"THE DEVIL'S HOLIDAY" (1930)

[rmichaelpyle]

Last night I finally watched "The Devil's Holiday" (1930) with Nancy Carroll and Phillips Holmes. Nancy Carroll was nominated that year for an Oscar for Best Actress. It went instead to Marie Dressler for "Min and Bill". "The Devil's Holiday" is really quite oriented to its time, but its a genuine pre-coder and Nancy Carroll is very cute and lovely to watch. A fun film it is, with James Kirkwood and a very silent filmish Hobart Bosworth. Along for the ride, and very good as usual, is Ned Sparks. At the beginning is a fun and funny ZaSu Pitts. Carroll gets to play a meaty part in the film as a "good time girl" who is a manicurist who also makes money on the side getting wealthy customers to purchase contracts with select salesmen in particular businesses - all this for a cut - say, two or three per cent! She makes these deals with the salesmen, obviously, then goes after the clients. She says she never falls in love, is only in it for the money. So she says. Then she meets Phillips Holmes, a young man whose father is a wheat king. They need new threshers. Well, Ned Sparks sells threshers. Nancy Carroll is a friend of his. You can figure out the rest. Nancy marries Phillips Holmes - BUT! - it's far more complicated than that. Does she really love him?! I won't give away the rest. It's what the movie's about. Good film. Still plays well. (By the way, the Devil's Holiday refers to working on Sunday, the Devil's holiday.) I got in from a very late plane trip last night and watched this around midnight. If I can stay up for an hour and a half after a four hour flight that was late anyway you know the movie must have been great! It was. If you can find it - watch it!

[diane]

I love this film. It was sitting in my cabinet for a year and I only got around to watching it last week.
Seeing this film makes it even more amazing that Paramount did not try to develop her dramatic
abilities (how temperamental was she!!!) The only other Carroll movie I have seen in recent years
was "Paramount on Parade". Watching this film I thought, just to give her the role, after pictures
like "Honey" and "Sweetie", Paramount must have had some faith in her abilities and she definately
proved them right. I also think that Nancy and Phillips Holmes (I don't know about his acting abilities)
would surely take out honours for the most beautiful couple of the silver screen.

[Larry's 66 Diner]

This must be another of Hollywood's obscure films. However, it sounds like one I would definitely be interested in. Gonna have to do some more online shopping, I reckon. :thumbsup:

[Midge]

Thanks for another one of your excellent reviews, R. Michael! I always enjoy reading them. Any film that can conquer travel fatigue that well has got to be something special.