SPOILER ALERT!!!!! To really discuss the movie adequately, it's practically impossible not to mention that the film is about the afterlife. A small number of people find themselves on a cruise ship and they have no idea where they are headed or why. After a while, it becomes obvious to one passenger that they are all dead but most won't believe him. In the end, they arrive and are judged and sent on to their respective destinations (though conceptually, it's nothing like traditional notions of the afterlife).
I am a huge opponent of movie remakes. In the 1930s and 40s, films were often remade--sometimes only a few years after the original film debuted. In practically every case, the remake was really unnecessary and did nothing to improve the original idea, so I am a huge fan of originals. However, to most rules, there are exceptions and OUTWARD BOUND is such a film. This original treatment of the play was a bit stagy but its main problem was the last third of the movie. All the characters who were to be judged weren't nearly as likable or unlikable as they were in the remake (BETWEEN TWO WORLDS) and their final judgment seemed rather anticlimactic and dull. After all that buildup, the conclusion seemed to fall very flat for many. In particular, the selfish society woman was a big disappointment--and her husband wasn't present for this big "comeuppance". While not as big a letdown, the nasty business man was also a letdown. About the only characters who weren't that different were Leslie Howard's (along with the lady who chose to go with him) and the couple who attempted suicide.
While an interesting idea, the film falters not just because of the lousy payoffs for several characters, but also because the film was so stark and cheesy (though some of this can be attributed to the fact that this was such an early Talkie). In particular, there is no incidental music (not completely unheard of in some 1930 films) and it all seems so flat and staged. Also, the ship models might just be the worst I have ever seen on film since the very early days of cinema--with obvious paintings and toy-like ships that wouldn't fool anyone.
So overall, not a particularly good film. A bit dull, a bit stagy, a bit cheap and a bit of a letdown. While I am not a huge fan of the later film, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, it was a good film and was light-years better than this turgid film.
I am a huge opponent of movie remakes. In the 1930s and 40s, films were often remade--sometimes only a few years after the original film debuted. In practically every case, the remake was really unnecessary and did nothing to improve the original idea, so I am a huge fan of originals. However, to most rules, there are exceptions and OUTWARD BOUND is such a film. This original treatment of the play was a bit stagy but its main problem was the last third of the movie. All the characters who were to be judged weren't nearly as likable or unlikable as they were in the remake (BETWEEN TWO WORLDS) and their final judgment seemed rather anticlimactic and dull. After all that buildup, the conclusion seemed to fall very flat for many. In particular, the selfish society woman was a big disappointment--and her husband wasn't present for this big "comeuppance". While not as big a letdown, the nasty business man was also a letdown. About the only characters who weren't that different were Leslie Howard's (along with the lady who chose to go with him) and the couple who attempted suicide.
While an interesting idea, the film falters not just because of the lousy payoffs for several characters, but also because the film was so stark and cheesy (though some of this can be attributed to the fact that this was such an early Talkie). In particular, there is no incidental music (not completely unheard of in some 1930 films) and it all seems so flat and staged. Also, the ship models might just be the worst I have ever seen on film since the very early days of cinema--with obvious paintings and toy-like ships that wouldn't fool anyone.
So overall, not a particularly good film. A bit dull, a bit stagy, a bit cheap and a bit of a letdown. While I am not a huge fan of the later film, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, it was a good film and was light-years better than this turgid film.