Black Sheep (1935)

hyped garbage

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

No "Thin Man" rip-off this one; It stars the very funny Edmund Lowe as a card shark with a past, about to be blasted his way out of the blue. In the second class of a luxury liner heading from Europe to New York, Lowe and girlfriend Claire Trevor sneak into first class to try to swindle the rich and idle out of some of their pesky cash. Along the way, they encounter the troubled Tom Brown, blackmailed by a sophisticated kleptomaniac (Adrienne Ames) into smuggling some jewels she stole onto shore. Mingling with Ames and Brown brings Lowe and Trevor to the realization that Brown is Lowe's son from a short-lived marriage. Lowe must rescue the son he never got to know without revealing his identity, and the result is a very funny film with an outstanding script.Acting wise, it is Ames who scores here, a much married golddigger who steals simply out of excitement. Eugene Pallette gets some funny moments as the gregarious prankster, with Jed Prouty as another one of the card playing passengers and Herbert Mundin as a constantly drunk passenger whom Lowe keeps encountering with some smooth and funny double talk. Both big hearted and completely charming, this is the epitome of a "sleeper", a forgotten film so good that you find yourself drawn in immediately. It's sophisticated screwball comedy at its best, a film that may have slipped through the cracks in 1935, but one that could certainly be praised by film historians upon rediscovery.

"Black Sheep" is unheralded, underrated, far-fetched and great fun. Loved every minute of the snappy dialogue and the fast-paced plot. I wished they had made a series of these as it was very entertaining - it's what makes people sing "That's Entertainment" when watching a terrific movie (They do, don't they?) Good chemistry between Lowe and Trevor, who shows a flair for comedy I didn't know she had. Lowe is suave and debonair - he played too many roles requiring a dour and serious demeanor and here he gets a chance to smile and unwind in this breezy comedy. It is dated and takes place aboard a transatlantic ocean liner with the accompanying obsolete manners and customs, but if you are a fan of the best movies of Hollywood's so-called Golden Age, this one's for you.

Edmund Lowe is a professional gambler on a cruise ship, who likes to take the suckers' money, but he is known by the ship's detective and, if caught in the act, can be sequestered in his room for the duration and arrested. Tom Brown is a young man who has been taken by two old men, one of them played Eugene Palllette. who like to think they're something else by bluffing people, like this poor unsuspecting tot, and taking their money. We see as the film opens that they had nothing at all in their hands, while Tom had a pair of tens, and he winds up paying them, because of their bluffing and raising $500 here and $300 there. When Edmund catches on to the old men, he feels sorry for the young man. Edmund meets Claire Trevor, an actress, who appears to be somewhat well-off, but is still in second-class with Edmund. They form an friendship and plot to help the young man who was suckered by the old men. The twist is that when Edmund is in Tom's room he sees the pictures of Tom's mother and grandmother! Yes! He knows them! Put it together! When he does, he realizes who Tom is. This film was really good. We are immersed in Edmund's world and really come to care about him, and Tom and Claire. Tom tells him about another problem he's having. Adrienne Ames is a ruthless character who holds the cards over Tom concerning another debt. For 76 minutes, this film really packs a wallop. It's amazing to me how such simple, short films of the 1930s et al. can be so good, satisfying and fulfilling and much better than today's movies. While no award winner, the stars' acting and crisp writing make "Black Sheep" worth finding.

This film, shown on cable recently, was a discovery. In only 76 minutes, this delicious comedy packs much more than lengthier ones. This is a tribute to the man in charge of it, Allan Dawn, who combines the right elements to give us this fabulous trans Atlantic voyage.We are introduced to the main characters, Jeannette Foster and John Francis Dugan, traveling second class in a luxury liner. Dugan knows he can sneak into first class and takes Jeanette with him. John Dugan is a professional gambler that made his living out of these ships playing with the wealthy passengers. Jeanette is an actress returning home.We also meet an assortment of the passengers in the upper deck. Among them, an immature playboy, Fred Curtis, who has no luck gambling and is in debt to the mysterious and sophisticated Mrs. Bath, a rich woman who has stolen an expensive necklace from one a European royal just for the thrill of it. We also meet Col. Belcher and his friend and partner in gambling, Schmelling, a funny pair that will soon lose money to Dugan, who knows more about the game.The surprise comes from watching a splendid comedic turn by Claire Trevor, who we have seen in a lot of heavier roles. In this picture she clearly demonstrates she had a knack for playing a lighter fare. The movie also has an excellent performance from the great Edmund Lowe, an actor that was a pleasure to watch in everything he did.In the smaller roles, the great Eugene Palette makes a great impression as Col. Belcher, a rich oil man returning from Europe. Adrienne Ames, was also good as the sophisticated Mrs. Bath. She plays this woman with great panache. Tom Brown, as the young Fred Curtis, makes a good contribution to the film.The ensemble work that Allan Dawn got from all the major players, as well as the rest of the crew makes "Black Sheep" a delight to watch. The fantastic crossing of the Atlantic in the era of the luxury ships will enchant anyone looking for a carefree time at the movies.