Outward Bound (1930)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Helen Chandler play lovers who commit suicide and then find themselves on an ocean liner with various other characters. None of them are quite sure where the boat is going but soon they learn that they're all dead and heading to Heaven or Hell. This film was based on a well known play, which was suppose to have been very good but it doesn't translate to the screen very well. The film opens up with over a minute of notes from the studio asking people not to laugh at the story and to take it seriously so you have to wonder if the studio itself was worried about the movie. The film is all dialogue, which naturally could kill the film and it partially does. The dialogue whenever the characters are just sitting around talking about typical things is quite boring and doesn't contain anything interesting. Whenever the people are talking about life and death then it comes to life somewhat but the film eventually goes on way too long. There are a few nice twists at the end but the actual ending is a letdown but I'm not sure if it was changed from the original play. Fairbanks Jr., and Chandler deliver fine performances as does the rest of the cast including Leslie Howard as a drunk. The film was later remade as Between Two Worlds with John Garfield.
