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Reviews
Sweet Devil (1938)
A forgotten gem - brilliant!
I recently came across this lovely little film and found it a joy from start to finish. Indeed, my family popped their heads around the door as I was watching it. First they were standing, then sitting and in no time at all we were all watching it. It was a hit as everyone thoroughly enjoyed it - and that's quite a rare event I can tell you!
It's a comedy with dance and music sequences rather than a out and out musical and it works beautifully.
As previous reviewers have mentioned, Jean Gillie is utterly charming while the rest of the cast are perfect for their roles. The production standards are very high indeed and it looks like an expensive production. The direction has a lightness of touch that blends comedy, music and dance with real elegance. There's a lovely sequence when the singers ask, well sing actually, to be paid at the end of the party. What a pity this film isn't better known today. Do try to see it if you get a chance.
Der Greifer (1930)
Not Bad at All...
I've just watched the English version of Night Birds and was very pleasantly surprised having read the earlier comment.
As previously stated, this is an early talkie so allowances have to be made. However, unlike many British films of that period which were painfully slow and stilted, this one moves along at a cracking pace. Yes, the plot is utterly ridiculous but no more so than many other films coming out of Hollywood at that time. As for the camera work, at times it can be very fluid and the use of light and dark in some scenes makes the film look as if it had been made several years later. The quality of the acting varies enormously but occasionally the director does manage to coax slightly more natural performances out of the actors than I would have expected from a British film of 1930, especially from the ladies. The dressing room scene dialogue is decidedly pre-code too!
It isn't perfection by any means and can be very creaky in places but it still manages to be an enjoyable and entertaining film. Critics rave about Hitchcock's Murder from the same year but despite it's technical innovations, I find that film much harder to sit through than Night Birds where the pace and performances seem much more refreshing.
Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised too!