Mary Astor (Bobby Blake), Lyle Talbot (Fred Dennis), Nat Pendleton (Rocky), Joyce Compton (Mae), Thurston Hall (Curtis), Henry Mollison (Thornton), Wyrley Birch (Paul Thornton), Robert Strange (Standish), Russell Hicks, Howard C. Hickman, George Webb, Lloyd Whitlock, Bruce Sidney, Harry Stafford, Boyd Irwin (directors), Mary Blake (Miss Walsh), Wade Boteler (collection agency manager), Marc Lawrence (Griffin), Lillian Leighton (Mrs Leary), Eddie Fetherston (Jostler), Robert Gordon (messenger boy), Neil Moore (Mason), Max Wagner (Al), Ralph McCullough (truck salesman), Lillian Stuart. Director: DEL LORD. Screenplay: Harold Buchman, Lee Loeb. Story: Al Martin, Sherman L. Lowe. Photography: Allen G. Siegler. Film editor: James Sweeney. Special camera effects: E. Roy Davidson. Associate producer: Ben Pivar. Copyright 8 June 1936 by Columbia Pictures of California. New York opening at the Globe: 13 June 1936. Australian release: 23 September 1936. 64 minutes U.K. release title: CAUGHT BY TELEVISION.SYNOPSIS: An inventor (Lyle Talbot) is hard put to sell his cheapo television system until he falls in with a couple of enthusiastic amateurs (Nat Pendleton and Mary Astor). But his success is almost stymied by the machinations of a corrupt corporation executive, who is allied with a vicious killer (Marc Lawrence).COMMENT: Although it veers a bit uncertainly from slapstick comedy to stop-at-nothing thrills, this "B" still holds the interest despite its dated (even quaint) subject matter. The pace is fast, production values are surprisingly high and director Del Lord pulls no punches. The players respond enthusiastically, although our star, Mary Astor, battles against none too flattering photography and, for some reason, is outclassed in the beauty stakes by Joyce Compton who is also more alluringly made up and costumed. In some shots, Mary looks positively dowdy. However, for Joyce Compton (and Nat Pendleton) fans, "Trapped by Television" is a must.

I tuned in because of the intriguing title. I didn't even know the TV idea was around in the 1930's, so the plot came as a revelation. The movie itself, except for the TV premise, is fairly standard gangster boilerplate. A pseudo-respectable businessman uses his gangster underlings to sabotage inventor Dennis's new-fangled TV camera. Instead, he wants a collaborator's technology to get the expected market. Columbia produced, so production values are respectable, especially the elaborate TV camera. All in all, the narrative is lively if not exactly gripping. But then the acting is better than the boilerplate, especially Astor in her pre-Maltese Falcon (1941) days. Also, scrawny Marc Lawrence is convincing as heck as the lead gangster, and might have stolen the film with more screen time. Talbot may not seem the inventor type, but he does show why he became a professional nice guy on TV's Ozzie & Harriet, and Bob Cummings Show, while muscle-man Pendleton ingratiates as comedic relief. From what I see here, I'm guessing that except for a disruptive WWII, TV would have gotten an earlier start as a mass medium. Apparently the technology was pretty much in place. Be that as it may, the movie's definitely a worthwhile curiosity and okay as entertainment.

Nice guy inventor Fred Dennis (a solid and likable performance by Lyle Talbot) needs backing for his new television invention. He gets involved with shrewd and assertive crooked businesswoman Barbara 'Bobby' Blake (delightfully played with winning sass and spark by Mary Astor) while a bunch of gangsters plot to steal his invention. Director Del Lord, working from a compact script by Leo Loeb and Harold Buchman, relates the entertaining story at a snappy pace, offers a pleasing blend of comedy and drama, and delivers some rousing action at the very end. Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Nat Pendleton as amiable lug Rocky O'Neil, Joyce Compton as Barbara's spunky gal pal Mae Collins, Thurston Hall as grumpy CEO John Curtis, and Marc Lawrence as ruthless mobster Frank Griffin. Allen G. Siegler's cinematography makes nice use of wipes. Plus it's a kick to see a motion picture made at a time when television was an exciting technological marvel. A fun little romp.

This film tries to blend comedy with drama, and the result is an uneasy tossed salad rather than a smooth pudding. Lyle Talbot is so stalwart and large it is difficult to feature him as a TV inventor -- but he more than makes up for this in the fight scene, where, with his usual technique, he just beats the dickens out of the other actors for five or ten minutes. Nat Pendelton is wonderful as the dim-witted bill collector turned science hobbyist. Mary Astor, playing closer to her "Thin Man" arch smile than to her "Maltese Falcon" dramatic style, is a scheming but lovable promoter of potato peelers who decides to back this newfangled thing called television. All in all, this makes a better comedy than a drama, but the direction pulls it both ways, and thus it fails to satisfy either audience altogether. Kudos to the prop department for building the most amazingly art deco television camera and receiver in the history of film -- complete with a flat screen monitor! Great stuff, that! Anyway, it's a fun film, won't put you to sleep, and might give you a few laughs until Lyle Talbot swings into action and starts the fight scene that you knew was headed your way the minute you saw his name in the credits and his broad shoulders in that unconvincing scientist's get-up.