Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (May 7, 2024)
Nearly 100 years ago, Hollywood legends Joan Crawford and William A. Wellman united for the first time. As it happens, 1926’s silent comedy The Boob became their only pairing.
Nerdy Peter Good (George K. Arthur) loves his longtime friend Amy (Getrude Olmstead). However, she becomes smitten by suave and urbane Harry Benson (Tony D'Algy).
When he comes to believe Harry bootlegs booze in that Prohibition era, Peter attempts to catch him in the act and prove his manly worth to Amy. This leads to a variety of encounters and challenges for Peter.
Potentially comedic encounters and challenges, of course. The question becomes whether or not Boob generates any actual amusement from its various scenarios.
My answer? Not really, as Boob fails to fin a lot of real creativity or entertainment value.
Not that it becomes a boring effort, however. At a mere 60 minutes, Boob goes by pretty quickly, and it musters enough shenanigans to keep the viewer mildly engaged.
However, it never rises above that level, and Boob tends to feel like a melange of silent comedy influences. You’ll find Chaplin, Keaton and others evident here, all of which mean Boob never makes its own name.
It doesn’t help that even with a simple plot, Boob tends to feel muddled and confused. Really, the “story” exists more as an excuse to cobble together scenes that convey drama, action, romance or comedy, dependent on the filmmakers’ moods.
Again, this never becomes a bad experience, but Boob simply lacks the spark that the better silent flicks enjoyed. It feels like a perfunctory effort without much to impress the viewer.
Arthur does prove likable as our lead. While clearly not as talented as the silent comic stars of the era, at least he offers an engaging presence.
As for Crawford, she doesn’t appear until almost halfway into Boob and doesn’t get a lot to do. As such, don’t expect her to stand out as memorable.
That goes for Boob as a whole. Perfectly watchable and no more than that, this turns into a minor diversion.