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The term "heat lightning" refers to flashes of light in the horizon from distant thunderstorms; something you can't hear, but you can see far away and wish it stays away. One can say that's what sisters Olga and Myra (Aline MacMahon and Ann Dvorak) are running from by living in the middle of nowhere in the Southwest desert, but it's more than rain and thunder that they're running from.
Heat Lightning, the film, brings the thunder to the sisters' doorstep in the form of two mysterious men with mysterious motives, one of which might have a past with the oldest sister, Olga. But as much as she says she's different and tries to stay different, George (Preston Foster) seems determined to get her back, for one reason or another. This is also interspersed with the sisters' interactions with other customers that end up stranded at their station for the night.
This is a Pre-Code film that was recommended by a guest on my podcast. It features most of the traits of a Pre-Code film with sharp dialogue, lots of sexual innuendo, and a bleak ending. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and how you can see the emotional machinations this man uses to break Olga. We find out early on that his motivations aren't honest, and in a way I'm sure so can she; which I think makes the path they take more interesting to think about.
In the above quote, Olga assures George how different she is from who she was. As the film goes on, we will realize how true or not that statement is. Much like "heat lightning" itself, what we do see are the flashes of something that is in the distance, back where she came from, but that still puts light and shadows upon us, reminding us of who we were and who we can be.
Grade:
HEAT LIGHTNING
(1934, LeRoy)
(1934, LeRoy)
"Now, I'm not anything like that woman you knew back in Oklahoma. Whatever I was before, I'm different now. And I intend to stay different."
The term "heat lightning" refers to flashes of light in the horizon from distant thunderstorms; something you can't hear, but you can see far away and wish it stays away. One can say that's what sisters Olga and Myra (Aline MacMahon and Ann Dvorak) are running from by living in the middle of nowhere in the Southwest desert, but it's more than rain and thunder that they're running from.
Heat Lightning, the film, brings the thunder to the sisters' doorstep in the form of two mysterious men with mysterious motives, one of which might have a past with the oldest sister, Olga. But as much as she says she's different and tries to stay different, George (Preston Foster) seems determined to get her back, for one reason or another. This is also interspersed with the sisters' interactions with other customers that end up stranded at their station for the night.
This is a Pre-Code film that was recommended by a guest on my podcast. It features most of the traits of a Pre-Code film with sharp dialogue, lots of sexual innuendo, and a bleak ending. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and how you can see the emotional machinations this man uses to break Olga. We find out early on that his motivations aren't honest, and in a way I'm sure so can she; which I think makes the path they take more interesting to think about.
In the above quote, Olga assures George how different she is from who she was. As the film goes on, we will realize how true or not that statement is. Much like "heat lightning" itself, what we do see are the flashes of something that is in the distance, back where she came from, but that still puts light and shadows upon us, reminding us of who we were and who we can be.
Grade: