Antonius Block
Beautiful and touching, 'One Way Passage' is filled with dreamy eyes and an intensity of feeling. William Powell plays a man who bumps into Kay Francis in a bar in Hong Kong, and they're instantly drawn to one another. They find each other again on an ocean liner bound for San Francisco, each not knowing a terrible secret about the other, and their love burns all the brighter knowing that it may not last. Powell and Francis are both brilliant and utterly charming, and director Tay Garnett does an excellent job of telling the story and filling his scenes with nice little touches. He also gives us some modern camera work, and while the film has some fantastic slang from years gone by, it also feels ahead of its time, and timeless. Brilliant ending too.
GeoPierpont
OK, I was cruising along with this cast of characters nicely and figured, oh well we all gotta go sometime, no biggie. Then, the last scene really hit me hard. I was so surprised, given that not much else happens unexpectedly and was even rather annoyed they made such a mess with those glasses.Great credit is due to that pickpocket's laugh, thee best on celluloid to date and even better than that "Simpson's" Nelson punk. It did not annoy and found his antics most humorous, for that era quite an accomplishment.I never got the Kay Francis craze, her girlfriends were much prettier but guess she is an acquired taste. She did look her best in the flowing white/light gowns and several angles enhanced her countenance.Always interesting to see stock footage from the long gone era of Hong Kong, Queen Mary (?), San Quentin, etc. even though the frame inserts were cumbersome cuts. I would have liked to see more from a history POV.High recommend for those pre-code romances (I think I saw a black garter on the dance floor!!), how to make a Paradise Martini (delish) and the advantages of having underworld pals.
mysterv
Recently saw this film, thanks to both TCM and my DVR. I am a big William Powell fan and was aware that Kay Francis was one of the big stars in that time period. I was not disappointed. First, the picture and sound were both very watchable, something that some early talkies cannot claim. The casting of the leads was perfect, as expected, while the supporting cast had important roles in the storyline. Unlike some early films this one had layers to the story that gave it more dramatic weight. My only negative comment is that while I like Frank McHugh in his other films, I did not especially like some of the corny comedy scenes that he had in this film. The comedy was a little too broad for a film like this. Not a reason to not watch but it is the only thing that keeps me from giving it an eleven star rating, if I could.
lugonian
ONE WAY PASSAGE (Warner Brothers, 1932), directed by Tay Garnett, is a tender love story set on board a luxury liner that involves a final destination that awaits its two central characters. Of the many shipboard romances that have been produced before and since, this one stood out with an original premise. How original was it? Well, original enough to have earned Robert Lord an Academy Award in the category for Best Original Screenplay. Featuring William Powell and Kay Francis, both new recruits to the Warner studio following their few years at Paramount, ONE WAY PASSAGE is considered by many to be the finest of their nine collaborations together, with Paramount's STREET OF CHANCE (1930) and Warner's JEWEL ROBBERY (1932) being two honorable mentions.As a camera pans towards three vocalists singing "If I Had My Way" in a barroom, the plot takes its toll shortly before the S.S. Maloa leaves port from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Dan Hardesty (William Powell) encounters Joan Ames (Kay Francis), an attractive socialite at the bar where they immediately become attracted to one other. After drinking a toast, they break their champagne glasses on the counter, then part company with Dan bidding farewell to the German phrase, "Auf Wiedersehe." As Joan returns to her friends (Allan Lane and Ruth Hall, Dan waves, heading through the swing doors. At that moment, Dan is approached and handcuffed by Steve Burke (Warren Hymer), a police detective out to capture and deliver his eluding prisoner back to San Quentin to be executed on a murder charge. Later, after falling overboard, Dan sacrifices his freedom by saving Burke from drowning as he notices Joan up on deck among the crowd observing the incident. Because of his "heroic" deed, Burke agrees to let his prisoner roam free after the boat leaves port to spend quality time with Joan. As Dan keeps his past a secret, so does Joan, who suffers from heart disease. Regardless of orders by her doctor Frederick Burton) to give up parties, cigarettes, dancing and cocktails, Joan chooses to enjoy whatever time allows in the company of her newfound lover during the four week ocean voyage. Also along for the ride are "Skippy" (Frank McHugh), Dan's friend and professional pickpocket, and "Barrelhouse Betty" (Aline MacMahon), a confidence woman posing as the accented speaking "Countess Barilhaud" who keeps Burke's attention while Dan schemes his getaway during the ship's stopover in Honolulu.Film buffs should take notice by the familiar faces in uncredited roles including Roscoe Karns (The Bartender); Douglas Gerrard (Sir Harold); Herbert Mundin (The Steward); Stanley Fields (The Captain); and Dewey Robinson (The Honolulu Contact). Director Tay Garnett keeps the action afloat through notification of time frame with superimposed numerical days listed on screen every few minutes. So well received in 1932 that Warners retold the story eight years later under its new title, TILL WE MEET AGAIN (1940). Starring Merle Oberon, George Brent and Pat O'Brien in the Francis, Powell and Hymer roles, with Binnie Barnes filling in for MacMahon, Frank McHugh reprises his role under a different character name, Rockie T. Rockingham. Interestingly the remake, which follows the original quite closely, happens to be a half hour longer than its originally released 67 minute product. Unlike Turner Classic Movies where both versions have been presented since its 1994 cable TV premiere, many local television stations during the pre-cable TV era very much preferred broadcasting the 1940 edition during the 1960s and 70s as opposed to the original. Take note that both versions contained the oft-played underscoring theme to "Where Was I?"Nearly perfect storytelling, its only main disappointment is the casting of Warren Hymer as the cop out keeping his prisoner under tight observation while on board. Warners stock players as Allen Jenkins or better yet, Guy Kibbee, might have fit the bill to perfection, but no doubt were unavailable. Hymer, best known for playing dopey sidekicks or gangsters, tries his best playing it tough and straight. Unfortunately his comical looking face gets in the way, making his performance hard to be taken seriously. The remake redeems itself with the casting of the no-nonsense O'Brien in Hymer's original role. Had O'Brien been contracted at Warners at this time, maybe he would have been assigned that part. Powell and Francis as doomed lovers handle their roles convincingly. At first glance, Powell seemed to be all wrong playing the condemned killer, but as the movie progresses, so does any doubt of Powell's ability in handling such an offbeat role. Under incapable direction or miscasting, ONE WAY PASSAGE could have turned into a forgettable programmer with unintentional laughs by its viewers. Speaking of laughs, MacMahon and McHugh as secondary couple with questionable pasts, offer some amusements that occur between dramatic interchanges to balance the story. McHugh's trademark "ha ha" laughter and drunken mannerisms offer some bright spots to a point while MacMahon's straight-lace humor comes across naturally. Considering its age, ONE WAY PASSAGE holds up remarkably well, especially the memorable New Year's Eve sequence at Aqua Caliente that should still leave a lump in one's throat long after the movie is over. Auf Wiedersehe.(***)
