User reviews

One of the reasons that I decided to watch this film today when it was broadcast was the splendid cast. The Dark Horse anticipates what Preston Sturges did with The Great McGinty and it's quite a commentary on what occasionally gets elected now and then due to astute political management and the gullibility of the voting public.

Looking down the cast list nearly everyone in it is cast in roles I've come to expect to see them play. The title role in The Dark Horse is played by Guy Kibbee as he's nominated by one of the parties because they're deadlocked at the convention between better candidates. Kibbee is absolutely priceless as the dumber than a post county coroner the party has as its candidate. Well they've got him and the only way to put him over is get the best campaign manager around even if he's in the slam.

Which is where Warren William is even if its for owing back alimony to ex-wife Vivienne Osborne. William takes his Dave the Dude character from Lady For A Day and proceeds to make Kibbee the favorite in the race for governor. Kibbee's very dumbness is programmed to work in his favor, his slogan could have been elect Kibbee, he's too stupid to steal.

The opposition candidate is Berton Churchill playing another one of his patented pompous windbags. The prospect of seeing Kibbee in a race against Churchill is what really attracted me to this film and I was not disappointed. Churchill and his party may be down, but not out and they've got some tricks up their sleeve. And those tricks involve Kibbee and Osborne.

The only one who is wasted really is Bette Davis. She plays Warren William's loyal and efficient secretary who loves him. She does her best with a traditional good girl role, but there isn't much for her to work with. Vivienne Osborne gives the ex-wife part the kind of bite we normally find in Bette Davis films later on.

The Dark Horse is a really crackerjack political film that deserves to be better known.

The main reason to see this film is Warren William, who is in top form as the shyster campaign manager. He is electric, constantly finding ways to fool the public and defeat the opposing party in the midst of the biggest disasters. William is a great actor -- I feel he never got his due. Bette Davis as his girlfriend also shines in an under-written role. Personally, I found Guy Kibbee not quite right as the lame-brained candidate that William and the others are trying to foist on the public. He seemed more like an empty canvas than a person. I would have preferred to see a real character emerge rather than a non-character. The story itself is implausible, silly and clichéd. But Warren William and Bette Davis are well worth watching.

I had lots of chuckles for the first half of this spoof of the American political scene in the 1930's, when a deadlocked Progressive Party convention finally nominates delegate Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee) for governor because one of the party leaders liked his name, and then spread the word he'd be a good compromise candidate. What they didn't bargain for was that Kibbee was as dumb as could be. Party secretary, Bette Davis (young and beautiful in this early role), suggests getting the dynamo campaign manager, Warren William, to handle the campaign. The funniest scene occurs at the debate, when Kibbee's opponent (Berton Churchill) starts to give the same speech (written by Abraham Lincoln) that William had Kibbee memorize. William jumps up and accuses Churchill of plagiarism.

Kibbee is perfect as the dumb candidate, with his wide cherubic grin and innocent, halting way of speaking. William is also excellent as the fast talking, fast thinking manager, a part he played many times in previous and later films. Unfortunately, when William's ex-wife, Vivienne Osborne, shows up demanding past alimony payments and causing Davis to become jealous, the focus of the film changes a bit, much to its detriment. Still, the opposition Conservative Party has some tricks up their sleeve trying to win the election, which keeps the film interesting.

The Dark Horse (1932)

*** (out of 4)

The dimwitted Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee) gets nominated for governor through a complete mistake but since he's such a long horse his secretary (Bette Davis) suggests that they hire political spinner Hal Blake (Warren William) to try and help them win the election. THE DARK HORSE is a Warner comedy at its very best as we get a fun story, some pre-code moments and of course there's the terrific cast that really seals the deal. The majority of the credit has to go to the terrific cast, all of which deliver perfect performances. William has no trouble playing the fast-talking spinner who constantly has to be on his toes try to cover and make people like this idiot. Kibbee can play dumb like no other and he does it in a charming way. I think most actors would have been annoying playing a character as dumb as this one but Kibbee manages to make the character very charming and fun. Davis is basically reduced to a supporting role but it's fun getting to see her at this early point in her career and she has a nice chemistry with William. Vivienne Osborne is perfect as Blake's ex-wife who is a complete snake that you love to hate. Frank McHugh plays his typical comic relief role and does a nice job with it. I think the film works best when it's making fun of politics. The last portion of the film finds the ex-wife working for the other party to set up Kibbee and I think some of this was a bit too far fetched to be entertaining. Still, the terrific cast and amount of laughs make this a must see for fans of this era.

Guy Kibbee is Zachary Hicks, "The Dark Horse" for a governor's race in this 1932 film starring Warren William, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh and Vivian Osbourne. In order to break the convention deadlock, the Progressive party nominates a sure loser, Zachary Hicks, for governor. Secretary Davis, a plant in the political bosses' offices, urges them to hire her boyfriend, Hal Samson Blake (William) as Hicks' campaign manager. At the moment, he's in jail for back alimony, but the bosses are stirred by a speech Hal gives the prisoners. A subplot, which enters the main plot eventually, is in fact this very alimony, which Hal's ex (Osbourne) is determined to collect from him. Her anger with him causes her to interfere with the governor's race.

This is a very amusing movie and of course, we've seen bumbling politicians throughout film history - "Thanks a Million," "The Great Man Votes," "The Senator was Indiscreet" (my favorite) etc. ad infinitum. The reason they're always funny is that nothing has changed, so these films always strike a chord. This movie has special interest because of the presence of a very young, very pretty Bette Davis and also because it's pre-Code. There's a lot of rather obvious suggestiveness in it that I suppose would have caused objection.

I have to confess an undying love for Warren William, who is, as always, relaxed, funny and marvelous as a wheeler dealer who can get anybody elected to anything. He was sort of a poor man's Barrymore in these roles. I would have loved to have seen Barrymore do this part as well. Davis in an early ingénue role is good, but it's before anyone knew what to do with her. A million actresses could have played her part, but how many actresses could have done what she did in Of Human Bondage? Guy Kibbee is a perfect idiot nominee with bad feet and an eye for the ladies, and Frank McHugh is on hand to give his usual excellent support.

Lighthearted fun and recommended as a reminder that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

The progressive party convention has been deadlocked for four days. Then a delegate has an idea: Why don't we nominate a dark horse to split our rival's votes and then squeeze our candidate in? Thus is born the gubernatorial candidacy of Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee), a sleepy and footsore conventioneer who soon inspires one of his own supporters to argue in his support, "Now there's no use to quarrel, gentlemen….It isn't the first time a fool was nominated to a political office."

The cast is excellent in this political satire that makes no pretense at being a tale of redemption or morality. Bette Davis is sharp as a party secretary and operative who is, as much as anyone, the brains behind the party's workings. Warren William is the political king-maker for hire who promotes Kibbee ruthlessly and brilliantly—and yet can't seem to quite escape from his own ex-wife, played saucily by Vivienne Osborne. Frank McHugh is William's loyal assistant, steady as always. Kibbee is possibly a little dumber than necessary, but very entertaining.

The weak spot in the story is the romantic subplot between the two leads—Warren William is impressive but he's all talk; Bette Davis appreciates his talent for glibness but has to keep walking out on him, for good reasons. Will he eventually convince her of his sincerity? Well, not really. Will he instead wear down her resistance? Well…. When this kind of plot is done best, we in the audience are won over by the wooer along with the object of his affections. In this case, I'm afraid I was rooting for Bette to run fast. –In other words, the romantic subplot isn't quite convincing, and is thus somewhat distracting. But oh well—both Bette and Warren talk fast and shoot penetrating glances all over the place.

Among a full cast of schemers and liars, Vivienne Osborne as William's wicked ex-wife perhaps comes off best: she at least is honest about what she wants, and almost becomes a likable character at one point. Frank McHugh, too, is very good in a role where he's constantly squeezed in uncomfortably among other people's problems and survives by his wits and dexterity.

All of the politicians in the film are atrocious hacks--schemers and backstabbers without exception. Politics has certainly come a long way over the decades!

I've read that the Warner's release, High Pressure, with William Powell, as the fast-talking pitchman Gar Evans, was a hit when it was released in January, 1932. Daryl Zanuck (writing as Mark Canfield) wrote a sequel. When Warner's couldn't get the writer of the original novel to agree to a price that they wanted to pay they transformed conman Gar Evans into the rapid-fire king-maker "Hal Blake." Instead of goods he was selling candidates. They bumped Powell (fearing a lawsuit if they used the same actor for similar characters) in favor of Warren William and the movie became The Dark Horse.

What a crackerjack little film! It had a large cast of assembly-line actors and crew who knew how to crank out a film hot enough to ignite the nitrate stock it was printed on. This film went through pre- production, production and post-production in time for its release in June, 1932. That's just five months after the film that inspired it! Its rushed release didn't show in its spot-on rapid fire dialog or delivery.

Other reviewers have whined about a later subplot involving Hal Blake's ex. By that time I was so completely won over the charms of this pre- code gem that I completely accepted, and enjoyed, the late curveball.

How could you not love a movie with a song like:

Upstate, downstate Cities and the sticks, The voters yell for change Even babies cry for Hicks! Boys and girls together Toms and Harrys and Dicks, Climb the big bandwagon, While they cast their vote for Hicks!

The idea for 'The Dark Horse' really intrigued and have always appreciated comedy, with the aim to appreciate all types of it. Alfred E. Green did do some good films in his career (a lot more to see though), a recently seen example being 1932's 'Baby Face'. The cast sounded promising too, the biggest name being an early career Bette Davis, and films made before the code with pre-code content leave one amazed when done well at how much is gotten away with.

After seeing it, 'The Dark Horse' is enjoyable and a lot works here (more good things than flaws), the cast far from wasted. It is also though not great, is a little uneven and doesn't follow its great idea all the way through. One of those films that starts off extremely well and for most of the length but primarily brought down by one subplot, a couple have already disagreed but do have to agree with the few that weren't crazy about it and felt it unneeded.

Will start with the many good things about 'The Dark Horse'. It is stylishly shot and opened up enough to avoid it from being too claustrophobic or stage-bound. Green directs with energy and also sensitivity. 'The Dark Horse' is massively advantaged by its intelligent and snappy script, which has dialogue that is quite bold for back then without feeling forced. The politics intrigue and don't come over heavy-handedly.

Story is for most of the length compelling with some tension with the campaign. The cast do a great job. Warren William really enjoys himself and Guy Kibbee does good-natured very likeably. Davis plays a fairly cliched role with snap and charm. Frank McHugh shines too.

Do agree, as aforementioned, however that the marital woes subplot is not near as interesting. Outside of the darkly witty poker game exchange and Vivienne Osbourne's suitably nasty performance, it lacks depth and doesn't gel with everything else, felt actually that the film had suddenly turned into a completely different one at that point.

Further thought that the ending felt shoehorned in.

Overall, very enjoyable on the whole but loses its way later on. 7/10

Guy Kibbee gives the viewer a lot of laughs. Like most candidates, he knows almost nothing. Warren William, a very, under rated actor, is superb in giving instructions to Kibbee; that is, he teaches him to say something which means nothing to the voting public. A campaign based on no comment, "I'll take it under advisement," and "Maybe yes, but then again, maybe no," is the nearly perfect way to win an election. Succinctly, the dumber the candidate, the greater the chance he or she will win. After all, the public can identify with such a person. With respect to the movie, it makes for a lot of comedy.

This is a frustrating film, as parts were quite enjoyable but there were just too many lulls where the writing went south. It's a shame, as it could have been a lot better. As is, it's a watchable time-passer with a disappointing ending.

The film begins with a political convention. It's been deadlocked for many hours and the two prime candidates for governor can't get a majority. Finally, in desperation, they nominate a complete unknown (Guy Kibbee)--a guy who is not only a political novice but a complete boob. So, to help push the idiot on to the governor's office, they hire a brilliant but disreputable guy (Warren William) to closely manage the campaign and keep Kibbee out of trouble.

Along for the ride is Bette Davis in one of her early and more thankless roles. She really has little to do other than to be William's girlfriend--the sort of bland roles she got quite a bit though the mid-1930s. Instead, the show is much more William with his suave and oily charm and Kibbee playing his usual boob-like character. It's enjoyable but occasionally the film shows that perhaps the script needed a bit more polishing. And, sadly, the part in most need of punching up was the ending--which came off flat and unsatisfying. Not bad--not great.

Warner Brothers, when run by Darryl Zanuck adopted a production line approach to movie making. The purpose of the studio was to simply provide something to play in their 350 theatres. Many of those features therefore looked very similar - they used the same teams, the same actors and the writers, they made 55 films in 1932 and Guy Kibbee was in 17 of them.

Such an approach resulted in a few classics, a few duds but mainly a lot of mediocre movies. THE DARK HORSE is one of those mediocre offerings but despite of this it's still just about entertaining. There's a warm, cosy familiarity of these old WB films; when you've seen a few, you feel you know these actors and want to see what 'your friends' have been up to. THE DARK HORSE is hardly memorable, nobody would ever call this a good film but WB films from this era are strangely addictive and this, being a typical Warner Brothers will certainly give you your 'fix.'

Warren William as usual, plays Warren William and as always, he is excellent doing what he does. Bette Davis isn't especially convincing in this, you get the impression that Warners just put her in this unimportant little feature to give her some experience. Watching her in this, one can understand why she hated her early works, maybe it wasn't the films which were bad, maybe she just wasn't that good yet.

Guy Kibbee is usually a lovely addition to any motion picture but in this, his character is too stupid to take seriously. Zanuck's theme of his satire is to show how spin, corruption and shady deals can result in a complete idiot being elected to high office but it's hard to believe that anyone this unbelievably ridiculous could become a senior politician. The comedy is very childish and doesn't fit into what could have been a sophisticated political satire.

Despite obvious limitations, this 1932 programmer is as perceptive and provocative as many of the more modern-day political films. What this minor movie underlines so importantly is the ease and appeal of electing an intellectual simpleton (Guy Kibbee) to high office (governor) for partisan purposes. Just wrap him in the appropriate populist symbolism, and he's a shoo-in. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't show how much money can be made from having an unquestioning dolt in office.

What it does show is the ease with which clever manipulators can say the right words and pander to an uncritical electorate. Consider the irony of both party candidates (Progressive Kibbee and Conservative Churchill) speaking from the same plagiarized page of Lincoln's soaring campaign rhetoric. What then separates the two if the speeches themselves are indistinguishable. What this comically made point suggests is that it's rhetoric rather than policy that's uppermost in winning the electorate. Comic or not, the point is still worth pondering.

Here the master manipulator is Warren William in a bravura performance-- too bad this dynamic actor is almost totally forgotten. Unfortunately, Guy Kibbee goes over the top as the good-natured simpleton, while Bette Davis shows both fire and flair in a very early role as William's office girl-friend. And in an unheralded albeit sleeper role is Vivenne Osborne as William's shrewish ex-wife, who's every guy's nightmare and enough to undo the whole institution of marriage.

Reviewer Hausner is correct that the focus shifts half-way through from Kibbee as governor to William's marital woes. It's almost as if the writers didn't know where to go with Kibbee's character once he's in office. Too bad-- there's real potential for incisive comment there. Anyway, we know the film precedes the deadening Production Code of 1934 since violation of the Mann Act turns up as a prominent plot device, ie. transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes, intended to stop what was then known as "white slavery" or forced prostitution. I don't recall mention of this risqué law any time during the 30-year Code era.

All in all, the movie is fitfully funny and interesting, but unfortunately fails to follow through on a fascinating premise.

In most of the movies I've seen with Guy Kibbee, his presence is usually too short, as the occasional blustery background financier and producer in Gold Diggers of (insert year here). In a few, his presence is too long, as the lead in a movie where he is an ill tempered crank who shouts at everyone for a couple of hours. In this movie, the balance is perfect.

Kibbee plays the role that he has polished to perfection: The bumbling and somewhat stupid character, in this case the candidate that is running for office. His campaign staff has to prop him up in order to run successfully. The comedy is rich, and the background cast -- especially a young Bette Davis -- is up to the challenge. The ending is somewhat forced but satisfying.

It's a little weird that the fat and elderly Kibbee spends so much time in his underwear toward the end, and that the camera focuses in for close-ups on the rips in the rear of his long johns, but...to each his own.

Definitely worth your time, if you're in the mood for a turn-off-your-brain and feel good old-time Depression-era escapist movie.

Dimwitted Zachary Hicks is nominated as the Progressive Party's candidate for governor, and it's up to a sly campaign manager to help him win.

The Dark Horse is a sprightly comedy/romance/political drama. Warren William is good, and Bette Davis acquits herself well in a pretty thankless role.

However, the whole film belongs to Guy Kibbee. It's fun to see him have a larger part than usual. Vivienne Osborne was quite good as William's vengeful ex-wife. The ubiquitous Frank McHugh also appears.

Perhaps the oddest moment in the film is when Kibbee and Osborne play a game of strip poker!

Warren William and Bette Davis star in this film about electing a dark horse in office. The term, "a dark horse" in political jargon refers to someone running for office who's not unlikely to win or not likely to get the peoples' or favorite vote, not one to bet on, in terms of horse racing. When the party is not happy with their candidate because he's lost the confidence of the people, they come up with the name of an average Joe, who may be able to do what their man can't - keep their party in office, the main goal at election time. Guy Kibbee is "The Dark Horse," who appears with his usual ease and affability, here even more simple-minded than usual. When it's decided they need a publicity man to sell him, Bette Davis says she knows just the man, but he's in jail. They get Warren William out of jail and put him to work. William is ideally suited for the role, with his forceful voice and imposing demeanor. Warren is center stage with his complications of his love life with Bette and his ex and him trying to sell Guy Kibbee to the people. People may see this, because it's a Bette Davis film, but it belongs to Warren William. Warren William has, for the most part, been forgotten, except by those who frequently watch TCM. He was the first actor to play Perry Mason in film, and was known for his deep voice and the firm conviction he gave to his characters - usually lawyers and people of influence, but not always on the side of the law or good. For an introduction to Warren William and for good entertainment, watch "The Dark Horse." Its antics may come across as silly and simple, but its heart is there, and Bette and Warren make for an exciting couple to sit back and enjoy.

... in other words, they nailed it!

This is a Warner Bros production which deserves to be much better known. A political satire, rather than having a Democrat and Republican party, this film has a Progressive and Conservative party subbing for them, respectively. The scene opens on the 'Progressive Party' being deadlocked in its election of a candidate for governor. To break the deadlock, one of the officials proposes nominating an unknown - a 'dark horse' - in order to bust the vote open. Enter Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee) of whom it is said "...every time he opens his mouth he reduces the sum total of human knowledge!"

Helping this prize chump is secretary Bette Davis, the girlfriend of ace campaign manager Hal Blake (Warren William), who offers up Blake's services in putting Hicks over with the voters. Blake has no scruples in promoting Hicks by fair means or foul. Since Hicks could never come up with an original thought of his own, Blake has him memorize one of Abraham Lincoln's speeches for a debate appearance. This almost ends in disaster when Conservative candidate Berton Churchill gets to make his opening remarks first and begins to recite the same speech Blake gave Hicks to memorize. But, of course, Blake gets his candidate out of this scrape and makes the Conservative candidate look ridiculous in the process.

Another monkey-wrench is thrown in when Vivienne Osborne shows up as Blake's scheming money-hungry ex-wife, demanding her alimony and threatening Blake with jail. She also comes in handy when the Conservative party uses her to try and throw Hicks into a love nest scandal that would end his chances at election, for considerable financial renumeration, of course.

This came out about six months before the presidential election of 1932 when the American public was feeling especially uncharitable towards politicians and this film tapped into that sentiment. With a crackling script by Daryl F. Zanuck under a pseudonym, this is a very funny and fast moving little movie.

So much going on here...where to start. First, it was filmed in a contentious election year-FDR vs Hoover,Second, it featured Warren William as a slimy campaign manager willing to tell Any Lie to get his man in office. It become readily apparent the man,'Hal Blake', has Zero scruples and morals, and the election is about himself scoring big. Any convenient lie, any convenient misdirection...but these days we are so used to that it hardly registers with us in 2020..Bette is a bit awkward in her pre-Jezebel identity, but it offers glimpses of the beguiling woman she would soon become. And Guy Kibbee is wonderful. "Yes, but then again....No". Huh?