Dynamite ** (1929, Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson, Charles Bickford, Julia Faye, Joel McCrea) – Classic Movie Review 5544

Perhaps hampered by the primitive dawn-of-sound technology, producer-director Cecil B DeMille 1929 romantic drama movie is unusually uncertain, contrived and unconvincing hokum from this great Hollywood showman.

Kay Johnson stars as heiress Cynthia Crothers who has to wed coal miner Hagon Dark (Charles Bickford) and not her true love, poor boy Roger Town (Conrad Nagel), because of her granddaddy’s trust-fund will, which is about to run out. Roger is wed to Marcia (Julia Faye), who is ready to agree to a divorce if Cynthia can provide the right cash deal. But, to get the money, Cynthia must quickly marry Hagon, who is condemned to death for a crime he didn’t commit, and then inconveniently reprieved.

The antique film has faded embarrassingly, Jeanie Macpherson’s screenplay is very creaky and the acting cannot do too much to help it out. DeMille’s first sound film, or ‘all taking picture’, Dynamite look like it is going to go with a bang but just fizzles out. The song ‘How Am I to Know’ and the coalmine cave-in climax are the modest highlights, and DeMille ensures a good-looking production.

Joel McCrea gets his first star part, and then RKO put him under contract and gave his first lead role in The Silver Horde (1930). DeMille remembered McCrea as one of his daughter Cecilia’s Hollywood High School friends. McCrea was for ever grateful to DeMille.

Carole Lombard and Randolph Scott have uncredited bit parts. Also in the film are Muriel McCormac, Robert Edeson, character actor William Holden (1862–1932), Henry Stockbridge, Leslie Fenton, Barton Hepburn, Tyler Brooke, Ernest Hilliard, June Nash, Judith Barrett, Neely Edwards, Marjorie Zier, Rita La Roy and Clarence Burton.

Mitchell Leisen was Oscar nominated for Best Art Direction.

Playwright John Howard Lawson was angered that he did not receive screen credit for the dialogue (with Macpherson and Gladys Unger). He returned to New York and joined the Group Theater: ‘We were determined we would not to return to Hollywood.’

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5544

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