The Tunnel 1935

Richard Dix is visionary engineer "Richard McAllan" who manages to convince a group of investors to support his plans for a transatlantic tunnel linking the UK and the USA. Immediately, all of my claustrophobic genes kicked in - that's about 4,000 miles of reinforced concrete at an average depth of 11,000 feet - no, I'd sooner embark of a flying tube travelling 35,000 feet in the air at 700 mph! Anyway, what follows is a clever piece of industrial leisure de main, amidst an environment of dealing and double-dealing; betrayal - and, of course - the obligatory romances (Madge Evans and Helen Vinson) which I thought rather distracted from the quite forward-looking storyline. Clearly, we don't have one of these tunnels, so there is little jeopardy as to what happens in the end - but the story is quite well paced; with shades - I though - of Metropolis (1927) about it. The acting isn't really up to much, and it does run a bit too much to sentiment - but Leslie Banks and C. Aubrey Smith add a little weight to it, and I found it surprisingly engaging 85 years on...

— CinemaSerf