Although Frank Lloyd got an Academy Award recognition for Weary River he actually won that year for Divine Lady in the Best Director category. The Divine Lady was actually a silent film and Lloyd like everyone else in Hollywood was learning to master sound. Divine Lady was far better.
Weary River tells the story of Richard Barthelmess who is a gangster who gets picked up after a shootout with a rival gang headed by Louis Natheaux. An innocent bystander is wounded and Barthelmess gets a trip up a Weary River.
In prison with the encouragement of warden William Holden, Barthelmess explores his musical talent. He leads the prison orchestra and sings his own song Weary River which becomes a hit. Not too much different from Elvis Presley with Jail House Rock.
But it's that same old story about not making it on the outside and wanting to settle scores with Natheaux even with warden Holden and Barthelmess's former moll Betty Compson telling him to walk away and stick with the music business.
I'm not sure if that was Barthelmess's actual voice used, it wasn't bad but not all that good. He's billed as the Master Of Melody, like Russ Columbo in a few years would be the Romeo of Song. Come to think of it in a few years Columbo would have been better casting than Barthelmess.
Like so many silent stars Barthelmess was having trouble adjusting to sound and Weary River clearly shows it. It's a film that's not worn well over the years.
Weary River tells the story of Richard Barthelmess who is a gangster who gets picked up after a shootout with a rival gang headed by Louis Natheaux. An innocent bystander is wounded and Barthelmess gets a trip up a Weary River.
In prison with the encouragement of warden William Holden, Barthelmess explores his musical talent. He leads the prison orchestra and sings his own song Weary River which becomes a hit. Not too much different from Elvis Presley with Jail House Rock.
But it's that same old story about not making it on the outside and wanting to settle scores with Natheaux even with warden Holden and Barthelmess's former moll Betty Compson telling him to walk away and stick with the music business.
I'm not sure if that was Barthelmess's actual voice used, it wasn't bad but not all that good. He's billed as the Master Of Melody, like Russ Columbo in a few years would be the Romeo of Song. Come to think of it in a few years Columbo would have been better casting than Barthelmess.
Like so many silent stars Barthelmess was having trouble adjusting to sound and Weary River clearly shows it. It's a film that's not worn well over the years.