as long as you don't go in expecting too much. The first starts off with quite a bit of innuendo around the older sister Olga and her constantly putting men down. The way she dresses, talks and acts, it really does seem like this could have been shown during TCM's look at gay and lesbian images in early Hollywood. Her behavior is explained as the film goes along but that is certainly one thing that really jumped out. For the most part the characters really aren't all that interesting and the only reason one would pay close attention to them is because the studio cast some very familiar faces and especially to those who enjoy their "B" movies. Both MacMahon and Dvorak are good in their parts of the battling sisters and both Foster and Talbot could play heavies in their sleep. The four have some pretty good scenes together and especially MacMahon and Foster when it comes to talking about their past. The cast also includes Glenda Farrell playing a sexy idiot, Frank McHugh her driver and we even get Ruth Donnelly and Edgar Kennedy in small bits. The screenplay is full of the typical stereotype characters you'd expect in a film like this but the most disappointing thing is that not much happens throughout the running time. The movie is certainly leading up to final showdown but nothing ever really happens and there just aren't enough twists or turns to keep any sort of drama going. The movie does include a terrific looking set as I thought the diner was good enough to offer up some terrific shots and especially those where the camera just looks around the insides and there being windows everywhere. This allows one to get a 360-look around the place. Some pre-Code elements add to the fun but the main draw here are the actors.

moonspinner55 Interesting drama which bristles with pungent, often very amusing dialogue. Two sisters (a homely, bossy man-hater and a restless younger beauty who likes to kick up her heels) battle amongst themselves while running a filling station/diner/motel in the California desert; a pair of casual-acting bank robbers stop in one afternoon on their way to the border, one of whom knows the elder sister very well. Adaptation of Leon Abrams and George Abbott's play ran into trouble with the Catholic Legion of Decency in 1934--one presumes over the frank talk and implications of man-woman intimacy--yet the most surprising thing about this piece is the fact Aline MacMahon's plain, resentful Olga has a romantic past at all! Possibly conceived at one point as a lesbian, the character of Olga (who trades in her head-bandanna and dungarees for make-up and a frilly dress) is the story's central focus, and yet she doesn't emerge as a convincing, fully thought-out creation. The material goes noticeably soft at the halfway mark to accommodate Olga's actions, making the censorship stories even more ridiculous in hindsight. Still, the film has a quick pace and a lively cast, colorful patter between the guests, and a satisfying finish. **1/2 from ****

SumBuddy-3 After reading several reviews that enjoyed the film, I almost did not write a comment.However, after reading the one comparing it to a poor man's Petrified Forest, I wanted to say that's just plain unfair.I, was not around for the New York Times drab review in 1934, like the previous reviewer, but I can form my own opinion. I really liked the movie. Aline McMahon, pulled off the difficult character of playing a woman mechanic/business owner, and Preston Foster played the crook on the lam quite believable for the situation he was in.I personally wish Ann Dvorak had more of a developed part, I always like her, but sadly hers was the least developed of the several interesting characters in the film. Obviously made on a small budget, it's just unfair to compare this to Petrified Forest. They are not the same film at all.