Lucky Devils (1933)

I love this movie so much

Perfect cast and a good story

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Opening on a horrifying bank robbery with clichéd dialog and much more violence than "Scarface", this second feature gets your attention right away and never lets go. The story of the risks taken every day by Hollywood stunt men and their women who worry makes for riveting drama. The superstitions of their craft leads to paranoia and a few tragedies. A fire sequence on a movie set is horrifying. In a way, the film has a serial feeling towards it. Stars Bill Boyd and Dorothy Wilson are fine, but stuttering Roscoe Ates is utterly obnoxious, first seen in blackface for no real reason. Fortunately, he is off screen for the second half of the movie. The film concludes with a fast paced car chase sequence that requires real skill from the film's real stunt men whom the script honors.

There is a robbery taking place at the First Street Bank - robbers have broken the skylight and are descending via the chandeliers, a telephonist is thrown down the stairs, a teller is shot for sounding the alarm - very powerful stuff, too bad it is only a scene from a movie!!! The men who make it exciting are the stunt men, although they don't get much praise from anyone except the giddy fans (sweet Rochelle Hudson plays one). The cardinal rule for being a stunt man is they should not be married, once they are, as Skipper Clark (Bill Boyd) says "they are always thinking of the little woman" and that's when accidents happen. When Slugger (William Bakewell) accidentally breaks a bottle, that is a sobering wake up call as a broken bottle always means death to one of the fraternity. Of course now Slugger is about to marry Doris (beautiful Julie Haydon) he is now a bundle of nerves and bungles his driving stunt, going through a plate glass window.Skipper and Bob (William Gargan) are going through their own romantic woes - both are in love with the same girl, Fran (Dorothy Wilson) who they both rescued from a suicide attempt. Skipper, being the star, wins Fran but after their honeymoon (he has conveniently waived the "no marriage" rule) nerves get to him and he mistimes a stunt that sees Bob go to hospital.This is just a terrific little movie that packs so much action into it's 62 minutes, more than most films twice its length. Also it's one of the very few films that turn the attention to the unsung heroes of the action movie, the stunt men and the hazards of their working life!!Even though the burns are superficial Skipper feels responsible and quits but finds the real world tough and jobless and it is back with his "reel" crew that he finally finds work as a road digger. When the director offers $100 to anyone who can pull off a hazardous stunt involving a dinghy going over what looks like Niagara Falls, Skipper's nerve returns along with his good standing.Dorothy Wilson proved once again what a talented young actress she was and that talent isn't always found on the stage or in acting schools. She was director Gregory La Cava's stenographer and was given a well publicized movie contract when the director was looking for new talent for his movie "The Age of Consent". William Boyd, at this time, just before he found fame and fortune as Hopalong Cassidy, was trying to rebuild his career after he had been wrongly identified as the actor William "Stage" Boyd who had been arrested for attending a very wild party.

The first five minutes of this film will quickly convince you that this is definitely a "Pre-Code" movie--a film so named because it was made just before the Hays Production Code was fully enforced--putting a stop to excessive violence, sexuality and "adult themes". Just a year later, a film as amazingly violent as this one never would have been allowed. That's because this portion of the movie features a bank robbery scene that is at least as violent as the ones in BONNIE AND CLYDE--which was made over three decades later. Blood is flying, customers are being splattered and hundreds of bullets fly. This is not the only extremely violent moment in the film, as later you see a man fall into a burning building and it's very shocking indeed.The film is not really about bank robberies, though, but is about the rough and dangerous world of the movie stuntman. In the 1920s, some Hollywood producers were pretty cavalier about risking the lives of their stunt men, though how unnecessarily lives are tossed away in this film seems silly--but also very entertaining.The main character in this film is William Boyd (later known as "Hopalong Cassidy") and once he marries, his new bride is convinced he'll be killed. Judging by the movie so far, this isn't surprising! I could tell you more about the plot but don't want to ruin it. The film is very exciting to watch and the violence is shocking but also intriguing because it was so extreme. A good film but certainly not an intellectual or deep film.PS--Look carefully at the beginning and you'll see a White guy in black face--something that's shocking when seen today.

A fun romp, Starring William Boyd, (best known as Hopalong Cassidy)about a group of Hollywood stunt men. The story by Bob Rose and Casey Robinson, two of the top stunt men of the era, follows the men through the up and downs of the stunt world in early films. Complete with a rousing song,sung several times in the film, about the trials and tribulations of the Hollywood stunt man, not unlike the "Fall Guy" theme. You get a glimpse of "state of the art" stunts of that time and it ends with William Boyd using all of his "stunt" skills to race from Big Bear back to Hollywood to make the birth of his child. It's fun, and gives a good look at old Hollywood as it plays as the backdrop for the story. Just a look at the size of the palm trees lets you know just how long ago this took place. Enjoy!