The Dark Horse

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.

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.

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

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!

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.