The Shadow Laughs 1933

With a cast of Broadway stars

4.2 / 10   3 vote(s)
NR
Comedy Mystery

The police investigate a bank robbery, and when they don't seem to be making much headway, a newspaper reporter decides to investigate it on his own.

Release Date 1933-03-26
Runtime 1h 4m
Director Arthur Hoerl
Producer
Writer Arthur Hoerl

When banks start being robbed, and sequential thousand dollar bills are left attached to the bodies of corpses - the local cops are quite effectively confused. Enter local newspaper man Hal Skelly ("Robin Dale") who takes up the cudgels to investigate. What could the motive possibly be for such profligacy? Well, Skelly (a sort of cross between Harold Lloyd and "Popeye") alongside an annoying, if pretty, Rose Hobart ("Ruth Hackett") are soon on the trail of our hooded scallywag (or ought that to be Skellywag?) and the suspense is palpable - when/if we are ever going to actually get a laugh; hell I'd have settled for a smile, a smirk - but no, just grimaces - lots and lots of grimaces. The banter is certainly fast paced, but at times it is barely audible, unfunny and left me desperate for the thing to end. Cesar Romero cut his teeth on this nonsense, otherwise it would be entirely irredeemable. Luckily for us, he persevered - something I can't say I'd recommend anyone else does with this.

CinemaSerf