William A. Wellman directed this original screenplay by Robert Lord and Wilson Mizner about a born loser, a man so stacked against by fate he can't even defend himself when life turns against him. In the lead, Richard Barthelmess is a capable and agreeable actor, however his character's tepid reserve is infuriating. When Barthelmess' Tom Holmes is wrongly arrested for inciting a riot of unemployed workers against the police force, he quietly goes with the down-turning flow of his destiny (wasn't he allowed to speak up at his trial?). Loretta Young is impossibly pretty and sweet as a neighboring boarder who becomes Barthelmess' wife, and Aline MacMahon is perfect as a wise-eyed proprietress with a soft side, but the movie's bumpy narrative (and quick wrap-up) will leave most viewers unsatisfied. **1/2 from ****
Review of Heroes for Sale
