Truly Dreadful Film

Load of rubbish!!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Another movie with a poorly conceived, second-string plot, The Love Trap (1929), stars a none too flatteringly photographed Laura La Plante and a quite presentable Neil Hamilton. Admittedly, director William Wyler handles the early scenes with a bit of style, but when the scriptwriters throw in the towel and the good-guy hero suddenly acts like a cluck, and the producer starts pulling in the purse strings, director Wyler's lavish staging and agreeable handling take a run-out powder too. The movie is available in its full 71-minutes silent version in a good print from Grapevine Video, along with a somewhat crudely animated but occasionally imaginative Fleischer cartoon, Ko-Ko's Reward (1929) in which the on-screen Max has a go at blending live action with animation.Be prepared! "The Love Trap" itself is still a must-see movie, even though it is fatally flawed.

Pleasant concoction is a story as old as the hills of a family of snobs thinking the true blue girl their son marries on a whim is a no good gold-digger until proved wrong. A bit of an odd viewing experience since half way through the film it switches from silent to sound but Wyler's sure handed direction keeps it from being too jarring. It is interesting how in the silent portion the tone is set by shadows and the mood of a scene but after the dialog becomes the agent of explanation. It must have been a disconcerting balancing act for the actors involved but they handle it pretty well. Laura La Plante is enjoyable in the lead, a big star in silents who did make a successful transition to sound but moved to England shortly after this made a few films there and retired.

I just viewed this early William Wyler directed comedy-drama and discovered that leading lady Laura La Plante (Evelyn) co-starred in 2 silent/talkies in 1929. The other was the first sound version of SHOWBOAT as Magnolia. I'd really like to know why the first 43 minutes or so is silent (with a continuous, distracting musical soundtrack) and the last 25 minutes has dialogue.As a result, the performances, for the most part fluid in the silent portions, become rushed and choppy. The storyline follows La Plante as an unemployed chorus girl in New York, who suffers thru a series of misfortunes until fate puts her in the arms of Neil Hamilton (Peter) , who's a rich guy. The tale switches to light comedy, as the two fall in love and marry...then it's back to melodrama as Hamilton's stuffy mom and uncle (Norman Trevor) feel the young man has married beneath his station. The title could be both from his family's assumption the poor girl 'trapped' Peter (Hamilton) into marriage or how she sets a trap for his uncle to free her of a secret they share.At no time a masterpiece...Hamilton's performance is generally fine; La Plante is too cutesy and Wyler's direction shows a brief flash of brilliance to come...note: how we learn the butler and Peter's younger sister Mary (a too brief appearance by a beautiful Rita La Roy) are indeed an item. But, at 69 minutes...it's not a waste for the curious.

Most of the movie is silent, with titles; just music on the sound track; and an acting style typical of later silents. At the climax, the actors start talking, though the sound track is mostly silent otherwise.The story is pleasant, but has been retold several times, so it will seem familiar if you've seen many 1930's pictures. Acting, sets and costumes are OK.