Erich von Stroheim in The Great Gabbo - GABBO! GABBO! GABBO! for you Simpsons fans out there. This is perhaps one of the earliest examples of the story of the ventriloquist who becomes a little too convinced that his dummy is real, although this is a bit more low key in that regard than the two Twilight Zone episodes that cover that material or say Magic with Anthony Hopkins. Of course it is Gabbo who is the ventriloquist and the dummy's name is Otto. Although Gabbo is not forced into murdering anyone he just kinda makes some bad decisions that get him into trouble personally and professionally. The film does not have too much to offer really on its own past Erich von Stroheim's performance. von Stroheim just is an enjoyable performer to watch and he has some fun here. Whether it is doing his actual act with such confidence and precision or on the other end of things as he goes a bit nuts confining in Otto about his various insecurities. von Stroheim manages to be fairly entertaining and elevates the film probably as much as he can with his loony performance.
4/5
Overall Leading Rank:
- Ronald Colman in Bulldog Drummond
- Ronald Colman in Condemned
- George Bancroft in Thunderbolt
- Eric von Stroheim in The Great Gabbo
- Oliver Hardy in Big Business
- Stan Laurel in Big Business
- Willy Fritsch in Woman in the Moon
- Maurice Chevalier in The Love Parade
- William Powell in The Canary Murder Case
- Groucho Marx in The Cocoanuts
- Paul Muni in The Valiant
- William Powell in The Greene Murder Case
- Douglas Fairbanks in The Iron Mask
- Warner Baxter in Behind That Curtain
- Douglas Fairbanks in The Taming of the Shrew
- Lars Hanson in The Informer
- George Arliss in Disraeli
- Gary Cooper in The Virginian
- Ricardo Cortez in The Phantom in the House
- Harry Stubbs in Alibi
- Daniel L. Haynes in Hallelujah
- Chester Morris in Alibi
- Fuller Mellish Jr. in Applause
- Johnny Mack Brown in Coquette
- Harry Bannister in Her Private Affair
- Matt Moore in Coquette
- John Loder in Her Private Affair
- Henry Wadsworth in Applause
Louis Wolheim in Condemned - To be perfectly honest Louis Wolheim does not have too much of a character here as Jacques. He essentially just is Ronald Colman's prisoner buddy who replaces him as the Warden's wife's assistant. Well one could not ask for a better pair at the time with Colman as the lead and Wolheim as the support as both actors successfully transitioned from Silence to Sound since they not only knew how to present themselves towards the camera they also knew how to speak naturally. Wolheim does some good work here merely by just giving some life to a part that under most of the supporting actors from the period would have been as bland as everyone else, or over accentuated everything while being bland. Well Wolheim has a grand presence even in a role like this adding a nice bit of character to a nothing part as he always brings something to every line or action he has no matter how standard they might be. Wolheim manages to make Jacques an endearing sidekick in just a few moments, not really even scenes, and successfully makes his sacrifice at the end mean something even though the film doesn't really even work for it.
4/5
Top Ten Supporting:
- Louis Wolheim in Condemned
- Walter Huston in The Virginian
- Lupino Lane in The Love Parade
- Klaus Pohl in Woman in the Moon
- Eugene Pallette in The Canary Murder Case
- Fritz Rasp in Woman in the Moon
- James Finlayson in Big Business
- Gustav von Wangenheim in Woman in the Moon
- Eugene Pallette in The Greene Murder Case
- Boris Karloff in Behind That Curtain
Next Year: 1969 Lead
