clark gable the painted desert
Films,  The Easiest Way,  The Finger Points,  The Painted Desert

Movies of the Week: The Painted Desert (1931), The Easiest Way (1931) and The Finger Points (1931)

This week, since it’s Clark Gable’s birthday this week, we’re highlighting his first speaking role and two of his early roles: The Painted Desert, The Easiest Way and The Finger Points, all from 1931.

The Painted Desert, Clark’s first speaking role, is not very memorable.

Western partners Jeff (MacDonald) and Cash (Farnum) find a baby boy in an otherwise deserted emigrants camp, and clash over which is to be “father”. They are still bitterly feuding years later when they own adjacent ranches. Bill, the foundling whom Cash has raised to young manhood, wants to end the feud and extends an olive branch toward Jeff, who now has a lovely daughter. But during a mining venture, the bitterness escalates. Clark is the baddie who tries to steal the girl and blow up the mine.

There’s not much to note here. Clark snarls through the role and has hair flopping in his face.

clark gable the painted desert

Clark headed to Arizona to make the film, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. It was blazingly hot, nobody paid much attention to small-potatoes Clark, and an extra was killed during an explosion on set. This was to be the only picture Clark would make for Pathe, as they decided not to give him a contract.

Then we have The Easiest Way, which young Clark made after signing a contract with MGM for $750 a week. He would remain at the studio until 1952.

clark gable the easiest way

In this oh-so-scandalous pre-code, Lolly Murdock (Constance Bennett) is a young woman anxious to escape her impoverished family. She quickly realizes that “the easiest way” to do that is by being “kept” by rich men. She begins an affair with affluent businessman William (Adolphe Menjou), who keeps her in furs and expensive jewels. Although this brings her the riches and lifestyle she has always dreamed of, it alienates her from the man she really loves (Robert Montgomery) and her family–especially her sister, Peg (Anita Page), who married hard-working blue collar Nick (Clark), who bans Lolly from their house for her indecent behavior.

clark gable the easiest way

Clark and Anita represent “the right way” to do things. Clark is hardworking and honorable, working his way up  from delivery man to having his own laundry business by the end of the film, him and Anita living in a nice house with a chubby little toddler.

clark gable the easiest way

This is a typical pre-code film; Constance is a bad, bad girl and must pay for her sins, so she ends up with nothing by the end. It’s not a must-watch if you’re looking for a real Clark Gable fix. He does looks rather hunky here, all young and chiseled and rather brutish. His scenes with Anita Page are very sweet. His voice is a tad higher than usual, something he worked the kinks out of by the end of the year.

clark gable the easiest way

Next up we have The Finger Points. Clark’s character is in a only a few scenes and is a one-dimensional gangster brute.

clark gable richard barthelmess the finger points

Richard Barthelmess is Breckenridge Lee, a naive Southerner who comes to New York to be a newspaperman. It isn’t long before his innocence falls victim to gangsters, under the wing of tough guy Louis Blanco (Gable). He begins taking bribes and covering up stories for them. Breck’s girl, Marcia (a pre-King Kong Fay Wray), urges him to go straight before it is too late.

This one is creaky, creaky, creaky. It’s one of those early talkies where everyone still talks in that halting manner like they are not sure that the microphones will pick up their voices. Conversations take three times longer than they should have. Emotions are displayed on faces then the words are spoken, like it can’t happen simultaneously. Don’t watch this one if you’re sleepy.

Clark appears about ten minutes in, wearing a dopey-looking hat.

clark gable richard barthelmess the finger points

His lines aren’t exactly Shakespeare:

“I’ve never seen a chump yet that doesn’t have his price.”
“You big sap!”
“You know in this town it’s every man for himself. Nobody’s going to hand you anything.”
“Getting smart, eh?”
“Double-crossing is very unhealthy in this town. Do you feel well?”

clark gable richard barthelmess the finger points

Clark’s character is, of course, a nasty brute so he’s the enemy. But I’m not real sure that Depression-era audiences were really rooting for Barthelmess’ character here. He started out so naïve and simple, then quickly becomes arrogant and flashes around all the fancy suits and jewelry he’s getting from his mob money.

The “Number One”–head of the mob that they keep referring to and whom is only shown with his back to the camera and is ominous finger pointing at Barthelmess, is most obviously supposed to represent Al Capone.

The end is so hokey. (Spoilers) In the scene before Barthelmess is killed, his friend calls him “a lucky stiff,” tells him “some guys have all the luck” and of course says the required “well, I’ll be seeing ya!” before leaving him. Of course the last person he sees on the street is a priest who tells him “It wasn’t your fault, my son.”

Why do they shoot at him like forty times, just to kill one guy? Is he a bad shot or what?! They are far better pre-code gangster films.

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