The Idle Rich presents very good acting and directing. I particularly liked that everyone talked over each other in a way that matches reality rather than waiting for the first person to finish.
However, the film has serious defects. There is no music, even for the titles. The camera is completely static; not a single movement. But worst of all is the editing that wouldn't pass muster in an introductory film course. A scene is broken up by a scene of a door, no talking or action and then back to the plot. Both action and reaction shots are included several times with deadly silence for the reactions. In one, a person's arm disappears in the reaction. Obviously one or the other shot or a combination of cutting was intended. Instead, it's all there. In other scenes the action stops but the film continues interminably. One mistake in a very early talkie is to be expected but these multiple errors make me wonder if this wasn't the final cut but rather a preliminary print that somehow snuck into the vault by mistake.
However, the film has serious defects. There is no music, even for the titles. The camera is completely static; not a single movement. But worst of all is the editing that wouldn't pass muster in an introductory film course. A scene is broken up by a scene of a door, no talking or action and then back to the plot. Both action and reaction shots are included several times with deadly silence for the reactions. In one, a person's arm disappears in the reaction. Obviously one or the other shot or a combination of cutting was intended. Instead, it's all there. In other scenes the action stops but the film continues interminably. One mistake in a very early talkie is to be expected but these multiple errors make me wonder if this wasn't the final cut but rather a preliminary print that somehow snuck into the vault by mistake.