Wide Open (1930) User Reviews

enjoyable little comedy

[data-25 · 7/10 · 12 October 1999]

Wide Open showcases the comedy talents of Edward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller who work well as a team. This was one of the 5 pictures they made together in 1929-31. This one contains several amusing scenes (the sleepwalking scene) and good comic support by Louise Fazenda. Horton plays the usual befuddled bachelor who's made fun of by everyone else. Miss Miller is quite charming as his potential love interest who gives him some much needed self-confidence. This is one of her few surviving Warner Bros. talkies. No great shakes but a good, enjoyable comedy.

Mechanical

[boblipton · 5/10 · 18 March 2013]

This is one of half a dozen early talkie comedies that Edward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller made. Although their comedy skills are very much in evidence -- I've enjoyed Mr. Horton in every role I've seen him in -- the screenplay is so obviously and mechanically written to hit all the keynotes of a one-set bed room farce that even Horton's mugging palled by the halfway mark. The usually delightful Louise Fazenda appears as an applicant for Mr. Horton's heart and Vera Lewis as a harpy of a mother is more hideous than funny.

The movie does pick up when a rowdy bunch of well wishers break into Mr. Horton's house and musical interludes ensue. Still, this movie, while it has its moments, is more interesting as a study of the problems that Hollywood had in transitions from silent to sound comedies. Patsy Ruth Miller would be out of the business in a year and Edward Horton would work until his death, delighting everyone with his fussy manner and patented triple takes -- but in supporting roles.

Extremely cute.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 3 April 2013]

"Wide Open" is an unusual film in that Edward Everett Horton, a supporting actor, is in the lead--and it's a very pleasant little comedy. Simon is a VERY mousy guy who hates women (Horton). He also is mistreated by those around him because he's so meek. However, one day, out of the blue, 'Miss Jones' (Patsy Ruth Miller) shows up at his house and just won't get lost--no matter how much Simon hates and is afraid of women. When some folks at work find out that a woman is at Simon's house, they think that Simon has gotten married and throw them a party. What's next? Well see it for yourself. Just be prepared--it's a very sweet and funny conclusion to the story.

In addition to these two actors, look for the Mack Sennett star, Louise Fazenda--the wife of producer Hal Wallis. And, note the many double-entendres which would NOT have been allowed after the Production Code would be enacted in mid-1934! Overall, a cute story--and ample proof that Horton was a very likable actor.

Mild Comedy

[dougdoepke · 19 March 2013]

Mild little comedy and early talky. Perhaps the main attraction is the fey Edward Everett Horton as a leading man. His addled attitude toward sex with the aggressive Julia (Miller) is often a hoot and makes for a different kind of farcical comedy. Just who is she and why has she moved into his house in a seductive manner. He's just too confused to send her away. So she stays, setting up one amusing seduction scene after another. Remember, this is pre-Code 1930, so bedroom set-ups are much more explicit. No real belly laughs here, but Horton does manage a different kind of role and the sort of mugging he made a career of. (Note-- one cutting edge of consumer technology in 1930 is a phonograph needle!)

early Ed Horton film

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 7 May 2020]

Edward Horton is Simon, meek, mild mannered worker. When co-worker Agatha and her mother bust into Simon's apartment, it seems to be a set up. they leave (apparently), and another young, partially dressed girl (Patsy Miller) shows up in his living room. the script needed fixing up, but it IS an early film with Edward Horton, in his usual complaining, overwhelmed self. the sound and picture are a bit iffy, but this is already 90 years old, so we're lucky to have such an oldie at all. and it's 1930, so it was still okay to show partially dressed women running around your living room. fast talking, not much of a plot, kind of runs like a vaudeville bit. This was one of six films Horton and Miller made together. pretty bland, but interesting for historical reasons. I'm a big fan of Edward Horton, and they gave him much better scripts over the next 20 years. Directed by Archie Mayo, who directed Bogart in Petrified Forest. Based on a book by Edwin Morris.

Edward Everett Horton has the lead

[blanche-2 · 5/10 · 1 April 2016]

Edward Everett Horton stars with Patsy Ruth Miller in "Wide Open," an early talkie and a pre-Code. Horton and Miller made five films together. She retired in 1931.

Horton is Simon Haldane, a man with some good ideas about his boss' business, but he's too shy to put himself forward. The boss' daughter, Doris (Miller) tries to give him confidence, and soon he is promoted to General Manager.

But things at home aren't good, and what a home. Simon is afraid of women and doesn't like them, but they're milling around. A stenographer at work likes him, but worse than that is, one day a woman he has never seen before shows up with her mother, and her mother demands that he marry her. Not only that, she won't leave.

Archie Mayo directed this, and the screenplay is written by James Starr and Arthur Caesar.

At 69 minutes, this would have been fine at just a half hour - at 69 minutes it feels like it's the length of Howard's End. You'll swear to it.

Edward Everett Horton was always delightful, and his comedy in this is very good. I don't know what it was in 1930, but today it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy. It has a couple of funny scenes. Louise Fazenda has a small role.

Got boring quick

[HandsomeBen · 2/10 · 11 March 2021]

A socially awkward man with asexual tendencies has to deal with a woman who breaks into his home, and pretends to be ill.

First 15 minutes were funny, lighthearted, and the lead's meekness was charming. His interactions with people especially his housemaid, were funny, and showed good comedic timing and chemistry between the actors. But as soon as Julia shows up and pretends to fall ill, she sucks the life out of the movie. She's boring, 2 dimensional, doesn't add anything. No personality, and not funny, and she drags Edward and the movie down with her.

By the end Edward loses his individuality and becomes another male clone.

The life of a timid man

[ramawv · 9/10 · 2 May 2013]

Veteran actor Edward Everett Horton plays the role of timid employee, Simon Haldane who has ideas for improving his boss's business but lacks courage to tell him about it. However the boss's daughter Doris (Patsy Ruth Miller) who is bold and little boisterous knows exactly how to go about it. Doris gives Simon confidence in his ideas and the company benefits and promotes him to the general manager In the meantime problems arise for Simon since Agatha, the stenographer of the office is interested in him and so is a stranger who finds his address and comes to his house with her mother demanding that he marry the strange girl. Finally the problems are resolved and Simon and Doris head to the altar. The movie is directed by Archie Mayo and screenplay written by James Starr and Arthur Caesar. This is very funny movie and I am sure you will enjoy watching it.

Bizarre Comedy to Say the Least

[Michael_Elliott · 30 May 2013]

Wide Open (1930)

** (out of 4)

Bizarre comedy about a man named Simon (Edward Everett Horton) who lives in fear of women, which has somewhat turned into a hatred of them. His lifestyle is certainly cramped when Julia (Patsy Ruth Miller) enters his house and refuses to leave no matter what he tries. At first Simon hates everything that's going on but soon he's "wide open" to falling in love. WIDE OPEN isn't a film that made me laugh and I think even at 69-minutes it goes on way too long but at the same time it's just so strange and unique that you almost have to recommend it to film buffs. I think most people are going to be intrigued by the film because of the two stars. Horton will be remembered to some film buffs for her supporting roles so it's quite rare to get to see him in the lead. Miller will always be best remembered for her role in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and this here was filmed shortly before her retirement. The two of them ended up making five films together in a short period of time so clearly people enjoyed their comic abilities. When viewed today I personally found it to be quite annoying on one hand. Horton actually delivers a good performance playing this guy but he's almost too good because of how badly he gets on your nerves. This includes his character constantly talking fast, trying to say one thing but saying something wrong and then quickly having to go back and correct himself. I admit that I found it amusing how the actor could keep up with all of this dialogue but it still didn't make me laugh. Miller is charming in her role but the screenplay really doesn't give her too much to do. Louise Fazenda has a small role and is quite memorable.