Way for a Sailor (1930) User Reviews

Mainly watch it to see that John Gilbert really GOT acting in the talkies...

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 3 July 2015]

...but let me warn you that the first half hour of this 85 minute film is a long hard slog. Gilbert plays "Jack", a sailor on a commercial line, who seems to have some kind of beef with fellow sailor "Tripod" (Wallace Beery), although the origin of this rift is never revealed. The boat lands, the sailors are on leave, and there is drunken brawl after drunken brawl for no reason. Someone will just insult someone else or break a bottle over someone's head for apparently no reason. Then everybody starts fighting. This got repetitive, plus the dawn of sound soundtrack is so bad that trying to hear these players speak, during storms, out of doors, in crowded bars, is nearly impossible. I had to rewind several times to get what was even going on. The bright spot in this part of the film - Polly Moran showing up all disheveled in a bar carrying a mallet of all things. Considering how rowdy things got and how quickly they got rowdy, maybe she was smart to be carrying a mallet after all.

During the next hour things improve considerably as the ship lands in London and we meet the object of Jack's affection, Joan (Leila Hyams), a clerk in the shipping company office. She wants nothing to do with him because he is a sailor. Hyams could have come off as snooty in this role, but she doesn't, even without an exact explanation of her rejection. I felt that she might have been hurt or lied to by a sailor before, or she might have seen that happen, enough that she is simply not going to consider a sailor as a suitor. The point is, she plays the part vulnerable and it works. Likewise, Gilbert's character, though rough around the edges, is actually likable. He wants to marry the girl, so his intentions are honorable. He just thinks that lying is OK in the pursuit of this honorable intention. It's at this point the first half hour of the film - which has seemed pointless up to now - begins to make sense. It shows the rough and tumble kind of temporary port to port life Jack is accustomed to and helps explain his actions. He borrows money from the other sailors, buys a suit, and gives Joan a total lie of a story about him quitting the sea and getting a job in the shipping office. Now on the surface this seems despicable, but then you think back to the first half hour and remember in Jack's world the end justifies the means. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

I'd say it is worth it to see that John Gilbert did understand how to act and project a character in the talkies, and also this film gives a supporting role to Wallace Beery that he was just made to play before MGM pretty much promoted him to leading man status after Min and Bill came out later in 1930.

One Of The Dreadful Films John Gilbert Made For MGM To Fulfill His Contract

[Ron Oliver · 7/10 · 6 September 2000]

Here comes the Merchant Marine, the toughest seamen afloat. Sailing into every sea, a job in every port, a girl in every bar. Out of the way there! Here they come, up from the docks, looking for some shore leave. Look out! Make WAY FOR A SAILOR!

According to cinematic legend, all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert (the highest paid star in Hollywood, with a $1.5 million contract) & studio boss Louis B. Mayer. A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract, and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career - including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was `high & feminine', culminated in several unwatchable movies.

Not entirely true. The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck. Of the 8 talkies in which he appeared as solo star (1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT; 1930 - REDEMPTION; WAY FOR A SAILOR; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE; THE PHANTOM OF PARIS; WEST OF BROADWAY; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS; 1933 - FAST WORKERS) most were certainly rather ghastly. WAY FOR A SAILOR falls into that unfortunate category.

Gilbert tries hard throughout the film, but it never comes together. Atmospherics are of the `B Movie' variety, and while the rescue at sea sequence is exciting, it's not enough to save the film. Even wonderful Wallace Beery, bluff & hearty, can't pull it off, though he certainly is entertaining & manages to steal every scene he's in. And lovely Leila Hyams is boring, thanks mostly to a lackluster script.

Look fast and you'll spot Doris Lloyd & the inimitable Polly Moran, both enjoyable as dockside floozies (Polly wields a mean mallet). Movie mavens will recognize Sojin as the Oriental procurer; quick-eyed viewers may spot an uncredited Ray Milland as a ship's officer.

Finally, about The Voice. There was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice. As a matter of fact, it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined. Which was the crux of the problem, of course. While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong, virile silent roles, the reality was very different from what they wanted to hear (imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth.) Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony. He would die in 1936, forgotten by most of his former fans, at the age of only 36.

He's got a gal in every port

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 22 August 2019]

Way For A Sailor is about two of those folks, John Gilbert and Wallace Beery who love 'em and leave 'em in every port. Gilbert is in a part that someone like Robert Taylor at MGM or Tyrone Power at 20th Century Fox would have done a bit later.

Folks were used to seeing Gilbert as the great lover so this was either an effort to broaden his image or ruin it depending on your interpretation. L.B. Mayer was looking to get rid of him no doubt.

Anyway Gilbert and Beery are in London and the challenge awaits Gilbert from Beery to score with Leila Hyams who works in a shipping office who is dubbed as a cold fish.

She falls for him, even marries him, but Hyams realizes that he's a reprobate and won't change. At least at a certain point in the plot.

People went to see this I have no doubt for Wallace Beery who was rising in popularity as sound came in. Gilbert comes off a distinct second best.

Beery's fans will like this. Though I wonder in 1930 what the movie going public thought of a character with the nickname of Tripod. No wonder he got girls.

John Gilbert in Great Voice

[drednm · 27 October 2007]

Oddly likable film even though it's badly directed, edited, and under-lit. There are several "inserts" of closeups that don't come close to matching the rest of the scene, and the rear projections are badly done as well.

Still, this fourth talkie of John Gilbert's is fascinating because of the solid performances by Gilbert (no voice problems at all), Wallace Beery, and Leila Hyams.

A story of carousing sailors (merchant marine) and their beer brawls is very pre-Code with saloons, whores, and raw language. But Jack (Gilbert) is smitten with Hyams and does everything to win her. Unfortunately he steals money from Beery to buy a suit and pretends he has left the sea for an office job so Hyams will marry him. He ends up going back to sea on the boat she is sailing on for Canada (after she learns of his lies). But then another ship is sinking in a storm.....

Several interesting scenes, including one by the sea where Gilbert and Hyams are talking and arguing. The rescue is interesting but under-lit.

Gilbert tries so hard here after a series of lousy MGM flops (thanks to Mayer) and is so likable that you forget the story is standard issue. Hyams is beautiful and has a few good dramatic scenes. Beery is his usual self. Supporting cast includes Polly Moran, Doris Lloyd, Ray Milland, Jim Tully, Tiny Jones, etc.

This was Gilbert's best talkie to date after the disastrous HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT and REDEMPTION. Whatever the problems were with this film, they were not Gilbert's fault. He looks fit and trim and his voice is just fine. Despite the "B" film qualities of this and most of Gilbert's MGM films (thanks to Mayer), Gilbert always comes off as a solid actor and likable man.

John Gilbert should have had a major career in talkies and proved that his acting style and voice were just fine in film after film, but he had lost his audience with the first few rotten sound films MGM gave him.

This film is worth seeing just to see how valiant Gilbert was even with Mayer working against him.

Louis Mayer Gets His Revenge on John Gilbert's Insults

[springfieldrental · 7/10 · 31 August 2022]

Looking at a list of actors who failed to make the transition from silent to "talkies," John Gilbert is one of the names on top of the lineup. There was no bigger movie star in the mid-1920's than Gilbert, most notably in his films with Greta Garbo. But Gilbert's problem was his employer, Louis B. Mayer, who headed the MGM studio. The two constantly bickered about his salary, the type of roles he was given, and other disagreements that escalated into shouting matches between them heard throughout the hallways. One particularly nasty incident encapsulates their tension. Gilbert and long time live-in girlfriend Greta Garbo planned to hold a dual wedding with director King Vidor and his fiancee, actress Eleanor Boardman. At the appointed time to exchange vows, Garbo failed to show up. More than a few witnesses swear that Mayer said something not complimentary about Garbo to the despondent Gilbert just outside the restroom. The actor smacked the MGM president so hard it sent him sprawling onto the floor of the bathroom. According to some Mayer swore he was going to get even with his star, "Even if it costs me one million dollars."

Gilbert had just signed a very lucrative six-picture deal with MGM for $250,000 per movie, with his name above anyone else's-a deal Mayer had opposed. Gilbert was given a string of weak roles in a series of bad movies in 1929 and 1930. Typical of the quality of films he had to appear in was November 1930 "Way for a Sailor." Although the part was strong on masculinity than his previous talking roles, the movie was so bad its director, Sam Wood, didn't want his name listed in the credits. The motion picture did have one of MGM's biggest star, Wallace Berry, as well as a whopping $900,000 budget. Gilbert plays a wise-cracking womanizer, Jack, who lands in jail in almost every port his ship docks. In one foreign port, Jack falls in love with London-native Joan (Leila Hyams), who doesn't reciprocate his many overtures.

Legend has it that Mayer ordered his audio technicians to speed up the film in the scenes where Gilbert speaks to make his voice sound pitchy. But film analysts insist the actor's voice was somewhat light and thin, but not unlike other silent movie actors who made the successful transition to talkies. Another account has Mayer ordering his sound men to turn off the base while recording "Way for a Sailor" so his voice would register higher than normal. The technique wouldn't have affected the women voices nor would it do much to Wallace Berry's ultra-low, gravely voice.

What probably hurt Gilbert more than his less than assertive voice were the types of roles he found himself. Also, Hollywood's major studios had an underground network called 'greylisting' that had them avoid hiring any actor Mayer called troublesome, placing a damper on any film opportunities. MGM tried several times to cancel his contract, but the actor was determined to see the deal through, even though there were long stretches between each picture. Gilbert began to drink heavily, he became mentally exhausted and his physical health began to show a decline during his personal bouts with the studio. That is, until his former girlfriend, Greta Garbo, in 1933 gave him a new chance at resurrecting his stardom in "Queen Christina."

John Gilbert's Ship Is Sinking

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 17 October 2010]

Seafaring John Gilbert (as Jack) enjoys the rollicking "love 'em and leave 'em" lifestyle shared with merchant marine buddies like accordion-playing Wallace Beery (as Tripod) and brawling Jim Tully (as Ginger). The trio of rum-swilling womanizers look for saloons and girls in every port. But, when Mr. Gilbert meets blonde Leila Hyams (as Joan), the sailor must choose between manning restless ocean waves, or settling down with Ms. Hyams' shore-bound curves...

The delayed, poorly-edited "Way for a Sailor" was the first of several attempts to restore Gilbert's damaged movie stardom...

Beery essays a typically hammy performance; though second-billed, he was, by now, the bigger box office star. Undoubtedly Beery was present to attract more cinema patrons, who would hopefully give Gilbert a second look. Unfortunately, most viewers had their misgivings about Gilbert reinforced. The picture simply does not serve him well. In their scenes together, re-takes seem to have been inserted to enhance Ms. Hyams' performance, while Gilbert is left looking soppish.

**** Way for a Sailor (11/1/30) Sam Wood ~ John Gilbert, Wallace Beery, Leila Hyams, Jim Tully

Gilbert at sea

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 29 April 2020]

Despite much being said about John Gilbert not transitioning well from silent to sound and that his sound pictures were poor, to me actually Gilbert didn't come off that badly (even if his voice is not what one expects) and again from personal opinion his sound pictures varied in quality. Actually really did enjoy 'Downstairs' for example and 'Phantom of Paris' started off very well. Others are not too good though, 'Redemption' had a lot of problems (Gilbert wasn't one of them though) for instance. Have not been able to find the maligned 'His Glorious Night' as of yet.

'Way for a Sailor' is another one of his weaker outings, though marginally better than 'Redemption'. Am not going as far to say that it is a terrible film. It isn't, it does have its moments and good things (Gilbert again being one of the best things about it despite his reputation when he transitioned to sound, actually think it was his personal problems that hurt him). 'Way for a Sailor' is heavily flawed though and is one strange film to put it lightly, very weak narratively and even worse technically and visually.

Gilbert is dashing and charismatic and his character was likeable (flawed but with good intentions), also haven't ever had anywhere near as big a problem with his voice either. Wallace Beery has a lot of fun in his role and gives his all, just about resisting the temptation to ham it up which he was prone to doing. Actually thought on the whole that the acting was not too bad at all with one exception.

It, the film that is, does pick up by quite a bit in the second half while still not ever wowing the viewer over. The rescue sequence is a very exciting and compelling set piece and the one scene in the film that holds up reasonably.

The exception to the acting however is Leila Hyams, the character is a very flat one and Hyams is a real bore and very bland in the role. She is not helped though, well nobody is, by Sam Wood's pretty hopeless direction that is indicative of inexperience and lack of ease in the transition into sound pictures. Am well aware that one cannot expect early talkies to be completely perfect so early on, but 'Applause' for example was an early sound film and was great because one could see that a lot of effort went into it. Not enough of the case with 'Way for a Sailor' though.

Visually and technically 'Way for a Sailor' is pretty disastrous. The photography is static and too dimly lit while the editing is sloppy and lacks cohesion. Just as bad are the glaringly obvious and cheap-looking rear projections and very limited at best settings. Lets not get started on the sound, which is actually pretty amateurishly done, in both mixing (very distorted and erratic in volume) and placement (some effects sounding random). The script contributes towards bogging the sluggish pace down, with it being like a draft for a stage play full of padded fat, awkwardness and attempts at being perceptive and poetic but ends up instead being over-literal. The story is truly sluggish in the first half, enough to make one want to bail early on, because it is very dull in pace, uneventful in story and dreary in atmosphere. It gets better in the second half, but is still predictable and very slight, never feeling opened up in the action. Throughout it felt like an under-rehearsed filmed stage play, saved by the game efforts of the actors.

Concluding, worth a one time watch but strange. 5/10

Nothing Wrong With His Voice...

[xerses13 · 8/10 · 24 August 2010]

John Gilbert has been hammered for the alleged quality of his voice since his first sound film HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT (1929). Which was a disaster in MANY ways. This film shows this for the lie that it is. There is nothing wrong with his voice. He had regular speaking voice with good intonations at the correct time. Nor does he 'ham it up' with silent film pantomime. His acting style is natural and suited for the sound medium.

The film features a strong supporting cast which includes Wallace Beery and the attractive Leila Hymans. In a minor role as a 'Brothel Manager' is character actor, Sojin. There is plenty of action and romance. This film has a gritty early 1930's realism very much in the style of WARNER BROTHERS, enhanced by the M.G.M. special effects department who used the Williams 'Traveling Matte Process' too good effect. Something they had been familiar with since BEN-HUR (1925). This integrated live action plates with com-posited filmed action sequences. Occasionally though you can pick up where the 'matte' bled through and the composite failed.

The film is of good quality and a solid 'B' film. These were important in filling out the Studio's schedule of fifty (50+) plus features a year. In the early years of the 'Great Depression' even major stars made such films. ANNA Christie (1930) was of no better quality. The difference, Louis B. Mayer backed Greta Garbo, unlike Gilbert whose career he wished to destroy. The plot of this film would be recycled just one (1) year later with Mr. Mayer's new 'fair haired boy' Clark Gable. Seemed the material worked for you when the Studio backed you up.

Disappointing Early Talkie

[Michael_Elliott · 31 August 2010]

Way for a Sailor (1930)

** (out of 4)

Early talkie from MGM suffers from a lot of technical issues and the story really lets down the cast. In the film a drunken sailor (John Gilbert) argues with his buddy (Wallace Beery) but soon falls for a questionable woman (Leila Hyams). Soon Gilbert is trying to win her heart but she doesn't want a sailor so the man must try and form a new life but finds out he is what he is. According to legend MGM was really sticking it to Gilbert and trying to ruin him with movies like this. I'm really not sure how true that is because legend also has it that he had a horrible speaking voice but the more sound films I watch I'm starting to realize that wasn't the case at all. In fact, I think the sometimes soft-toned voice perfectly fits some of these rough characters he's playing because he had the body of a tough guy but that voice allows him to work well in the more romantic sequences. In fact, during one of the love scenes he's saying one love line after another and it was actually quite effective as he was clearly very passionate and this really come through on screen. I'm not sure what people in 1930 were expecting but I can only guess that silent movies had people imagining what their favorite stars sounded like and when talkies came along and these voices didn't match, people were left disappointed. Either way, Gilbert is the only reason to watch this film as everything else is pretty bad. Hyams to me was way too flat and I really didn't care too much for the character or performance. Beery isn't too bad but he's pretty much just here to start fights, drink and be loud. We get Ray Milland in a brief, uncredited bit but the rest of the supporting cast are pretty forgettable. I think the biggest problem is the actual screenplay, which is quite boring, predictable and at times laughable. You really can't blame it too much as many of these early talkies were simply made for talking. The story never really progressive in a believable way and by the time it is over you can't help but feel you've been watching it for hours. The technical quality is another disaster as there are several scenes taking place outdoors where it's hard to hear what the actors are saying because of everything else the microphones are picking up. We also get some early rear-projection but it looks quite poor and often doesn't match up with the "real" footage. In the end, this isn't a disaster but it's certainly only recommended to those who want to see some of the Gilbert films that were laughed out of theaters back in the day.