Saw Transatlantic on June 23 at a special screening at AFI/Silver, in the glorious restored Art Deco Silver Theater. In a joint presentation with the Art Deco Society of Washington an audience of almost 300 people enjoyed a restored copy of a little know early talking film Transatlantic. I was expecting a film like many of the early 30's films, a little slow, flat sets, and a thin story line. I was stunned to watch a fast paced, gripping story line that was definitely Pre Code, with a touch of Noir, and had stunning sets. Its called Grand Hotel on the Ocean, which is a bit unfair. You can see the similarities but this is a piece on its own. The gorgeous Art Deco furnishings, wood work, and grills, the flashing directional signage, exuberant jazz music, and costumes that would be popular today. There is infidelity, corruption, theft, and raspberry pie. The finally is a cat and mouse chase scene through a multi tiered engine room with tracking shots that is as good as any CGI super hero film today. A really amazing and superior film for its time, and you definitely see the talents of James Wong in its design. The AFI presentation included a pre film lecture by Christian Roden on early 20th century ocean liners and how the Liner companies updated their interior designs from the English country house look to the very latest cutting edge designs that are now referred to as Art Deco. The lecture provide helpful context on an industry now known more for Caribbean cruises than necessary and elegant transportation. Pay particular attention to a montage of scenes when the ship is going through high seas - couples on a dance floor and elegantly clad ladies falling down steps provide a look at how the real transatlantic crossing passengers braved high seas in practiced good humor. Many thanks to MoMa for the restoration. They made the overlap transition to subtitle, in sections where dialogue is missing, seamless to the viewer. Many thanks to all the technicians who pulled together the many foreign copies to recreate this film. Many in last nights audience wanted to know if the film would be shown again, and when it will be released for sale. We all want to see it again and again, and hit pause to admire the sets. If you have a chance to see this film, it is worth the time and effort. .

Edmund Lowe (Monty Greer), Lois Moran (Judy Kramer), John Halliday (Henry Graham), Greta Nissen (Sigrid Carline), Jean Hersholt (Rudolph Kramer), Myrna Loy (Kay Graham), Earl Foxe (Handsome), Billy Bevan (Hudgins), Goodee Montgomery (Peters), Jesse De Vorska (buyer), Claude King (captain), Crauford Kent (first officer), Rosalie Roy (bride), Ruth Donnelly (Burbank), Eddie Borden (interloper), James Kirkwood (Sigrid's beau), Jack Lowe (waiter), Henry Sedley (Chalky), Larry Steers (passenger), Louis Matheaux (henchman), Edmund Mortimer (guest), Bob Montgomery (Socker).Director: WILLIAM K. HOWARD. Screenplay: Guy Bolton and Lynn Starling. Original screen story: Guy Bolton. Photography: James Wong Howe. Film editor: Jack Murray. Art director: Gordon Wiles. Stills: Clarence Sinclair Bull. Copyright 10 July 1931 by Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy, 30 July 1931. 6,627 feet. 73½ minutes.SYNOPSIS: A Grand Hotel on an ocean liner.NOTES: Academy Award, Art Direction, Gordon Wiles (defeating A Nous la Liberte and Arrowsmith).COMMENT: Photographer Jimmy Howe was once asked by an eager film student in the late 1960s, to name the director Howe regarded as the most skillful, the most talented, the most inventive and the most accomplished in the entire American film industry. Jimmy had worked for many great directors. The eager student expected him to nominate Martin Ritt, Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, or perhaps John Frankenheimer. To the student'sutter amazement, Howe unhestitatingly answered, "William K. Howard." Would you believe, the student had never even heard of William K. Howard? Sad, but true! Well, here in "Transatlantic", we find Howard at the zenith of his powers. In fact, "Transatlantic" is a superbly beautiful film in every respect. Even Edmund Lowe (under Howard's sympathetic direction) gives a thoroughly convincing performance.Enough said! I don't want to detail all this film's merits. I would rather you seek it out and watch it yourself!

At the rate he's going, he's not going to make it from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Edmund Lowe is the cad of all cads-a bounder, a charlatan, a snake on the ocean. He's on his way to Europe working on the idea for a tunnel from one coast to the other, a ridiculous prospect in itself, and it seems to be his goal to make love to every woman (attached or not) on the ocean liner. Among his intended conquests are Lois Moran, Greta Nielsen and a very young Myrna Loy. Other situations include passengers dealing with a bank crash and a not so surprising murder, followed by a storm at sea. Moran's father, Jean Hersholt, confronts John Halliday over the bank failing while various husbands confront the amoral Lowe.This isn't a great movie, but interesting in its depiction of excess on the high seas just 20 years after the Titanic and only a couple of years before the Moritania. It's early 1930's Art Deco with a mostly unknown cast, with Loy the most famous name in the film, yet not having a lot to do. But while a bit creaky and predictable, there's enough elements of pre-code scandal and sin to keep the audience engaged. Lowe goes to show ya that even a somewhat paunchy middle aged man can get all the girls he wants. The twists and turns come at an alarming rate, so if you remain patient with it, you'll find it an early talkie with many great qualities, not the least of which is its Oscar winning art direction.

Made in the early-morning of talking pictures, this belies any notion you might have of early talkies, with fast editing, a deleriously moving camera, and sharp script. Sets are magnificent, with the luxury liner where the action takes place assuming the atmosphere of some Byzantine palace. Best of all, it's capped off with a tour-de-force cat-and-mouse shoot-out through the vast engine room, which James Wong Howe's photography turns into a visual wonderland-maze of catwalks, huge machines and glossy steam. Script, story and playing are all top-notch.