The Black Camel (1931)




Bela Lugosi plays a fortune teller turned assistant to Charlie Chan in his second movie outing.


Plot (0-5 points): As murder mysteries come, this one is pretty average. The solution makes sense and doesn't overly depend on cheap red herrings and last minute revelations, but it isn't a particularly compelling mystery either. Nothing all that exciting or noteworthy about the plot whatsoever. 2

Atmosphere (0-5 points): Strong usage of lighting and shadows to create a palpable atmosphere in nearly every scene of the film. The cinematographers work furiously to make this film visually unforgettable, even while the script itself is thoroughly forgettable. 4

Other Actors (0-3 points): Dwight Frye, C. Henry Gordon, and a flock of other first-rate actors add far more charm to this film than it deserves. Though Bela himself turns in an impressive performance, he seems almost inadequate in contrast to his colleagues in this film. 3

The Lugosi Factor (0-10 points): I love watching him as the somewhat shady, somewhat excitable companion to Charlie Chan throughout this adventure. He shows some impressive range at times but (as I stated above) struggles to hold his own in comparison to a truly first rate cast. 6

Overall: A quality film in all respects but the plot itself. 15

Broadminded (1931)



While absolute timelines are tricky, numerous sources confirm production on this film began well after Dracula had been completed. It's therefore surprising to see Bela accepting such a minor and poorly written role in such a minor and poorly written film right after playing the lead in a major motion picture. Maybe Bela didn't think Dracula was going to end up being that big a deal, or maybe he was just getting work wherever he could find it. Whatever the case, this is the first post-Dracula film that is clearly and certainly beneath Bela, as he plays the obligatory stick-in-the-mud antagonist to a clownish comedy duo that isn't actually all that funny.


Plot (0-5 points): The concept is simple but wonderful -- an overly serious young man is ordered by his strict father to take a trip to learn from his friend, who the father believes is upstanding and perfect, but is actually the wild-card clown of the comedy duo. They should have tried this setup with Farley and Spade. Unfortunately, the jokes and scenarios that follow really aren't funny at all. 1

Atmosphere (0-5 points): I don't get the sense they were even trying for one. 0

Other Actors (0-3 points): Joe E. Brown annoys the hell out of me, and no one else seems to be doing any memorable acting (humorous or otherwise) in this film either. At least no one stumbles over their lines. 1

The Lugosi Factor (0-10 points): It's such a treat to have now seen Bela in THREE comedic roles when I didn't know he'd even done one as recently as two weeks ago! He does his best to make the role fun and delightful when possible, but he's much more constrained by this simplistic role than the last two comedic roles he tackled. The script just doesn't give him all that much to work with beyond running around and shaking his fists. 4


Overall: I was always relatively sure I'd never rate another Bela film as low as Daughter of the Night, but this one sure came close.6

I've been meaning to ask you where you and your friends go to see all of these obscure old films. I'm very jealous. We do have three theaters in the Cleveland area that occasionally play old films, but usually either arthouse films or the classics that everyone knows and loves. In a million years, no theater around here is going to show Broadminded!

That's incredibly cool. I envy you those experiences!

Splendid Film and its makes my top 3 too.

If you don't already own Universal's The Bela Lugosi Collection, you're missing out on some fantastic second tier Universal releases, including Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, and The Raven. ALL fantastic films!

Excellent ... you will be entertained.