REVIEWED BY WALTER ALBERT:         


IT CAN'T LAST FOREVER.

IT CAN’T LAST FOREVER.

Columbia, 1937; Hamilton McFadden, director; Ralph Bellamy, Betty Furness, Robert Armstrong, Raymond Walburn, Thurston Hall.

Specialty acts include The Dandridge Sisters, with a 13-year-old Dorothy performing as the middle sister, and a brief, unbilled appearance by Donald O’Conner in a tap sequence, his first role in the movies. Shown at Cinecon 41, September 2005.

   This film’s strong suit is the polished performances by the cast. Raymond Walburn takes top honors as a bogus mind reader who’s promoted by struggling theatrical agents Bellamy and Armstrong who conceive the ill-fated idea of staging a robbery to showcase their client’s talent.

It Can't Last Forever.

   Unfortunately, Walburn’s role is too quickly reduced and Bellamy replaces him as the mind reader on a spectacularly successful radio show. The film moves quickly at 67 minutes and is one of those pleasant musical oddities that Cinecon and Cinevent are particularly adept at recovering.

    [EDITORIAL COMMENT.]   The crime content of this film, I suspect, is minimal, but from Walter’s description, I’m going to say that it’s there. If I’m wrong, the error is mine, not Walter’s!       — Steve