The Great Gabbo (1929)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

James Cruze

Writers:

Ben Hecht (story)
Hugh Herbert (continuity)

Release Date:

12 September 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

An insanely, egocentric ventriloquist, even though he is possessed by his wooden dummy, is in love with a dancer who is in love with another. The dummy gives advice to the ventriloquist.

Plot Keywords:

Ventriloquist | Dummy | Wooden Dummy | Love | Dancer

Cast

Erich von Stroheim	...	Gabbo
Betty Compson	...	Mary
Donald Douglas	...	Frank
Marjorie Kane	...	Babe (as Margie 'Babe' Kane)
Marbeth Wright	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John F. Hamilton	...	Neighbour
Helen Kane	...	Helen
Harry Ross	...	Performer

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Multicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

James Cruze Productions

Trivia:

The dummy Otto was a hand carved basswood Frank Marshall figure. The same man who designed Edgar Bergen's famous characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gabbo: Well, Otto, my boy, how do you feel today?
Otto: Oh, I feel fine, thank you. How do you feel, Gabbo?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Krusty Gets Kancelled (#4.22)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Web Of Love

The Great Erich Von Stroheim!

This film about a ventriloquist who lives a self-imposed life of lonliness because of his personality is absorbing, different, and dated. Shortly produced after The Jazz Singer(1927), the film is an early talkie with all the characteristics of an early talkie. It has somewhat stilted stages, little camera movement, and most annoying, a bunch of Busby Berkley type musical numbers that have little to do with the plot. All that notwithstanding, the lead role of Gabbo, a man who lives to be successful no matter what it takes, who is willing to forsake personal happiness to achieve, who runs the scope of emotions in minutes, is played with gusto by that wonderful actor(and even greater director) Erich Von Stroheim. Von Stroheim uses all his European charm(and decadence) as the man who shares life and lives with and through his dummy Otto. There are no supernatural aspects about the relationship with Gabbo and Otto. The movie is in no way a horror picture(although very often advertised as such). It really is a story of the problems a man has exhibiting his emotions, living with others, and living with himself. Some of the scenes are very well-done, including the last shot as we see Gabbo avoid a ladder. The rest of the cast is effective with Betty Compson as a love interest doing a fine job, and Donald Douglas as a lead singer/romantic figure being absolutely absurd. If for no other reason, see the film to see Von Stroheim in action. There was no one like him.