Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

HomeyTao For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

OneView Some films are known more for the trivia associated with them than their actual content - The Thirteenth Chair (1929) being one of them. As the first sound film for director Tod Browning and his first collaboration with the Hungarian emigre actor Bela Lugosi it is these points of interest in a film a few years before Dracula (1931) that draw most attention.Browning seems very restricted by the early sound recording systems and this very theatrical film plays out mostly on a single set in prolonged wide shots. The opening scene as a mysterious figure enters a building and almost steps on a pool of blood left by a murder victim is handled with some style but is one of the few visual treats in a very static film. Lugosi is very engaged in his part, talking much faster and with greater passion than his lugubrious Dracula performance, indicating the latter was very much an interpretation of his original stage part. His dramatic confrontation with the suspects is full of passion and a certain intensity. Of the remaining cast John Davidson as Edward Wales is the sole standout, bringing a creepy intensity and mystery to his role, which is portrayed as one of mystery.Existing prints of this film are fairly washed out and damaged which reduces the ability of the modern viewer to identify clearly what is going on. A full restoration might be of benefit if quality elements exist but this is far from being the forgotten masterpiece of early sound horror that a viewer might have hoped for.

gridoon2018 "The Thirteenth Chair" is an early teaming of director Tod Browning and actor Bela Lugosi; two years later, they made the classic "Dracula". So I suppose it holds a lot of interest for film buffs, especially those who want to see Lugosi in a rare "heroic" (he's the police inspector, and he is quite commanding) role. The script was based on a play by Bayard Veiller, and the film is really little more than a filmed stage play; it is certainly more palatable than "The Trial Of Mary Dugan", another MGM film I saw yesterday, also made in 1929 and based on a play by Veiller (that one was also directed by him - if that's the right term, he basically just turned the camera on), but still very talky and draggy, and the way the murderer suddenly breaks down and confesses at the end is unbelievable. It does get points, however, for actually USING sound cinematically - in certain scenes the screen goes black and what matters is what you can hear. ** out of 4.

boscofl Released in 1929, "The Thirteenth Chair" is the filmed version of a rather popular play of the same name. Today, it is a hopelessly dated movie that creaks along at a snails pace and is truly an endurance test to sit through despite its 72 minute run time. The only memorable aspect is the first appearance of Bela Lugosi in a leading role, demolishing scenery as only the future Dracula can. Whether mangling the English language or speaking lines with . . . .his . . . trademark . . . pauses . . . Mr. Lugosi commands ones attention. Set in Calcutta, India for some reason, the story is a murder mystery wherein a man is slain in the middle of a seance. Lugosi is called in to solve the case and, after much cajoling and bullying, manages to do so with the aid of the medium. The film itself is tough to watch mainly due to the poor acting and static nature of this early talkie film. It could benefit significantly from tighter editing as certain shots seem to drag on for at least 5 seconds too long. Conrad Nagel is the top-billed star but I'm not sure what character he played (It was Richard, the fiancée). He has absolutely nothing to do except console the prime suspect, Helen, portrayed by Leila Hyams. As the phony medium, Margaret Wycherly gets kudos from reviewers for her contribution but to me she'll always be Ma Jarrett from "White Heat." The rest of the cast is unmemorable, to be kind. Which brings us to Lugosi. He is easily the most memorable character in the film and performs all the Lugosi shtick (glaring, clutching, deliberate . . . line . . . readings . . . etc.) that he has become famous (or infamous) for. For some reason director Tod Browning constructed a lot of his shots with the back of Lugosi's head visible to viewers (maybe he had a fetish for Bela's neckline or it was a joke a la John Ford photographing Ward Bond's posterior whenever possible). Despite being billed seventh he is the closest thing to a male lead in the film and he dominates the scenes he is in. Without him the film would be impossible to sit through. As an early example of a talking film, "The Thirteenth Chair" pretty much sums up the brief period before directors figured out how to take a play and make it cinematic instead of simply filming a stage drama. It is certainly a treat to see Bela Lugosi in a normal leading role before his entire life would be cast under the spell of Dracula.

bkoganbing When sound came to the motion picture there must have been a scramble for written material of any kind for the studios. Once it was proved it could be done, the public wanted to hear their screen idols speak and they had to have dialog.What works on stage did not often work on screen and when The Thirteenth Chair was made the studios were still getting sound right. We got all kinds of dialog, but here it was all kind of static and dull. And the cast generally overacts in this filmTwo performers here stand out. Margaret Wycherly best known as the mothers of Alvin York and Cody Jarrett later on was in the original cast on Broadway when it opened in 1916. She plays a psychic medium who is brought in to solve a murder already committed. During the séance the guy who arranged the séance is also dispatched. After that the cops call in.Lots of mysteries always have that climatic scene where the detective gathers the suspects be it Nick Charles or Jane Marple. But this is a film where the whole film is that scene. The other actor is Bela Lugosi who in this mystery set in British India speaks that marvelous Hungarian as a Scotland Yard detective.Lugosi acquits himself well, but he's just so well known in those horror films I expected him to be the murderer.Everybody overacts, but they were learning on the job the art of acting in talking pictures.